mich-state.jpg
Imagn Images

Upsets are a huge part of what make watching college football so much fun, and there are some monster games this weekend that could see the underdog heading home with a big win. If you're interested in college football betting on underdogs, be sure to check out our five top underdog picks for Week 9. 

All spreads and money line odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

No. 8 Ole Miss (+5.5, +180) at No. 13 Oklahoma

Lane Kiffin's squad has had a weird season, winning narrowly against overmatched competition like Washington State, Kentucky and Arkansas, beating a ranked LSU team and getting outscored 17-0 in the fourth quarter at Georgia to blow an upset bid. The Rebels get another crack at playing spoiler this weekend at Oklahoma and if Ole Miss is as good as some believe, this is a game Kiffin's team should win.

The path to the College Football Playoff is right there for the Rebels, but a loss at Oklahoma would mean Ole Miss can't afford any other slipups. Oklahoma is favored both because it's a home game and the team's defense is really good. But the questions now are on offense as John Mateer has looked pretty rough in two games since returning from hand surgery. 

If Ole Miss' offense can apply some early pressure with long touchdown drives, it may be hard for Oklahoma to keep up given how Mateer has played of late.

Mississippi State (+7, +220) vs. No. 22 Texas

From one Mississippi school to the other, the Bulldogs have a good upset opportunity this weekend. Mississippi State are 4-3 this year but are 0-3 in SEC play. The Bulldogs came close twice, losing a close one to Florida last week and falling in overtime to Tennessee late in September. MSU is 3-1 at home, including a big upset over Arizona State.

The Longhorns, meanwhile, are still a mess, even after beating Oklahoma two weeks ago. They needed overtime to squeak by Kentucky last weekend in a 16-13 affair, and they, like MSU, lost to Florida. Arch Manning has gone from Heisman frontrunner to a dreadfully average college quarterback -- and that might be generous.  

Mississippi State is better than Kentucky, and the Bulldogs gave Florida a better fight than Texas did. The Bulldogs playing host also bodes well for any upset opportunity, especially if Manning looks like he has across SEC play so far this season.

Memphis (+4.5, +170) vs. No. 18 South Florida

It's wild to think a matchup between USF and Memphis may have College Football Playoff implications, but that's the case here. These two teams have the clearest paths to the CFP's Group of Five bid and the winner of this weekend's contest will have the inside track there. 

The Bulls kicked off 2025 with upsets over Boise State and Florida and have also beaten North Texas. Their lone loss was to Miami. Memphis nearly entered this week undefeated, but the Tigers lost to UAB last week, so they really can't afford another loss, especially to a USF team that is also vying for a playoff bid.

It's awesome to see teams you don't follow too closely have something so big to play for, especially with the calendar still in October. It makes sense that USF is favored given it's far more battle tested than Memphis, but the Tigers are at home for possibly the biggest game in program history. That certainly counts for something.

No. 23 Illinois (+4.5, +160) at Washington

The Huskies' offense has been great this year ... except for their two losses. Washington scored six points against Ohio State earlier in the year and put up just seven points last week at Michigan. The Illini don't have a dominant defense this year, but they do have the luxury of a bye week ahead of this contest to study the OSU and Michigan game tapes. 

Illinois has been viewed as a better team than Washington all season long, but the Illini are underdogs here as Washington has lost just once at home dating back to the start of 2022. Luke Altmyer is a veteran quarterback who can find success through the air, and Washington has been susceptible on the ground. This could be a fun one out in Seattle this weekend.

Michigan State (+14.5, +490) vs. No. 25 Michigan

As fun as it would have been to round things out with UCLA (+25.5, +1600) at Indiana, this Big Ten clash makes far more sense. The Spartans are not taking a notable step forward in Year 2 under Jonathan Smith, but they're 3-1 at home this year and were fairly competitive in losses to USC and Nebraska. The Wolverines, meanwhile, are perfect at home but are 1-2 on the road. 

This is a big game for the Spartans, who are 3-4 and need three more wins over their final five games to make a bowl game. The Wolverines have had some hype this year thanks to freshman Bryce Underwood, but Michigan has scored 13 points in two of their three road games this season. With this game in East Lansing and not Ann Arbor, this is as good of a shot as the Spartans will have to knock off their in-state rival. If not, Smith's seat may be getting pretty warm.