The 2026-27 college football season rolls on with a small Friday night slate of games! It’s time to lock in our CFB best bets today before the action gets underway. Check out these CFB picks for Friday’s Week 7 college football slate on October 16th. Without further ado, let’s jump into this week’s top CFB predictions.

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Friday, 10/16

Our CFB best bets today start with Washington vs. Purdue in a Big Ten matchup. Plus, Memphis takes on Tulane in the American Athletic Conference. Check out more CFB picks below for the rest of today’s action. Good luck! 

 

 

 

Washington vs. Purdue Prediction: Friday, October 16th

Purdue’s style and team profile on both sides of the ball tend to result in higher-scoring games. The Boilermakers are terrible defensively, but are plenty dangerous on offense. Thus, the over is 5-1 in their games so far this season. That’s the angle for our CFB best bets today as Purdue hosts Washington. 

Purdue has allowed 31.3 points and 400.7 total yards per game this year, ranking 119th and 114th in the country, respectively. The Boilermakers’ defense also ranks 130th in EPA/Play and 116th in success rate. They’ve actually been better on defense over the past two games, but the issues could return this week. 

Admittedly, Washington’s offense has been inconsistent this year. Starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is also unlikely to play this week. Even so, the Huskies can score enough against this shaky Purdue defense. Backup QB Elijah Brown stepped in and threw for 251 yards and 3 TDs last week against Iowa’s tough defense. 

Either way, Purdue’s offense can pace this game to the over. The Boilermakers rank 12th nationally in offensive success rate and 10th in offensive adjusted EPA/Play. They’ve also scored at least 36 points in 4 of 6 games this year. 

The offense has moved the ball efficiently both through the air and on the ground, depending on the matchup and game flow. Purdue just racked up 305 rushing yards on 6.5 yards per carry in last week’s win over Minnesota. In previous games, QB Ryan Browne led a passing attack that ranks 13th in the country in success rate. 

Meanwhile, Washington’s defense was just badly exposed in last week’s loss. The Huskies allowed 41 points and 465 total yards to an Iowa offense that hasn’t been that explosive. Their defense also struggled to stop USC and Minnesota in the two previous losses. 

Memphis vs. Tulane Prediction: Friday, October 16th

Memphis has quickly emerged as one of the best Group of Six teams in the country. The Tigers are 5-1 this season with four wins by 18+ points. They now face Tulane on the road in a big AAC matchup. Memphis is the side to back for our CFB best bets today with key advantages on both sides of the ball. 

Memphis boasts a potent offense that’s averaging 38.5 points per game (23rd in FBS). The Tigers rank 8th nationally in offensive EPA/Play and 28th in offensive success rate. The attack is also 7th in the country in total yards per game, while being efficient both through the air and on the ground. 

The run game averages 5.9 yards per carry with multiple weapons in the backfield. The Tigers can rotate in three RBs to wear down defenses. Plus, quarterback Marcus Stokes is playing at a high level, with a 70% completion rate and a 16:3 TD:INT ratio thus far. His dual-threat ability also stretches defenses. 

Tulane will likely struggle to contain this dangerous Memphis offense. The Green Wave rank 118th in total yards allowed per game and 102nd in defensive EPA/Play. They’ve also had issues against both the run and pass. Tulane’s defense has been vulnerable in the past three games against Kansas State, Southern Miss, and Army – Memphis has a better offense than all three. 

On the other side, Tulane is even worse on offense. The Green Wave rank 129th nationally in offensive success rate and 119th in adjusted EPA/Play. The offense leans heavily on the run and actually has a solid rushing attack. However, Tulane’s passing problems will be tough to overcome in this matchup. 

Memphis ranks 24th in defensive EPA/Pass and 38th in defensive success rate vs. the pass. The pass defense also has just as many interceptions (6) as touchdowns allowed this year. Tulane will need to throw to keep pace with the Tigers, but don’t expect much production there. That should allow Memphis to build and keep a lead en route to covering this spread. 

 

 

 

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