Week 11 College Football Best Bets: CFB Playoff Poll Adds Octane To Schedule

By Bill Speros Nov 3rd, 2025 10:35 AM EST

Indiana enters this week with a 9-0 record. (USA TODAY)

The first College Football Playoff Poll gives multiple teams in our Week 11 College Football Best Bets the opportunity to impress. The week delivers two marquee games featuring ranked teams: No. 8 BYU at No. 9 Texas Tech, and No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 19 Missouri. The schedule offers an appearance of some lopsided wins. However, oddsmakers and bettors remain cautious when deciding which numbers off value, and which ones offer a whiff of deceit.

Before the season began, the Indiana-Penn State offered the potential of an historic Big Ten showdown. The Nittany Lions find themselves working through the curvy roads of an interim coach. Indiana, meanwhile, sees nothing but open road between this week and the Big Ten Championship Game next month . . . fittingly enough at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

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SEC, Big 12 Remain Up For Grabs

The SEC continues its tumultuous ride this week among out Week 11 College Football Best Bets. Auburn fired coach Hugh Freeze Sunday. Texas A&M tests Missouri in Columbia. And Vanderbilt must regain its footing. The Crimson Tide gets first crack at LSU under interim coach Frank Wilson. Unfortunately for Wilson and the defanged Tigers, that game takes place on Nick Saban Field inside Bryant-Denny Stadium at Tuscaloosa.

ESPN College Football GameDay visits Lubbock this week. BYU brings an 8-0 overall and 5-0 Big 12 records to Jones AT&T Stadium to face host Texas Tech. This marks the Cougars' biggest road test of the season. The winner maintains control of its own fate in terms of securing a spot in the Big 12 title game. 

Week 11 College Football Best Bets: Odds & Picks

Date	Matchup	Best Bet	Time / TV
Fri., Nov. 7	Houston at UCF	HOU ML	8 p.m. (FS1)
Fri., Nov. 7	Northwestern at USC	NU +16.5	9 p.m. (FOX)
Fri., Nov. 7	Tulane at Memphis	MEM –7	9 p.m. (ESPN)
Sat., Nov. 8	BYU at Texas Tech	BYU +10.5	12 p.m. (ABC)
Sat., Nov. 8	Indiana at Penn State	IND –13.5	12 p.m. (FOX)
Sat., Nov. 8	Georgia at Miss St.	Under 57.5	12 p.m. (ESPN)
Sat., Nov. 8	Colorado at West Virginia	WVU –5.5	12 p.m. (TNT)
Sat., Nov. 8	Ohio State at Purdue	OSU –28.5	1 p.m. (BTN)
Sat., Nov. 8	Oregon at Iowa	IOWA +6.5	3:30 p.m. (CBS)
Sat., Nov. 8	Texas A&M at Missouri	TAMU –5.5	3:30 p.m. (ABC)
Sat., Nov. 8	Syracuse at Miami	UM –25.5	3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sat., Nov. 8	Kansas at Arizona	ARI –4.5	3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sat., Nov. 8	Iowa State at TCU	TCU –5.5	3:30 p.m. (FOX)
Sat., Nov. 8	Auburn at Vanderbilt	Under 45.5	4 p.m. (SEC)
Sat., Nov. 8	Wake Forest at Virginia	UVA –5.5	7 p.m. (ESPN)
Sat., Nov. 8	Cal at Louisville	UL –20.5	7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sat., Nov. 8	LSU at Alabama	LSU +12.5	7:30 p.m. (ABC)
Sat., Nov. 8	Navy at Notre Dame	ND –25.5	7:30 p.m. (NBC)

Favorite  Underdog / Value  Total (O/U)

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Week 11 College Football Best Bets: Game-By-Game Analysis

Friday, Nov. 7
Houston at UCF, 8 p.m. (FS1)

Buzz: The Cougars fell into the “Trap Game Door” at home against West Virginia Saturday in a stunning 45-35 loss as 14.5-point favorites. That ends their hopes for a Big 12 title game spot and CFB Playoff berth. UCF’s Bounce House has been deflated since the Knights joined the Big 12. A 30-3 loss to Baylor Saturday didn’t help things in Orlando. Still, the Cougars are being discounted here. Take the visitors on the money line among our Week 11 College Football Best Bets.

