The ACC and Big Ten take center stage in my Week 5 parlay picks.
The Syracuse Orange are coming off a tough loss to the Stanford Cardinal, and I’m looking at what both teams will do for a follow up this weekend. I’m also tossing in a bet on the Boston College Eagles to continue their strong start while targeting the Ohio State vs. Michigan State matchup for my same-game parlay.
I’ll break down how I’m playing each of these games in my free college football picks for Week 5 below.
Best college football parlays for Week 5
| 🏈 Parlay 🏈 |  SGP  |
|---|---|
|
Holy Cross/ |
Michigan State +22.5 |
Syracuse Over 57.5
Boston College -12.5
Stanford +21.5Best Week 5 parlay
Holy Cross/Syracuse Over 57.5
Boston College -12.5
Stanford +21.5
The Syracuse Orange suffered a surprising loss at home to the Stanford Cardinal last week, but that doesn’t have me down on the Orange offense. Oronde Gadsden II may have done a disappearing act, however, transfer quarterback Kyle McCord has continued to put up strong numbers, and it’s hard to see the Holy Cross Crusaders — who just allowed 38 points to the Yale Bulldogs — slowing him down.
I do continue to worry about Syracuse’s defense though, which has looked anywhere from shaky to porous at different times this year. I expect Holy Cross to contribute a little to the scoreboard, which should bring home the Over.
The Boston College Eagles started their year with — at the time — a stunning win down in Tallahassee against the Florida State Seminoles. Some of the luster has come off that result, but they looked solid against the Missouri Tigers and picked up a home win against Michigan State last weekend to move to 3-1.
Western Kentucky is also 3-1, but it doesn't yet have a signature win. More tellingly, the Hilltoppers lost 63-0 to the Alabama Crimson Tide. That’s not a game they should win, but if they can’t even put up a fight against Bama, I can’t see them staying within two scores of the Eagles.
Stanford will face a tough test staying in the game against the Clemson Tigers this Saturday, but I don’t think the step up in competition is quite enough to justify a spread of more than three touchdowns. As long as you can get 21 points or more, I love the Cardinal in this game.
Best Week 5 SGP
Michigan State +22.5
Over 48.5
Will Howard 2+ passing touchdowns
Do you remember when a matchup between the Michigan State Spartans and the Ohio State Buckeyes was anyone’s game? The Buckeyes have now won eight in a row in this series, with the last seven dubs coming by 20+ points.
That said, Michigan State does have home-field advantage for this meeting, and it's 3-1 straight up. That record and a win against the Maryland Terrapins (also on the road) aren’t enough for me to think the Spartans will win this game, but it does have me very interested in taking the points here against an Ohio State team yet to face any resistance.
Still, we can’t ignore the Buckeyes offense, which has scored 49 points or more in each game. Did those games come against Marshall, Western Michigan, and Akron? Sure, they likely won’t cover the Over on their own on Saturday, but Michigan State should be able to help.
After all, Marshall was able to score 14 points against Ohio State a week earlier, and the Spartans should more than match that total.
The Ohio State offense is led by senior quarterback Will Howard, who's done more than enough to win the first three games this year without having to throw the ball all that much.
I expect Howard to get more opportunities to toss the pigskin on Saturday. He’s already thrown for two or more touchdowns in two of the Buckeyes’ first three games this year, and he should add another multiple-score game to that total against MSU.
Not intended for use in MA.
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