Week 9 of the 2025 college football season gets underway on Tuesday and Wednesday night as we lock in our CFB Best Bets. Check out our CFB picks for this week’s action. Let’s focus on two games for our CFB predictions and hand out more college football bets below. 

We’ll kick things off with a Tuesday night Conference USA matchup between Western Kentucky and Louisiana Tech. Plus, New Mexico State hosts Missouri State in another C-USA clash on Wednesday night. All bets below are for one unit. Plus, all college football 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: Tuesday, 10/21

Tuesday night’s Week 9 slate features a pair of Conference USA matchups. Let’s focus on one of those for our CFB Best Bets. Louisiana Tech is a 3.5-point favorite at home against Western Kentucky, with a 50.5 over/under. Good luck with your CFB picks!

Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech Prediction: Tuesday, October 21st

Let’s bank on a defensive matchup between Western Kentucky and Louisiana Tech. Specifically, WKU’s scoring could be limited with key stats and trends pointing in that direction. We could look at the full game or first half under, but let’s just focus on the Hilltoppers’ team total. 

Louisiana Tech’s defense is the best unit in this matchup. The Bulldogs are giving up only 17.2 PPG this season (20th in FBS). When looking closer at the advanced stats, they also boast some elite defensive metrics. Louisiana Tech’s defense ranks 20th nationally in total EPA, 9th in success rate, and 2nd in early downs EPA/Play. 

The Bulldogs are especially dominant against the run. They’re 24th in the FBS in rushing yards allowed per game, 19th in EPA/Rush, and 4th in success rate vs. the run. That top-tier run defense will be problematic for a Western Kentucky offense that relies on being balanced. 

The Hilltoppers are at their best when both the run and pass are clicking. If WKU struggles on the ground, though, it’ll put more pressure on the passing game. Well, quarterback Maverick McIvor has a poor 4:5 TD:INT ratio over the past 5 games. 

Western Kentucky is averaging 29.7 PPG this year, but the offense could be held in check on the road here. The Hilltoppers have benefited from facing easier defenses for most of this season. However, they struggled mightily on offense last week. WKU mustered only 6 points at home in the loss to Florida International. McIvor also had his worst game of the year with 3 interceptions and just 159 passing yards. 

Louisiana Tech has held opponents to 23 points or fewer in 5 of 6 games this season. The Bulldogs should bounce back defensively at home this week after giving up 35 points to Kennesaw State on the road last game. Take the under on Western Kentucky’s team total. 

 

 

 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Wednesday, 10/22

Let’s now focus on Wednesday night’s slate for our CFB best bets. New Mexico State hosts Missouri State in another Conference USA matchup. It should be a close game between these league opponents, so let’s break it down for our CFB predictions this week. 

Missouri State vs. New Mexico State Prediction: Wednesday, October 22nd 

Both teams enter with 3-3 records on the season. Missouri State is 1-1 in conference play, while New Mexico State is 1-2 against league opponents. This C-USA matchup is a toss-up at first glance, but the home squad has a few edges. 

First off, New Mexico State has proven to be formidable at home. The Aggies are 3-0 at home this year, including 2-0 ATS as home underdogs. They’re also 7-2 ATS as home dogs over the past four seasons now. New Mexico State has a real home-field advantage in Las Cruces.

As for the game itself, the Aggies’ defense can be a difference-maker. They’re average against the pass, but strong at stopping the run. New Mexico State ranks 8th in the country in defensive EPA/Rush and 38th in defensive success rate against the run. The unit is also allowing just 3.8 yards per carry (52nd in FBS). 

Why does that matter against Missouri State? Well, the Bears’ run game ranks 127th nationally in rushing yards per game, 125th in yards per carry, and 126th in EPA/Rush. If they can’t get anything going on the ground, it’ll force a pass-heavy and one-dimensional offense. That could be an issue based on their quarterback situation. 

Missouri State QB Jacob Clark missed the last game with a leg injury, and he’s questionable to play this week. His absence thrust true freshman Deuce Bailey into the starting role. Bailey actually looked good, but it also came against a lower-tier Middle Tennessee defense and was just a one-game sample size. 

New Mexico State’s defense will present a much tougher test this time around, especially with Bailey playing on the road. The Aggies have forced 7 interceptions in 6 games. The secondary can sit on passes when the run-stopping is at its best. 

On the other side, Missouri State’s defense leaves a lot to be desired. The Bears are allowing 29.7 PPG (108th in FBS) and 394.8 total yards per game (100th). They also rank 106th in defensive EPA/Play and 120th in defensive success rate this season. New Mexico State has the offensive firepower to exploit this matchup, especially through the air. 

Senior QB Logan Fife gives the Aggies a trusted passer who’s averaging 257.4 passing yards per game over the past 5 contests, with a 7:3 TD:INT ratio in this stretch. He can have success against a Missouri State pass defense that ranks 105th nationally in passing yards allowed per game, 107th in EPA/Play, and 121st in success rate. Plus, the New Mexico State run game has made big strides in conference play so far. 

Back New Mexico State to cover the small spread as the home underdog on Wednesday. Consider the Aggies’ moneyline to win outright as well. They’ll be looking to get back on track after losing on a game-winning touchdown in the final minute at Liberty last week. 

 

 

 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks for Tuesday/Wednesday, Week 9

 

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