Best Bet: Houston ML (-111) FanDuel via OddsJam  

Northwestern at USC, 9 p.m. (FOX)

Buzz: NU comes off off the bye. The Wildcats won their Big Ten championship with an upset over Penn State that ended James Franklin's reign in Happy Valley. The No. 20 Trojans, meanwhile, have grained a Big Ten toe-hold this season. And they kept their spot in the AP Top 25 with a gritty 21-17 miss-on-the-cover win at Lincoln Saturday night. USC won’t be playing for the Big Ten championship, but a top-tier bowl bid marks a nice step up this season for Lincoln Riley. And look for his name to surface in Gainesville, Happy Valley, Auburn and Baton Rouge. This number ballooned from 7 to 16.5 points Sunday. That's too steep for a Northwestern team that’s 5-3 ATS and covered against Oregon.

Best Bet: Northwestern +16.5 (-110)  FanDuel via OddsJam  

Tulane at Memphis, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Buzz: The “Group of 5” CFB Playoff spot now belongs to No. 22 Memphis (8-1 SU, ATS) until further notice. No potential playoff team not named Notre Dame needs to stack style points to wow poll voters more than the Tigers. Memphis continued its post-loss-to-UAB rampage Saturday, easily covering the 14-point number in a 38-14 win over Rice. No more traps for the Tigers. Tulane bowed out of contention with a 48-26 loss as 6-points favorites to Texas-San Antonio.

Best Bet: Memphis -7 (-115) DraftKings via OddsJam  

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Saturday, Nov. 8
BYU at Texas Tech, 12 p.m. (ABC)

Buzz: ESPN College Football GameDay comes to Lubbock, as a pair of Big 12 Championship Game hopefuls clash at Jones AT&T Stadium. BYU-Texas Tech offers the highest ranked matchup of the week. The unbeaten No. 8 Cougars (8-0, 6-2 ATS, 5-0 Big 12) come off a bye and impressive win at Ames over Iowa State. QB Bear Bachmeier’s offense averages 35.8 points for BYU. Now, he faces his toughest road test of the season. No. 9 Tech (8-1, 8-1 ATS, 5-1 Big 12), meanwhile, stacks 43.6 PPG following its 43-2 win and cover over K-State in Week 10. Hard to pass on the Cougars getting 10.5 points. So we won’t in our Week 11 College Football Best Bets.

Best Bet: BYU +10.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam  

Indiana at Penn State, 12 p.m. (FOX)

Buzz: Happy Valley would evolve into the State of Euphoria if Penn State upended the Hoosiers (9-0 SU, 7-3 ATS). The Big Ten schedule makers showed Penn State no mercy. PSU faces Indiana after getting demolished 38-14 by Ohio State (-18.5) in Week 10. PSU's dreams of poaching IU head coach Curt Cignetti died once Indiana locked him up with an 8-year extension. That came in the wake of James Franklin’s dismissal as Penn State head coach. The Hoosiers continue to play to the line - and beyond. They’ve covered 27.5 and 21.5-point lines the past 2 weeks, after missing a 26.5-point number against Michigan State by 1.5 points. A 55-10 win at Maryland Saturday sent shivers across the Big Ten landscape.

Best Bet: Indiana -13.5 (-110)  DraftKings via OddsJam  

Georgia at Mississippi State, 12 p.m. (ESPN)

Buzz: Bulldog-on-Bulldog crime. Starkville remains the place where SEC Championship Game hopes often go to die. The host Bulldogs snagged Texas A&M at Davis Wade Stadium earlier this season. Georgia needs to win out to ensure its rightful place in Atlanta on the first Saturday night in December. Mississippi State remains winless in the SEC. But these Bulldogs are 7-1 on the number, tied for second-best in all FBS. Georgia sits underwater ATS compared to its overall record. That trend continued in a 24-20 win over Florida. Georgia chose not to score a late TD that would have delivered a cover and pushed the game over the total. The Bulldogs win this week. We guarantee it.

