College Football Best Bets for Week 9: Can Georgia Right the Ship Against Florida?
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College Football Best Bets for Week 9: Can Georgia Right the Ship Against Florida?

Kody Malstrom breaks down his three best college football bets for Week 9, including angles on Florida vs. Georgia and Ohio State vs. USC.

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Fresh off a loss to Auburn, Georgia will need to quickly get back into form if the Bulldogs want to leap back over Kentucky for first in the SEC. With Florida on deck, Gunner Stockton will be able to bounce back in a big way, potentially keeping the Gators out of the mix for the playoffs as well.

Here are my favorite Week 9 college football bets.

College Football Best Bets for Week 9

Florida vs. Georgia (Team Total o34.5) (-105, BetMGM)

Stockton's dual-threat ability has injected versatility into Georgia's offense, captaining a group that ranks second in success rate while leading the nation in finishing drives. When Stockton is able to successfully scramble out of the pocket, he has been able to consistently gash opposing defenses with his legs, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

In a favorable matchup against Florida, Stockton will be able to move the ball effortlessly down the field by taking advantage of a defense that resides in the bottom half of the board in success rate, explosiveness and points per opportunity. With Florida’s back end struggling, the Gators will be forced to anchor LBs in coverage, giving up more ground for Stockton to exploit.

On the other side of the ball, Florida’s reliance on methodical drives will make it difficult to stay ahead of the sticks against a defense that ranks 19th in pass success rate and eighth in rush EPA allowed per play. With the Gators stalling out early in the drive, the Bulldogs will be able to generate a higher volume of scoring opportunities to help clear the over on the team total.

Ohio State (-6.5) vs. USC (-115, Caesars)

Even though Ohio State was able to survive a scare against Indiana, the Buckeyes still suffered a massive loss when Julian Sayin went down with an injury. With Sayin out for the foreseeable future, Ohio State will hand the reins to Luke Fahey, a freshman who failed to complete a pass in his brief appearance under center against the Hoosiers.

Fortunately for Fahey, he will have a great opportunity to air out the ball against USC by picking apart a secondary that struggles in coverage, per the Trojans' below-league-average marks in pass success rate, PPA and explosiveness. USC’s inability to create havoc will also make it easier for Fahey to get into a groove, leading to a higher completion percentage.

While question marks linger over the offense, the Buckeyes have been able to play at a high level on defense, entering Week 9 ranked 15th in success rate and 24th in points per opportunity. With USC lacking the big-play ability needed to stretch out the defense, the Trojans will struggle to keep pace, leading to a lopsided affair. 

Oklahoma State (Team Total o34.5) vs. Iowa State (-108, FanDuel)

In his first year with Oklahoma State, Drew Mestemaker has built a strong case for being the first QB to come off the board in the 2027 NFL Draft, averaging 332 passing yards per game while rattling off over five yards per carry. When Mestemaker is in a groove, the Cowboys are able to get into scoring position in quick order, ranking 15th in dropback EPA per play.

Heading into Saturday’s Big 12 tilt against Iowa State, Mestemaker will be able to build on his momentum by throwing over the top of a secondary that ranks outside the top-90 in success rate and in explosiveness. To help diversify your risk, place a separate wager on the Cowboys to cover the spread at no higher than the key number of -10.

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