College Football Week 5 Odds & Cheat Sheet: Schedule, Injuries, Weather, Betting Notes

Don’t look now, but a third of the college football regular season is written in the books. On tap at CFB betting sites is a monstrous slate of Week 5 odds, likely the best yet on the college football season. No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama headlines the schedule with one of the biggest matchups of the year. But it’s not the only big game on deck; No. 20 Oklahoma State visits No. 23 Kansas State, No. 15 Louisville faces No. 16 Notre Dame, and No. 19 Illinois takes on No. 9 Penn State on Saturday. Check out our full early-week college football betting guide below.

Included are the latest odds, notable line movement, matchup history, weather, injuries, trends, and much more. Dig in! Keep up with TheLines all week long for college football betting tools.

College Football Week 5 Odds

Browse college football Week 5 odds below. Click odds anywhere to place a bet.

Please join me in congratulating Brett Gibbons on this, his 1,000th article written for TheLines.com. Brett continues to be a keystone to our writing staff, and I have seen him grow in the sports betting space so much in our years working together. His work ethic, reliability, and eagerness to further educate himself in hopes of passing that knowledge on to our audience has been among the best of any writer I’ve ever worked with.

I am proud to be his editor and so grateful for every one of those 1,000 articles he has contributed in my time working with him. If his work has had a positive impact on you in any way, send him a message on X, @roadtocfb, and congratulate him on this milestone.

Stephen Andress, managing editor, TheLines.com

Line Movement: College Football Week 5 Odds

Look-ahead lines for Week 5 were posted last week. Check out early movers from those and opening lines below:

• This summer, Miami (FL) opened up as a -8.5 favorite over Virginia Tech. At Week 5 reopen, sportsbooks line the Hurricanes at -17.5
• Louisville at Notre Dame also opened this summer, with ND lined as a -9.5 favorite. It reopened at ND -4.5
• Sportsbooks lined North Carolina as a -1.5 favorite at Duke, and the Blue Devils reopened at -3
• This summer, sportsbooks favored Georgia by -3.5, and they fell to -1.5 at Alabama
• USC opened a -4.5 favorite at Wisconsin this summer and reopened -14

Opening Lines from College Football Week 5 Odds

• NC State opened just a -7 favorite against Northern Illinois, but lines are moving in favor of the Wolfpack (-7.5)
• Indiana moved from a -7 to a -6.5 favorite early against Maryland
• Buffalo at UConn opened with a 45.5 total, one that moved up to 46.5 by Monday
• Boston College jumped from -11 to -12.5 against Western Kentucky by Monday morning
• Bettors favored Nebraska early, moving them from -8.5 favorites at Purdue to -10
• Kansas State at Oklahoma State saw a big jump, from 51.5 to as high as 55 on Monday morning
• Baylor opened a -3.5 home favorite against BYU, but that number moved to BYU +2.5 by Monday morning
• Early action moved Liberty from -3 to -3.5 at Appalachian State
• Wake Forest began to move from -2.5 to -3 on Monday morning against Louisiana
• UCF took quick action, being bet up from -12 to -14.5 against Colorado
• Action favored Arkansas against Texas A&M, moving the Razorbacks from +5.5 to +4
• Oklahoma -2.5 at Auburn was a disappearing number Monday morning as the Sooners climbed to -3
• Tulsa opened +7.5 at North Texas but moved to +7 across the board
• Early action favored Utah, moving them from -9.5 to -12.5 against Arizona
• Arizona at Utah total crashed from 56.5 at open to 50.5

Georgia Southern at Georgia State and San Diego State at Central Michigan likely waffle around PKs.

Note line movements through key figures of 3 and 7, like BYU at Baylor and Maryland at Indiana.

Coaching Notes & Matchup History For college football week 5 odds

Virginia Tech at No. 7 Miami (FL), Friday (7:30 p.m., ESPN)

• Miami leads the all-time series, 25-15, including wins in each of the last three matchups
• Under Mario Cristobal, the Hurricanes are 4-12 ATS against ACC foes
• Virginia Tech is 1-3 against the closing spread with two outright losses as favorites (-13.5 vs. Vanderbilt, -3.5 vs. Rutgers)
• Only three teams that have played four games have a better average point margin than Miami (+40.3)
• VA Tech under Brent Pry is just 3-6 ATS as a road ‘dog

No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State, Saturday (12:00 p.m., ESPN)

• Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 43-27
• Last year, the Poked avenged a 48-0 loss in Stillwater, winning 29-21 (+11.5 ‘dogs)
• Aside from that 48-0 loss, Oklahoma State is 4-1 in its last five meetings with K-State
• Five of the last six meetings went under the closing total
• Chris Kleiman is 31-17 ATS against the Big 12 (1-1 this year)
• Last week, these two QBs combined for four interceptions in a combined 0-2 effort against BYU and Utah
• Kleiman is also 15-6 ATS coming off a straight-up loss

Texas State vs. Sam Houston State, Saturday (3:00 p.m., ESPN+)

