Top College Football Betting Expert Picks for Week 5 (9/28/19)

The Ramblin Wreck is coming off a 27-24 overtime upset at the hands of FCS The Citadel two weeks ago. While this new coaching staff gets things ironed out, they continue to be a hot mess on both sides. They still don’t have a quarterback, but Lucas Johnson seems to be favored. He’s thrown for 136 yards with a touchdown and interception apiece. Jordan Mason has been impressive on the ground with four scores and 249 yards. The defense isn’t any better as the unit allows 29.7 points per game and 274 yards a game on the ground.

Temple was dealt an upset of their own at the hands of Buffalo. However, the Buffs are better than given credit for and Temple is also the team that took down a ranked Maryland team the week before. Anthony Russo hasn’t been great, including a three interception performance last week that’s likely an anomaly. Their defensive line is one of the best in the AAC and they should have no problems getting pressure on whoever is at quarterback for Georgia Tech. The Owls defense did allow 217 yards rushing last week, after allowing just 182 through the first two games. They’ll likely look to shut that down in Week 5.

Both of these teams have coaches in their first year with the program, but Temple’s talent is far superior. When they were able to take down Maryland in Week 3, they sacked the quarterback four times and were effective on both sides of the ball. Look for Temple to bounce back at home and take care of business against a transitioning Georgia Tech.

FAU is on a two-game win streak after getting dismantled by Ohio State and UCF to open the year. However, those two recent wins come against Ball state and FCS Wagner. Chris Robison has done a great job leading the offense and taking care of the ball; he has a 10/1 TD/INT. John Mitchell and Da Antoine are two of his favorite targets that have seven touchdowns between the pair. Defensively, the Owls surrender almost five yards a carry and over 253 per game through the air.

The 49ers are a true run-first offense that is real good. They rushed for 153 against Clemson last week, just the second team this season to top the century mark against the Tigers. They've averaged 260 rushing yards through four games and scored 10 touchdowns. Four guys have over 160 yards on the ground, including Benny LeMay who leads with 453. The defense has struggled to stop the run thus far, but they make up for it with 3.5 sacks per game (a C-USA best) and are second in the league with just 150 passing yards allowed per contest.

While it's a small number, this is the first time in their four matchups that Charlotte is favored. It didn't start out that way, with FAU opening at -1, however, the 49ers offense is starting to get some respect. Charlotte has covered three of the four meetings, while pushing once. They will run the ball over the Kiffin-family defense until they can't anymore. Dating back to last year, Charlotte is 8-2 straight up at home and they will look to make a statement to open up conference play. 

Last week, UCLA pulled off of the most improbable comebacks you will probably ever see; a 32-point comeback from mid-way through the third quarter to knock off a ranked Washington State. However, it has to take a seismic shift for an opponent to blow a lead that big. Several players on the Bruins side were clearly overachieving , including quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and wide receiver Chase Cota. To me, that means don't expect it to continue, as the team overcame everything just to earn their first win of the season. Defensively, the Bruins aren't in a good place, as they gave up 63 points last week, and they average 530 yards allowed per game through four contests.

Arizona is fresh off a bye week following a nice 28-14 win over Texas Tech. Senior quarterback Khalil Tate has continues to be an electric playmaker, though he has struggled some throwing this year. However, he leads a fifth-ranked rushing attack that averages 307 yards per game, through their non-conference schedule. He's the second quarterback in Pac-12 history to throw for 5,000 yards and rush for 2,000, so it's pretty clear he's the focal point. Running back J.J. Taylor fills in behind him as he continues his ascent up the school rushing record books. Know that the defense is bad (483 yards allowed/game), with the exception of causing turnovers. The Wildcats lead the NCAA with eight interceptions, along with two fumbles recovered.

Early money came in on UCLA as the spread shifted from -9 to the current line. The Bruins needed late-game heroics and a complete implosion in order to earn their first win last week. This one will likely be another high-scoring affair, hence the high Vegas total. However, UCLA won't be able to stop Arizona's rushing attack, and UCLA is prone to turnovers, giving the Wildcats a clear edge. Since last year, they're 6-3 against the spread at home.