The Week 10 slate has some absolute dandies. The unveiling of the College Football Playoff rankings gave us a taste of how the postseason is shaking out. No doubt, we will see some changes after this week with four matchups against ranked teams, including a #1 vs. #3. The SEC takes the spotlight this week with Georgia-Tennessee and LSU-Alabama, but each conference will put on contests that could determine conference titles. Care to know how the rankings could look next week? Read along. Here are your CFB Week 10 Picks. Court is once again, in session.
CFB Week 10 Picks and Odds powered by DraftKings.
Virginia vs. North Carolina, 12:00 PM ET (ACCN)
North Carolina is the winner of four straight coming into this Week 10 matchup at Virginia. Quarterback Drake Maye has led the Tar Heels to a two-game lead for first place in the Coastal division. They will try to keep that rolling against a struggling Virginia team whose only conference win came against Georgia Tech. It will be a battle between Maye and the #6 passing offense in the country and the #33 scoring defense.
All signs point to the Tar Heels in this one. Virginia has scored more than 20 points only once this season and required four overtimes to score 12 points against Miami last week. The Tar Heels have scored less than 35 points only once this season. North Carolina is trying to lock up the division championship. The Cavalier defense can only stymie Maye for so long.
The Judge’s Pick: North Carolina -7
Georgia vs. Tennessee, 3:30 PM ET (CBS)
What isn’t on the line this Saturday between the hedges? For all intents and purposes, these SEC East foes will be playing for a spot in the SEC Championship game. Even more, this game has major playoff implications, as a good showing from the losing team could keep them in the mix. We’ll get the #1 Tennessee Volunteers and the #3 Georgia Bulldogs with titles on the line in the Week 10 game of the week.
We’re taking the #1 team in the country getting more than a touchdown in this weeks CFB Week 10 Picks. Yes, that’s the same team with Heisman favorite Hendon Hooker. If you need more, this Georgia team hasn’t put together a complete game against a decent opponent since Week 1. They really haven’t played many decent opponents. If their offense stalls for more than a few drives, the Vols will win outright.
The Judge’s Pick: Tennessee +8
LSU vs. Alabama, 7:00 PM ET (ESPN)
On the other side of the SEC, we get two of the three teams tied for first in the SEC West. Baton Rouge will be electric with the Crimson Tide coming to town. Both teams are coming off bye weeks and will be well prepared for a game that could end the losing team’s chances of getting to Atlanta. For the first time as an LSU Tiger, Brian Kelly and Nick Saban will go head-to-head.
What will this Louisiana Saturday night have in store? Expect the home team to keep it close. Alabama has been riddled with penalties and mental mistakes all season. Don’t count on that improving in a night game in Death Valley. The Crimson Tide will pull this one out, but not by enough to cover the spread. Fix you some gumbo and root for the purple and gold.
The Judge’s Pick: LSU +13.5
Kansas State vs. Texas, 7:00 PM ET (FS1)
You may be scratching your head at this line. Texas is coming off the bye week but lost to Oklahoma State 41-34 in Week 8. Kansas State is coming off a 48-0 win over Oklahoma State in Week 9. But Texas is a 2.5-point favorite… at Kansas State? This line doesn’t pass the smell test, so we are fading public opinion in this one.
Kansas State is dealing with some injuries that could hamper their abilities to stay with Texas. Not only is Wildcat quarterback Adrian Martinez banged up, but linebacker Daniel Green is going to be a game-time decision. That is bad news for a defense trying to contain Texas running back Bijan Robinson. Take the fresh Texas team against a battered Kansas State that has had to play two top-10 teams the last two weeks.
The Judge’s Pick: Texas -2.5
Notre Dame vs. Clemson, 7:30 PM ET (NBC)
Like Kansas State-Texas with Oklahoma State, Notre Dame and Clemson’s most recent opponent was Syracuse. Notre Dame rolled the Orange on the road to the tune of a 41-24 victory. Clemson, on the other hand, needed a comeback after benching quarterback DJ Uiagalelei to knock off Syracuse at home. Clemson, however, is favored in this game and rightly so. Common opponents can only take you so far.
Clemson had a bye week to regroup after they struggled in Week 8. You may hesitate to put too much confidence in the Tigers after that performance, but you can surely count on the Tigers defense to show up. Notre Dame’s weak passing attack will allow Clemson to pin their ears back and shut down the Irish offense. Expect a rebound game from Uiagalelei—he only needs to be good enough on Saturday.
The Judge’s Pick: Clemson -3.5
NC State vs. Wake Forest, 8:00 PM ET (ACCN)
These two ACC teams are hanging in the rankings by a thread. At one point, both seemed to be contenders for the Atlantic Division, but have waned after a few conference losses. Last week, Wake Forest turned the ball over eight times on the way to getting beat 48-21 by Louisville. NC State fared a little better but needed a comeback to claim a 22-21 victory over Virginia Tech.
The key matchup here will be the Wake Forest offense against the NC State defense. It is safe to assume Wake Forest is done with the eight-turnover performances for the season. That doesn’t mean the Wolfpack won’t make Wake quarterback Sam Hartman’s life miserable. The Demon Deacons will score enough points to put pressure on inexperienced NC State quarterback MJ Morris, which spells bad news for the Wolfpack.
The Judge’s Pick: Wake Forest -3.5
Arizona State vs. UCLA, 10:30 PM ET (FS1)
The next stop on UCLA’s run to the Pac-12 championship is Tempe, Arizona to face the Sun Devils. Arizona State has faced their share of struggles this season but are coming off a road win against Colorado. The Bruins rebounded well after their loss at Oregon with a comfortable win against Stanford. UCLA looks to be on a collision course with USC, but they must avoid the slip-up.
This game might get ugly, folks. UCLA’s focus is on a championship, while Arizona State’s focus is on who might be the next coach. The Arizona State defense ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense. The Bruins rank ninth in the nation in scoring offense. That is great news if your name is Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The fast-paced UCLA offense will score early and often on the way to another comfortable win. As far as CFB Week 10 Picks go, this is definitely on the safe side.
The Judge’s Pick: UCLA -11
Other Notable Games:
TCU vs. Texas Tech, 12:00 PM ET (FOX)
Illinois vs. Michigan State, 3:30 PM ET (BTN)
Southern Cal vs. Cal, 10:30 PM ET (ESPN)