Best Bet: Under 57.5 Points (-110 ESPN BET via OddsJam  

Colorado at West Virginia, 12 p.m. (TNT)

Buzz: As you chuckle watching Kenny, Charles, Shaq, and Ernie on “Inside the NBA” around your favorite ESPN NBA telecast, thank TNT, TBS and games such as this. This matchup was moved off ESPN as part of the switch to get “Inside the NBA” to the Worldwide Leader. Both teams entered the season riding high on the reputation of each coach. In Boulder, Coach Prime and the Buffs dropped 4 of 5, and lost their last two games by a combined score of 105-24. West Virginia saved Rich Rodriguez’s job and delivered the shock of the week in upsetting 14.5-point favorite Houston 45-35 in Week 10. Yet, These teams are trending in opposite directions. Take me home, country roads.

Best Bet: West Virginia -5.5 (-110) Hard Rock Bet via OddsJam  

Ohio State at Purdue, 1 p.m. (BTN)

Buzz: The top-ranked unbeaten Buckeyes boast the best ATS record (7-0-1) of any FBS team. The nation’s stingiest defense, meanwhile, visits West Lafayette this week. Matt Patricia’s squad continues to run up the score – negatively – against the opposition. The Buckeyes aren’t letting up, either. Ryan Day may have been born on third base. But at least he knows how to avoid “Trap Games” against teams not named Michigan. Purdue has only covered in 2 of 9 Power 4 games. It remains winless against Power 4 foes after a 21-16 loss at Ann Arbor Saturday. Think 40-7 here, just under the total of 48.5 in our Week 11 College Football Best Bets.

Best Bet: Ohio State -28.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam  

Oregon at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Buzz: Both teams come off the bye. The Ducks (7-1, 5-1 Big Ten) return to the Midwest and draw an Iowa team that has won three straight (6-2, 4-1). Dan Lanning and Kirk Ferentz. meanwhile, have had plenty of time to crack each other’s defense.  These teams allowed just 13.1 (Iowa) and 13.5 (Oregon) points on average in their first 8 games. That ranks 6^th and 7^th respectively. They also stand 5^th (Oregon) and 6^th (Iowa) in offensive drive “stop rate,” according to ESPN. About 78% of the offensive drives against each team end up in either a punt, a turnover, or turnover on downs. Both teams scored decisive wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers, beat Penn State by one point (Iowa) and in overtime (Oregon), and lost at Indiana. This one ends closer than the spread indicates.

Best Bet: Iowa +6.5 (-110) DraftKings via OddsJam  

Texas A&M at Missouri 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

Buzz: Both teams come off the bye. This game highlights two the best-unheralded coaches in the SEC: TAMU’s Mike Elko and Missouri’s Eli Drinawitz. Expect to hear at least one of their names come up when the LSU, Florida, Penn State and Auburn jobs are being discussed. The Aggies’ Marcelo Reed may well be the best dual threat QB in all FBS. He threw for 202 yards and 2 TDs, and rushed for 108 and 2 more scores in Texas A&M’s 45-29 win at LSU that got Brian Kelly and his AD fired. Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0 SEC) remains on track for an SEC title game berth. Be wary, however, as they sit 4-4 on the line. The Tigers’ (6-2, 2-2 SEC) covered in their first four games but have hit the number just once since. Their attention turns toward the Citrus Bowl after a close-call loss at Vanderbilt. Here, they get further exposed by the grain-fed meat-eaters from College Station.

Best Bet: Texas A&M -5.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam  

Syracuse at Miami, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Buzz: Syracuse handed Bill Belichick his first Power 4 victory as North Carolina coach Saturday. The Hurricanes fizzled in Dallas during a 26-20 loss to SMU. That saw their hopes for a spot in the ACC title game and College Football Playoff dry up, as well. This week, the Hurricanes grab a big, early lead at home and don’t look back. UM won’t stop scoring until the gun.

Best Bet: Miami -25.5 (-110) Hard Rock Bet via OddsJam  

Kansas at Arizona, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Buzz: Arizona recovered from back-to-back excruciating losses with a 52-17 rout of Colorado on Saturday. Noah Fifita threw for 4 TDs in the 1^st half against the Buffs. Kansas ended its two-game losing streak with the medicine that known as Oklahoma State. Arizona continues to trend in the right direction – despite those tough losses to BYU and Houston. Fifita has found his comfort zone and should deliver big at home here. Especially on this number in our Week 11 College Football Best Bets.

