College Football Week 9 Opening Lines, Odds & Best Bets: Duke suffocates Boston College

Somehow, some way, Halloween is this weekend -- which means Week 9 of the college football regular season is here. After the happenings of last week, the College Football Playoff race is starting to intensify -- especially with the first CFP Rankings show set to air next Tuesday. 

Time waits for no one, so let’s not waste it. Here are the early lines and odds for the biggest games in Week 9, followed by my early-week best bet of the bunch. I’m going for my fourth straight cash after South Carolina prevailed at home against Tennessee on Saturday. 

Make sure you check Pickswise throughout the week for our CFB predictions, including tips and analysis on every FBS matchup this week and beyond. 

College Football Week 9 Early Lines and Odds

Odds available at bet365 at the time of publishing.

Tuesday, October 27

• Western Kentucky -1.5 (-104) vs Delaware; Total 56.5 (Over -112)
• Missouri State -5.5 (-110) vs Sam Houston State; Total 49.5 (Over -111)

Wednesday, October 28

• Middle Tennessee -2.5 (-121) vs Kennesaw State; Total 51.5 (Under -113)
• Jacksonville State -3.5 (-103) @ New Mexico State; Total 49.5 (-110)

Thursday, October 29

• North Texas -13.5 (-110) vs FAU; Total 75.5 (Over -112)
• James Madison -21.5 (-107) vs Troy; Total 51.5 (Under -119)

Friday, October 30

• Tulane -10.5 (-103) @ Charlotte; Total 46.5 (-110)
• UCF -1.5 (-109) vs Baylor; Total 47.5 (Over -112)
• Kent State -10.5 (-105) @ Sacramento State; Total 46.5 (-110)

Saturday, October 31

• Texas Tech -3.5 (+100) vs Arizona; Total 54.5 (Over -111)
• Duke -6.5 (-121) vs Boston College; Total 48.5 (Under -111)
• Western Michigan -13.5 (-110) vs Bowling Green; Total 43.6 (-112)
• NC State -7.5 (-102) vs Cal; Total 56.5 (Over -111)
• Illinois -2.5 (-113) @ Maryland; Total 52.5 (-110)
• Notre Dame -30.5 (-105) vs Navy; Total 53.5 (Over -115) Neutral
• SMU -9.5 (-113) @ Syracuse; Total 58.5 (Under -111)
• Iowa -3.5 (-105) vs Wisconsin; Total 36.5 (Over -111)
• Michigan -13.5 (-114) @ Rutgers; Total 46.5 (Over -115)
• Ole Miss -13.5 (-110) vs Auburn; Total 57.5 (Under -113)
• Kansas State -2.5 (-114) @ Colorado; Total 47.5 (Over -114)
• Air Force -2.5 (-127) vs UConn; Total 53.5 (Over -119)
• BYU -16.5 (-111) vs Arizona State; Total 49.5 (-110)
• Utah State -6.5 (-117) vs Colorado State; Total 63.5 (Under -113)
• Georgia -10.5 (-113) vs Florida; Total 56.5 (-110) Neutral
• TCU -5.5 (-114) vs Kansas; Total 47.5 (Over -114)
• Indiana -19.5 (-111) vs Minnesota; Total 42.5 (Under -111)
• Oregon -3.5 (-109) vs Northwestern; Total 49.5 (-110)
• Utah -6.5 (-113) @ Cincinnati; Total 49.5 (Under -111)
• Wake Forest -13.5 (-121) vs Virginia; Total 49.5 (Under -111)
• Penn State -7.5 (-112) vs Nevada; Total 44.5 (Under -111)
• Oklahoma -5.5 (-109) vs South Carolina; Total 44.5 (-110)
• Florida State -5.5 (-112) vs Clemson; Total 49.5 (-112)
• Oklahoma State -9.5 (-106) @ Iowa State; Total 57.5 (Under -115)
• Pitt -7.5 (-107) vs Georgia Tech; Total 53.5 (-110)
• Miami -15.5 (-110) @ North Carolina; Total 52.5 (-110)
• Texas -20.5 (-112) vs Mississippi State; Total 51.5 (Under -113)
• Ohio State -7.5 (+104) vs USC; Total 50.5 (Over -114)
• Missouri -9.5 (-117) @ Arkansas; Total 49.5 (Over -112)
• Memphis -6.5 (-105) vs Army; Total 58.5 (Over -111)
• Nebraska -8.5 (-112) vs Washington; Total 49.5 (Over -111)
• Boise State -11.5 (-110) vs Texas State; Total 63.5 (Over -111)
• Oregon State -5.5 (-111) @ Fresno State; Total 56.5 (Over -113)

CFB Week 9 Early Best Bet: Duke Blue Devils -6.5 over Boston College Eagles (-121)

Playable at this number to -125 or up to -7.5 (+100)

Don’t look now, but the Boston College Eagles are on their first ACC winning streak since November of 2024. Unfortunately for BC, I’m expecting its run to come to an end in Durham against the Duke Blue Devils. Not to take anything away from the Eagles' wins, but one came against a Pitt team that lost their starting quarterback and is still yet to have its bye. The other is a polarizing result as it relates to this particular matchup, as BC dismantled Georgia Tech last week -- and Tech beat Duke on that same field. I wouldn't read too much into that, though. That was a big get-up spot for the Yellow Jackets out of a mutual bye week; they had yet to win an FBS game, while Duke was undefeated and potentially looking ahead to their rivalry game with UNC the week following. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: transitive property is not a reliable handicap in college football, but it’s fun to look at, nonetheless.

This is a pretty bad spot for BC, playing its second leg of consecutive road games against a Duke team that boasts a defense much better than what BC has seen over the last couple weeks. The Blue Devils are top 25 in scoring and total defense, and their front seven can dominate the line of scrimmage given their top-20 marks in stuff rate and line yards allowed outside of garbage time since Week 3 (CollegeFootballData). That is especially troublesome for the Eagles, who have a bad offensive line – and that’s probably putting it lightly. This unit is outside the top 80 in run blocking and outside the top 100 in pass blocking per PFF, while it sits bottom 10 nationally in stuff rate and front-seven havoc allowed in the last six weeks. To really drive home the point, BC also sits outside the top 100 in sacks and tackles for loss allowed (CFBStats). 

Even if BC can overcome its offensive line issues, I don’t trust this offense to finish drives efficiently. The Eagles are outside the top 90 in points per non-garbage-time scoring opportunity over the last six weeks, and they sit bottom-five nationally in red-zone scoring rate (field goals included) -- just ahead of the likes of Kent State, UTEP and Northern Illinois…yikes. 

The Devils have battled hard in three consecutive one-score games over the last three weeks, but this is a great opponent for them to regain their footing and win convincingly. Being at home with an extra day of rest against an overmatched Boston College offense, Duke is the play. Multiple books have a juiced -6.5, which is the ideal play up to odds of -125 given the key number of seven -- but I'm fine with -7 up to -115 ish or even -7.5 at a plus-money price. Blue Devils by 10+.