• The game is played at NRG Stadium in Houston
• Texas State leads all-time series, 50-37-5. The teams shared a nearly annual rivalry from 1915-2011, when Texas State made the jump to FBS
• Sam Houston State won 18 of the final 27 matchups from 1984-2011
• Before this rivalry disbanded, it regularly drew sellout crowds, but it was played at a neutral site just once (1982)
• Texas State comes off a bye
• Sam Houston State currently plays a four-game stretch where it plays three opponents coming off a bye

Colorado at UCF, Saturday (3:30 p.m., FOX)

• First-ever meeting
• UCF comes off a bye-week
• UCF moved from a -12 favorite at open to -14.5 by Monday morning
• Colorado has not played a regular season game in the state of Florida since 2008
• Buffs are 5-12 ATS in road conference games
• Last week, Colorado (-1.5) needed a Hail Mary at the end of regulation to force overtime and beat Baylor 38-31
• UCF allowed 6.0 yards per play against FBS foes this year (gained 7.1)
• There is an outside chance that this game is impacted by weather as a potentially major hurricane forms this week

Wisconsin at No. 13 USC, Saturday (3:30 p.m., CBS)

• USC leads the all-time series, 6-1 (last: 2015, Wisconsin won Holiday Bowl)
• USC won all four of previous home-and-homes, including both games in Madison (1956, ’65)
• Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending injury in the Week 3 loss to Alabama
• The Trojans (-4.5) lost 27-24 to Michigan last week, coming up short late in the game
• Wisconsin comes off a bye week but travels nearly 2,000 miles for the contest

No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame, Saturday (3:30 p.m., Peacock)

• All-time series is tied 2-2
• Louisville stifled Notre Dame to 44 rushing yards last year and won 33-20 at home
• As an underdog, Jeff Brohm is 26-16-1 (61.9%) ATS
• Note the widespread injuries to Notre Dame (below)
• ND outgained non-MAC opponents, 934-408, through two games this season (2-0 ATS) but only holds a 714-617 yardage edge vs. MAC opponents (0-2 ATS)
• Louisville (-8.5) scored on a backward pass ruled a fumble, and a blocked field goal in a 31-19 win over Georgia Tech last week

Arkansas vs. No. 24 Texas A&M, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

• The rivalry, named the Southwest Classic, is played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
• Arkansas holds a 42-35-3 all-time edge in the series
• The last time the Razorbacks were favored over A&M was in 2010
• A&M is 1-3 ATS this year, failing to cover as a -22.5 favorite over Bowling Green last week (won 26-20)
• Conversely, Arkansas is 3-1 against the closing number, only failing to cover vs. UAB (-21.5)

No. 3 Ohio State at Michigan State, Saturday (7:00 p.m., Peacock)

• Ohio State leads the all-time series, 37-15 (on an 8-0 run, 7-0 ATS run)
• Since losing to Michigan State in 2015 and barely winning by one in 2016, Ohio State has an average point margin of +34.6 against the Spartans (s/2017)
• Buckeyes lead the nation with a +45.7 scoring margin but played teams averaging 113th in aggregated power rank
• Michigan State is 1-3 ATS this year, with its lone cover being an outright win at Maryland (+8.5)
• Spartans are among the most penalized teams nationally. They broke a three-game run of 10+ penalties with 3-25 against Boston College
• QB Aidan Chiles leads the nation with 11 turnover-worthy throws (eight interceptions!)

No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama, Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC)

• Alabama leads the all-time series, 43-26-4, including an 8-1 run since 2008
• Despite eight meetings since 2009, just two games in the regular season (2020, 2015)
• Alabama has won eight of the last nine meetings, the only loss being the 2022 National Championship
• The Tide beat UGA, 27-24, in last year’s SEC Championship, costing Georgia a potential national title three-peat
• Kirby Smart is 17-2 outright, coming off a bye week
• Kalen DeBoer is 21-2 at home straight up (in the FBS), 6-1 off a bye, and has a 12-2 record against ranked opponents

Impact Injuries On College Football Week 5 Odds

All kick times below are listed in ET.

No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame, Saturday (3:30 p.m., Peacock)

Injuries have been the headline for Notre Dame (aside from its shocking loss to NIU). Things got worse in Week 4 when defensive end Josh Burnham went down and did not return. In Week 3, starting guard Billy Schrauth was carted off, adding to center Ashton Craig and OT Charles Jagusah, both of whom are done for the year. Star pass rusher Jordan Bothelo was declared out for the year ahead of Week 4, as well.

Fortunately, TE Mitchell Evans and WR Jordan Faison both returned to full snaps in Week 4.

Louisville lost transfer WR Caullin Lacy to a broken collarbone in Week 1. While he did dress in Week 4, he is considered a game-time decision.

