The 2025 college football season rolls on with Thursday and Friday games as Week 7 gets going. 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. 

We’ll kick things off with a Thursday night Sun Belt matchup between Southern Miss and Georgia Southern. Plus, Rutgers takes on Washington on Friday night in a Big Ten clash. 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 Week 7 Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Thursday, 10/9

Thursday night’s Week 7 slate features 4 games. One of the later matchups features Southern Miss taking on Georgia Southern in a Sun Belt showdown. The Golden Eagles are small favorites on the road with a few notable advantages that should lead them to the win. Let’s break it down to begin our CFB picks. 

Southern Miss vs. Georgia Southern Prediction: Thursday, October 9th

First off, Southern Miss is the more proven team to this point. All three of its wins have come by at least 16 points, including a convincing victory and cover against Appalachian State. Meanwhile, Georgia Southern’s two wins aren’t all that impressive. It beat FCS-level Maine, as expected, and then survived by one score against Jacksonville State.

On that note, these teams share a common opponent in Jacksonville State, which provides some context. Southern Miss beat the Gamecocks by 17 points and even held a comfortable 35-11 lead after three quarters. Georgia Southern won its matchup, too, but it needed a fourth-quarter comeback to pull out a close victory. 

As for this week’s matchup, Georgia Southern will have to overcome having one of the worst defenses in college football. It’s allowing 37.4 points per game (131st in FBS) and 459.6 total yards per contest (129th). Diving deeper, the Eagles’ defense also ranks 135th in success rate and 127th in EPA/Play. They just gave up 35 points to James Madison last time out and have now allowed at least 34 points to every FBS opponent thus far. 

The Georgia Southern defense has struggled to stop both the pass and run, but it’s been particularly bad against the rush. The Eagles are allowing 262.6 rushing yards per game and 6.47 yards per carry, which both rank 136th out of 136 FBS schools.

Southern Miss has the offensive firepower to exploit this weak defense. The Golden Eagles are averaging 31.0 PPG this year, which ranks 14th among Group of 5 schools and 57th nationally. They’re also gaining 388.8 total yards per game (23rd in G5; 71st in FBS). 

The Southern Miss offensive attack is a balanced one, with the ability to beat defenses either through the air or on the ground. The run game, though, just racked up 225 rushing yards in that Week 5 win over Jacksonville State. Plus, dual-threat QB Braylon Braxton is playing well, boasting an 11:3 TD:INT ratio while bringing another threat to the backfield. 

On the other side, Georgia Southern will struggle to keep this one close with a subpar offense as well. The Eagles rank 100th in the country in total offense. QB JC French IV is averaging only 189.2 passing yards per game, while the GSU run game ranks 98th in rush yards per contest. 

Southern Miss has had some defensive struggles this season, too, but it should be good enough in this matchup. It’s encouraging to see the Golden Eagles rank 9th nationally in defensive EPA/Play with some other top-50 advanced metrics on defense as well. 

Let’s back Southern Miss to get the job done on the road. Notably, the Golden Eagles are 11-5 ATS as favorites since 2021, including 2-0 already this season. Conversely, Georgia Southern is 0-3 ATS as an underdog this year. 

 

 


 

CFB Week 7 Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Friday, 10/10

Time to turn our attention to Friday’s slate for our CFB best bets. Washington hosts Rutgers in a matchup of Big Ten programs. The Huskies are favored by 10.5 points at home, but let’s focus on the total in what should be a higher-scoring game. Plus, the Washington team total will be included in our CFB predictions. 

Rutgers vs. Washington Prediction: Friday, October 10th

Washington’s offense has been among the best in the country this season. The Huskies are averaging 39.4 points per game (16th in FBS) and 446.4 total yards of offense per game (32nd). In terms of advanced stats, the offense also ranks 14th nationally in EPA/Play and 10th in offensive success rate. 

Demond Williams Jr. looks like one of the top up-and-coming quarterbacks in college football. The dual-threat talent is averaging 331.8 total yards in Washington’s four wins this season (263.3 passing, 68.5 rushing). The Huskies also have a solid run game, led by senior tailback Jonah Coleman. 

Besides being held in check by an elite Ohio State defense, Washington is rolling offensively. Even last week, the Huskies’ attack bounced back after getting shut out in the first half at Maryland. They still finished with 390 offensive yards and scored 21 fourth-quarter points to pull out the win. 

Washington will take on a Rutgers defense that’s struggled in its toughest games this season. The Scarlet Knights have allowed 38 and 31 points in their past two games vs. Iowa and Minnesota, respectively. They even gave up 31 points to Ohio earlier this year. The defense also ranks 127th nationally in success rate and 113th in EPA/Play, with issues against both the run and pass. 

Those struggles defensively should be concerning for Rutgers in this week’s matchup. Washington has a much better offense than Iowa or Minnesota. The Huskies could score 40+ points at home in this spot, especially riding the offensive momentum of last week’s come-from-behind victory. 

Meanwhile, Rutgers could also add to the total here. The Scarlet Knights boast a balanced offensive attack that’s been very efficient and productive this season. They’re averaging 39.0 points per game (18th in FBS) while racking up 434.0 total yards per contest (41st). Rutgers also ranks 17th nationally in success rate and 29th in EPA/Play on offense. 

Let’s take the over in this Big Ten matchup, as well as the over on Washington’s team total. The Huskies should anchor an offensive shootout. These teams are a combined 8-2 to the over this year, including every Rutgers game hitting the over so far. 

 

 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks for Thursday & Friday, Week 7

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