The 2025 college football season rolls on with Thursday and Friday games to kick off Week 5. Welcome to our CFB Best Bets as we break down CFB picks for this week’s action. Let’s focus on two matchups for our CFB predictions. Plus, check out more college football bets below. 

The Week 5 college football slate starts up on Thursday night with Army vs. East Carolina in an AAC showdown. Plus, No. 24 TCU vs. Arizona State headlines our Friday night CFB picks. All bets below are for one unit unless otherwise noted. All odds and lines are accurate as of this writing, but subject to change. Without further ado, let’s dive into our CFB Best Bets. 

 

 

 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Thursday, 9/25

Week 5 of the college football season kicks off on Thursday night with an American Athletic Conference matchup. East Carolina is the 5.5-point home favorite against Army with a 52.5 over/under. Let’s get some action on this AAC showdown to begin our CFB picks. 

Army vs. East Carolina Prediction: Thursday, September 25th

Both teams are coming off tough losses in Week 4, though for different reasons. Army was down big against North Texas before pulling off a fourth-quarter comeback to send the game to overtime. Then, the Black Knights fell short in the extra period. East Carolina, meanwhile, will try to rebound from a 21-point home loss to BYU last weekend. 

ECU and Army will both be plenty motivated to right the ship and get back into the win column here. Instead of picking a side, let’s target the total and grab the Over 52.5 (-110 on FanDuel Sportsbook).

Army’s defense just got torched for 478 total yards and 45 points by North Texas. The unit was on the field for 70+ snaps and struggled against both the run and pass. The Black Knights now rank 71st in the country in total defense, while giving up 32.0 PPG (116th). 

East Carolina’s offense should move the ball well and get explosive plays in this matchup. The Pirates have a potent air attack that averages 331.0 passing yards per game (12th in FBS). Quarterback Katin Houser looks comfortable after taking over as the starter last year. After being held to just 13 points last week, the offense is bound to wake back up after scoring 94 combined points in the two games prior. 

Meanwhile, ECU’s defense is reeling after allowing 418 total yards and 34 points to BYU. Now the unit has to turn around and face Army’s triple-option offense. Preparing for and stopping the unique run scheme is tough anyway, but doing so on a short week is even harder. 

In last week’s loss to BYU, the Pirates gave up 172 rushing yards on 5.1 yards per carry. That doesn’t bode well for the defense against Army this week. The Black Knights are averaging a whopping 301.3 rushing yards per game (4th in FBS), and they had the nation’s top-ranked rush offense a year ago. 

The triple-option is no joke, and if ECU can’t stop it early, it might be a long night. We actually saw this play out in last year’s meeting. Army racked up 295 rushing yards and 442 total yards en route to a 45-28 victory over East Carolina. 

 

 

 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Friday, 9/26

Time to turn our attention to Friday’s slate for our Week 5 CFB best bets. Arizona State hosts No. 24 TCU in a marquee matchup. These are two of the top teams in the Big 12, and this week’s result could carry a ton of weight. Let’s break it down.

TCU vs. Arizona State Prediction: Friday, September 26th 

TCU is off to an impressive 3-0 start and finds itself ranked in the AP Top 25 this week. Meanwhile, Arizona State is 3-1 after pulling off a road victory at Baylor last game. These are two good teams with Big 12 title aspirations, but something has to give on Friday night. 

Arizona State comes in as the slightly more proven and battle-tested team. The Wildcats have already played two tight road games against quality opponents, with both decided in the fourth quarter. They were on the right side last week at Baylor, driving down the field to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired. In Week 2, they scored 20 unanswered points to pull ahead of Mississippi State, but ultimately lost in the final minute of the game. 

Neither game experience can be overlooked for Arizona State. The ‘Cats got a beneficial taste of conference play last week in the victory over Baylor. Plus, the road loss against a currently undefeated SEC foe in Mississippi State is a respectable result. In between, by the way, ASU covered as home favorites with a comfortable 34-15 win over Texas State, a solid Sun Belt opponent. 

Conversely, TCU has had an easier time thus far. The Horned Frogs have wins over SMU and North Carolina, but both are fringe bowl teams. That Week 1 blowout at UNC looks good on paper, but it’s also not aging well since the Tar Heels just got crushed by UCF. Plus, TCU actually blew a lead and was trailing in the fourth quarter at home last week against SMU before pulling ahead late.

In terms of X’s and O’s, Arizona State can lean on its top-tier rushing attack to control this game. The Wildcats boast the 24th-best rushing offense in the country, averaging 219 yards per contest. They have two talented running backs in Raleek Brown (6.6 yards per carry) and Kanye Udoh (4.0), with dual-threat QB Sam Leavitt adding another dimension. 

TCU’s defense has yet to face a running offense like Arizona State’s. The Horned Frogs have also benefited from playing from ahead in all three games so far. If they trail, then ASU can ground-and-pound its way to the win. Plus, stud wideout Jordyn Tyson is a real difference-maker in the Wildcats’ passing game. 

On the other side, TCU has showcased a potent passing attack with QB Josh Hoover slinging it around. Again, though, it’s been against three softer defenses. The competition gets tougher on the road here. Arizona State boasts the 28th-ranked rush defense in the country, and if it can shut down TCU’s run game, it’ll force the Frogs to be one-dimensional offensively. That could force Hoover into a key turnover or two. 

Let’s grab the Arizona State moneyline (-130 on DraftKings Sportsbook). The Wildcats also benefit from a clutch homefield advantage on Friday night. They went 6-0 both straight-up and against-the-spread (ATS) at home last year, including 3-0 ATS as home favorites in conference play. 

 

 

 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks for Friday, Week 5

 

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