Best Bet: Arizona -4.5 (-105) Hard Rock Bet via OddsJam  

Iowa State at TCU, 3:30 p.m. (FOX)

Buzz: Iowa State ranks as the biggest Big 12 disappointment. The Cyclones spun inward and wrecked their season in the process. They’ve now lost 4 straight following a 5-0 start. Saturday, they gave up 228 yards rushing to ASU QB Jeff Sims as 4.5-point favorites in a 24-19 loss. TCU comes off the bye and far-too-close-for-comfort win over West Virginia. The Horned Frogs, however, fell out the Big 12 title chase with their 2^nd conference loss. Now each school must focus on securing a respectable bowl berth and preventing a mass exodus once the portal opens in December. But only one appears to be on track to do so.

Best Bet: TCU -5.5 (-110) DraftKings via OddsJam  

Auburn at Vanderbilt, 4 p.m. (SEC)

Buzz: Auburn mercifully pulled the plug on Hugh Freeze Sunday. A four-game slide against Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia and Missouri made his tenure untenable across The Plains. The No. 15 Commodores have upset three ranked SEC foes - Alabama, LSU, and Missouri – at home in the past 2 seasons. This week, however, it’s Auburn playing the role of SEC upstart. Vandy's flirtation with an SEC titled ended with a 34-31 Week 10 loss at Texas. This week, Vandy’s defense controls it from the 1^st snap.

Best Bet: Under 45.5 Points (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam  

Wake Forest at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Buzz: The Demon Deacons upset SMU at home two weeks ago. They handed the Mustangs their 1^st ACC regular-season loss since joining the conference last season. Wake then got smoked by FSU Saturday. Virginia has shown plenty of cracks. But the Cavs (8-1, 6-3 ATS, 5-1 ACC) own a piece of 1^st place in the ACC. They snagged a nifty cover as 6-point favorites by beating California 31-21 Saturday with a game-ending pick-six. They will earn a spot in the ACC title game and a possible College Football Playoff spot, however, by winning out. Shop around for his number and take anything under 7 points.

Best Bet: Virginia -5.5 (-110) Hard Rock Bet via OddsJam  

California at Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Buzz: Bear season resumes in Kentucky on December 15. But the UCLA Bruins are fair game this week in Louisville. Cal has dropped 3 of 4 outright and 4 straight ATS. Not the sort of trajectory you want when facing a Cardinals team that remains in the thick of the ACC championship race and sits in a 5-way tie with one loss in conference play.

Best Bet: Louisville -20.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam  

LSU at Alabama, 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

Buzz: Kalen DeBoer and Ty Simpson silenced the haters, with some help from the Alabama defense (18.3 PPG.). Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-3 ATS, 5-0 SEC) sits tied for 1^st place in the SEC. After losing 49-25 to Texas A&M in Week 9, LSU dumped both Brian Kelly and AD Scott Woodward. Frank Wilson makes his debut as LSU interim coach against Alabama on the road. Billy Gonzales debuted as Florida’s interim coach against Georgia (in Jacksonville) and scratched out a cover thanks, in part, to Georgia opting to run clock instead of grabbing a spread-clinching TD in the final minute. LSU keeps it close here for the backdoor cover.

Best Bet: LSU +12.5 (-110) Hard Rock Bet via OddsJam  

Navy at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. (NBC)

Buzz: Navy’s hope for a potential “Group of 5” CFB Playoff spot sunk Saturday with its 31-17 loss to North Texas. The Midshipmen own the nation’s softest schedule, thus that defeat carried extra significance. Speaking of soft schedules, Notre Dame beat just one ranked team this season. But the Irish, nonetheless, remain on the fringe of making the playoffs. Notre Dame sputtered for 3 quarters against BC as 28.5-point favorites in a 25-10 win at Chestnut Hill. Navy. meanwhile, won’t be able to eat clock like the Eagles did. Notre Dame, however, needs to keep stacking up impressive numbers to maintain its playoff hopes.

Best Bet: Notre Dame -25.5 (-110) Hard Rock Bet via OddsJam  

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