CFB Saturday Best Bets: Cincinnati and Ohio State Still in the Playoff Hunt

We have reached Week 9 of the college football season, and there are still two teams from the state of Ohio with a chance to reach the College Football Playoff. Both Cincinnati and Ohio State will be in action on Saturday, and they must keep stacking wins as the year moves along.

Here are three of the best college football bets for Saturday, and both the Bearcats and the Buckeyes are featured.

Michigan State Spartans +4.0 vs. Michigan Wolverines

The biggest game of the weekend takes place in the state of Michigan as the Michigan State Spartans host the Michigan Wolverines. This is one of the best rivalries in college football, and this game has major implications on the College Football Playoff.

Both teams are scoring more than 34 points per game this season, but this game is likely going to be won on the defensive end of the field. Michigan has better overall numbers, but the Spartans are going to receive a huge boost from the home crowd.

Since there is not much separation between the two teams, then the best option is to take the four points and bet on the home team in this rivalry matchup.

Cincinnati Bearcats -25.5 at Tulane Green Wave

The Cincinnati Bearcats are a perfect 7-0 on the year, and they are all the way up to number two in the rankings. Cincinnati should be in the College Football Playoff, but they have to continue to stack up the wins.

Tulane hosts Cincinnati on Saturday, and the Green Wave are just 1-6 on the year. The Green Wave are allowing over 42 points per game this season, and they won’t have much of a chance in this game.

The Bearcats struggled a bit in Week 8, but this offense won’t be held down for long. It’s hard to imagine Tulane getting any stops in this game, and that will allow Cincinnati to blow this game wide open.

Covering 25.5 points in any football game is never easy, but Cincinnati is going to win this game by 30 points at least.

Penn State Nittany Lions +18.5 at Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State and Penn State have developed quite the rivalry over the last few seasons, and they will renew that rivalry on Saturday night. It’s rare to see such a large spread for this matchup, but each team appears to be heading in a different direction.

The Nittany Lions just suffered a stunning nine overtime loss to Illinois last weekend, and that speaks to their struggles of late. Penn State still has plenty of talent on their roster, and wide receiver Josh Dotson has 563 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Ohio State has been absolutely dominant since their lone loss to Oregon, especially on the offensive side of things. The Buckeyes are led by quarterback CJ Stroud who continues to rise up the Heisman Trophy rankings.

It would be an absolute shock if Ohio State suffered a loss in this game, but don’t expect this to be a rout. There is too much pride on the side of Penn State, and the Nittany Lions will make this a battle.

Even though the Buckeyes win, take the 18.5 points in this win.