The 2026-27 college football season rolls on with a small Friday night of games on tap! It’s time to lock in our CFB best bets today before the action gets underway. Check out these CFB picks for Friday’s college football Week 6 slate on October 9th. Without further ado, let’s jump into this week’s top CFB predictions.

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Friday, 10/9

Our CFB best bets today start with the Big Ten matchup between #20 Iowa and Washington. Plus, #8 BYU hosts Iowa State in a Friday night Big 12 clash. Check out more CFB picks below for the rest of today’s action. Good luck!  

 

 

 

Iowa vs. Washington Prediction: Friday, October 9th

Fresh off its loss to Ohio State last Saturday, #20 Iowa heads West to take on Washington this Friday night. It’s a tough road trip for any Big Ten team, and especially on a short week. Meanwhile, Washington has now lost back-to-back games after nearly pulling off an upset over USC. 

Washington is the slight home favorite in this Big Ten battle, but we’re looking at the total. Take the under and expect a defensive-minded, low-scoring matchup. 

In its three games against power-conference opponents, Iowa is averaging only 16.7 points per game. The offense has also been held under 300 total yards in each of those games. The Hawkeyes have some clear offensive limitations, ranking 97th nationally in EPA/Play and 101st in success rate. 

It won’t get any easier on the road this week. Washington boasts a stout defense that’s allowing only 18.4 PPG this season (37th in FBS). The Huskies also rank 11th in the country in defensive EPA/Play and 21st in defensive success rate. They’re strong against both the pass and the run. 

Plus, Iowa quarterback Hank Brown is questionable to play after suffering a shoulder sprain last week. If he’s out, backup Jeremy Hecklinski doesn’t offer much confidence. Even if Brown plays, Iowa’s passing will be hampered. Either way, the Hawkeyes likely take a run-heavy approach on offense – which certainly favors the under. 

Meanwhile, Washington’s offense has also struggled this season. The Huskies rank 103rd in offensive EPA/Play and 84th in success rate. They even had issues against USC’s shaky defense last weekend. 

As for Iowa, the defense still rates out well despite the loss to Ohio State. The Hawkeyes rank 33rd nationally in defensive EPA/Play and 36th in defensive success rate. The unit is especially strong against the run (6th in EPA/Rush), which has been one of Washington’s lone bright spots on offense. 

Iowa State vs. BYU Prediction: Friday, October 9th

BYU is up to 8th in the latest AP Poll after a strong 4-0 start. The Cougars will look to keep it going as they welcome in Iowa State this Friday night. The Cyclones, meanwhile, are 3-2 now after surviving last week’s shootout with West Virginia. 

BYU is the side to back in this Big 12 matchup. The Cougars are always tough to beat at home, especially at night. In fact, they’re 9-1 at home in conference play over the last 3 seasons. They’re also 11-4 ATS at home against Big 12 opponents over the past 4 seasons. Plus, 8 of their last 10 home conference wins have been by double digits. 

The Cougs’ offense is overpowering opponents, mainly with the run game. BYU ranks 20th nationally in offensive EPA/Play and 13th in offensive success rate. Plus, the rushing attack is 3rd in the country in EPA/Rush and 1st in rushing success rate. 

When BYU gets the run game going, the offense is tough to stop. On that note, Iowa State has struggled against the run this season. The Cyclones rank 95th in defensive EPA/Rush and 78th in success rate vs. the run. They’re also allowing 5.14 yards per carry against FBS opponents, which ranks 90th in the country. Notably, BYU star running back LJ Martin is expected to be out. However, the Cougs still have elite offensive line play and dual-threat QB Bear Bachmeier leading the charge. 

Conversely, Iowa State’s offense has struggled in its two toughest matchups this season. The Cyclones scored 13 points with 255 total yards against Iowa, then 17 points with 316 total yards against Utah. Take last week’s offensive explosion with a grain of salt, as it came against a terrible West Virginia defense.  

Back BYU to cover the spread and roll to a comfortable victory. Notably, this is Iowa State’s first real road trip of the season. The Cyclones played at Iowa earlier this season, but they’ve yet to travel to another state. 

 

 

 

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