It’s been quite a 2021 college football season as we hit the midway point. Chaos has reigned supreme with ranked teams suffering 40 losses already through the first six weeks. Though Week 7 does appear to be a lighter slate in terms of potential upsets, there’s nevertheless plenty on deck.
There are 16 ranked teams in action Saturday, though there’s only two meetings between top 25 teams when No. 12 Oklahoma State visits No. 25 Texas as an underdog before No. 11 Kentucky puts its undefeated season on the line at No. 1 Georgia. The day largely belongs to SEC and Big 12 teams, in fact, with the other marquee matchups featuring No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Alabama and No. 17 Arkansas. The Sooners are looking to keep their momentum going after a come-from-behind win over the Longhorns, while the Crimson Tide and Razorbacks are each looking to bounce back from difficult losses last week.
While winning is all that matters for the standings, we care about whether these teams will cover their spreads. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the seventh full Saturday of the season.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
Auburn at No. 17 Arkansas
Latest Odds: Arkansas Razorbacks -4
Noon | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Auburn’s marquee victory is against an LSU team that might be really bad. It won’t be able to bottle up the Arkansas rushing attack like it did against LSU, and the Razorbacks should be mega-motivated by last year’s controversial loss to Auburn and also by last week’s dramatic defeat against Ole Miss. Prediction: Arkansas (-3.5) — David Cobb
No. 12 Oklahoma State at No. 25 Texas
Latest Odds: Texas Longhorns -3.5
Noon | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) — Texas has put up big offensive numbers but struggled in the trenches against better competition. Oklahoma State is built to muck up the game and cause trouble for fast-paced offenses. For Texas to win this game, its defense has to step up and make plays, which has been a problem all season. Coming off a bye week, the Cowboys should be healthy and prepared to take advantage of UT’s miscues, especially after the Longhorns’ emotional loss to OU. Prediction: Oklahoma State (+5.5) — Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 11 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia
Latest Odds: Georgia Bulldogs -21.5
3:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Give me the Bulldogs to win and cover in an old-school, ground-and-pound slugfest. Coach Kirby Smart is not going to be threatened by this Kentucky offense, which means that offensive coordinator Todd Monken will pound the rock, work off play-action no matter who is taking the snaps and lean on the Wildcats in the second half to get a fourth quarter cover. It won’t be pretty, which is exactly the way that Smart likes it. Prediction: Georgia (-22.5) — Barrett Sallee
No. 5 Alabama at Mississippi State
Latest Odds: Alabama Crimson Tide -17.5
7 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — I don’t have a high level of confidence in this pick. I’m confident that Alabama will win the game, but given how badly the Crimson Tide have struggled on the road, I’m not willing to trust them to cover a spread this large. With that in mind, I don’t know how many points the Bulldogs can be trusted to score. My honest advice is to stay away from this game unless the spread gets as low as Alabama -14 or as high as Mississippi State +20. I doubt either scenario happens. Prediction: Mississippi State (+17) — Tom Fornelli
TCU at No. 4 Oklahoma
Latest Odds: Oklahoma Sooners -12.5
7:30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try for free) — The Sooners have yet to beat an FBS opponent by double-figures, but the second half against Texas felt like a turning point. Regardless of whether Spencer Rattler or Caleb Williams starts at quarterback, Oklahoma’s emerging rushing game is a significant development, especially against one of the worst run defenses in college football. If this game becomes a shootout, TCU will not be able to keep up. Prediction: Oklahoma (-11.5) — Shehan Jeyarajah
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 7, and which top-10 team will get a huge scare? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,800 in profit over the past five-plus seasons — and find out.
