Ricky Dimon
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Don’t look now, but we have already arrived at Week 9 in the 2022 college football season. The first College Football Playoff rankings are little more than a week away from being revealed. Things are getting serious on the gridiron, and this week should be a fun one with 3 all-top 25 showdowns on the schedule in addition to the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party featuring Florida and Georgia.
But first we have to focus on Thursday night, when NC State, Virginia Tech and Utah are among the teams taking the field. Here is a look at the 3 components of our mega parlay for Thursday’s action.
Virginia Tech +10.5 (+125)
Louisiana vs Southern Miss Under 43 (-110)
Utah -9.5 (+115)
Parlay odds: +824
For this parlay we are going with 1 underdog against an alternate spread, 1 favorite against an alternate spread and an under. Let’s break down each of the legs.
Get our college football picks for all of the big Week 9 matchups!
Virginia Tech +10.5 over NC State (+125)
NC State is reeling, trying to recover from the loss of quarterback Devin Leary. He left a game against Florida State 2 weeks ago and will miss the remainder of the season. In their only outing without Leary, the Wolfpack lost to Syracuse 24-9 while failing to score a single touchdown. Virginia Tech has also been struggling offensively, which is the main reason why it is in the midst of a 4-game losing streak. This will probably be a low-scoring affair, which generally makes it easier for the underdog to cover. Virginia Tech is a +13.5 ‘dog, but I think the visitors can keep this within single digits or at the most a 10-point margin.
Check out our full Virginia Tech vs NC State predictions
Louisiana vs Southern Miss Under 43 (-110)
Southern Miss boasts Frank Gore Jr. at running back, but he is going up against a Louisiana defense that is allowing a modest 123 rushing yards per game. If the Golden Eagles have to rely on quarterback Zach Wilcke, that could be a problem. The freshman is completing just 60 percent of his passes with 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Wilcke isn’t a running threat, either, so Southern Miss is a bit one-dimensional. Meanwhile, the Ragin’ Cajuns have scored fewer than 25 points in 5 of their 7 games this season. Their offense does not operate at a high speed and they don’t generate a ton of big plays. For both teams, any scoring drives are likely to be slow and methodical. The under has hit in 12 of Louisiana’s last 18 games and in 4 of Southern Miss’ last 6.
Check out our full Louisiana vs Southern Miss predictions
Utah -9.5 over Washington State (+115)
Utah’s last game resulted in a 1-point victory over USC in which the Utes did not hold a lead until quarterback Cam Rising scored on 4th-and-goal with 48 seconds remaining. They were rewarded with a bye the following week, so the Utes will be well rested heading into this one. Washington State is the same, but it did not head into its off weekend with much momentum. The Cougars are on a 2-game losing streak, during which they have scored just 24 points in total. Their offense cannot come close to competing with that of the Utes. Wazzou runs the ball at the 2nd-lowest rate per game, which puts a lot of pressure on quarterback Cameron Ward and an offensive line that ranks outside the top 90 in sack rate. With 8 interceptions already this season, Ward will now face a defense that averages 1.43 interceptions per game and ranks top 20 in sack rate. Look for the Utes to win by double-digits.
Be sure to take note of our college football Week 9 best bets
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