Arkansas at No. 24 Texas A&M, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

In a 26-20 win over Bowling Green, Texas A&M paid the price. Star defensive tackle Shermar Stewart and starting safety Bryce Anderson (likely the team’s top DB) both left the contest hurt and did not return. Stewart’s injury is particularly concerning as he appeared to be in serious pain leaving the field. Starting QB Conner Weigman missed his second straight game, although the offense appears to move better under redshirt freshman Marcel Reed.

Arkansas missed two starters in the secondary last week, corner Jaylon Braxton and safety Hudson Clark. Starting offensive lineman Patrick Kutas has not yet played this season, and backup running back Rashod Dubinion hasn’t played since Week 1. The Razorbacks finished with just a 6.8% postgame win expectancy at Auburn last week, per Bill Connelly’s SP+.

No. 21 Oklahoma at Auburn, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC)

The Sooners are dealing with several injuries. The receiving room continues to be an issue, with Jalil Farooq not expected back for another four weeks and Jayden Gibson being done for the year. Nic Anderson returned and promptly left Week 4 and Andrel Anthony has only played eight total snaps this year (in Week 1). Deion Burks remains the lone healthy receiver intended to start.

Emerging running back Taylor Tatum (116 yards) also left the Week 4 loss to Tennessee. Center Branson Hickman got his first action of the season but looked shaky with snaps off target.

Mississippi State at No. 1 Texas, Saturday (4:15 p.m., SEC Network)

Mississippi State starting QB Blake Shapen will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury suffered in Week 4. He joins projected starting RB Jeffrey Pittman, who was removed from the team early in the year. The Bulldogs already struggled offensively under Shapen, ranking 101st in overall EPA. That problem likely gets worse before it gets better.

Texas is dealing with its fair share of injuries, too. QB Quinn Ewers did not play in Week 4 with an oblique injury; head coach Steve Sarkisian said the injury wasn’t as serious as initially thought. However, Ewers remains uncertain for this game. In his place, Arch Manning threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns (though did throw two interceptions) against ULM. Despite the question mark at QB, Texas opened a -38.5 favorite against Mississippi State.

RB Jaydon Blue successfully returned to the field in Week 4 for Texas. Top RB C.J. Baxter suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason, thinning the room significantly.

Old Dominion at Bowling Green, Saturday (5:00 p.m., ESPN+)

Old Dominion was without starting QB Grant Wilson and All-American linebacker Jason Henderson in Week 3. Henderson was a late scratch. ODU was on bye week in Week 4, which could give both players time to return, however, both are worth your attention if you consider betting on this game.

Stanford at No. 17 Clemson, Saturday (7:00 p.m., ESPN)

Clemson is dealing with a handful of injuries to key players. Running back Phil Mafah went down in Week 4 and did not return. Top receiver Tyler Brown did not suit up, and star defensive lineman Peter Woods was seriously limited. Despite the injuries, the Tigers appeared to sort things out offensively, scoring 45 points in the first half against NC State.

Charlotte at Rice, Saturday (7:00 p.m., ESPN+)

Whether head coach Biff Poggi was fibbing ahead of Week 1 about “half the starters” being hurt or not, he certainly isn’t fibbing now. Charlotte could be without QB1 Max Brown and QB2 Deshawn Purdie, who both missed Week 4. Brown left in Week 2 with an injury to his throwing thumb. Two starters on defense, LB Prince Wallace-Bemah and DE Stone Handy, also missed the last two games.

Without these players, Charlotte went 1-1 with a one-point victory over FCS Gardner-Webb and a 38-point loss at Illinois.

Florida State at SMU, Saturday (8:00 p.m., ACC Network)

Florida State is dealing with multiple injuries on the offensive line. Top tackle Jeremiah Byers has not played since suffering an injury in Week 0. His replacement, Robert Scott Jr., missed Week 4. Top running back Roydell Williams also sat the last game. Kick returner and scat back Jaylin Lucas suffered a season-ending injury after Week 1.

On the other side, SMU benched QB Preston Stone, who appeared not to be completely recovered from a serious leg injury suffered late last year. As a result, Kevin Jennings got the start and led SMU to a 66-42 win over rival TCU, including 41 first-half points.

Air Force at Wyoming, Saturday (8:00 p.m., CBSSN)

This may be the matchup between the two most injured teams on the week. Wyoming could be without both top backs, Dawaiian McNeely and Harrison Waylee, the former of which played 10 snaps this season and the latter, zero. Starting left tackle Nathan Geiger hasn’t played since Week 1. Three defensive starters, DE Braden Siders, DE DeVonne Harris, and safety Wyett Ekeler, all missed Week 4. TE John Michael Gyllenborg returned to the field last week.

Air Force could be down its top two fullbacks, Dylan Carson and Terrence Gist. The two, plus running back Kade Frew, did not play in either of Air Force’s last two games. This year, the Falcons have fallen in production, including their worst rushing output against a non-service academy foe in 10 seasons when they rushed for 143 yards against San Jose State.

Arizona at No. 10 Utah, Saturday (10:15 p.m., ESPN

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Utah’s injuries are piling up. Aside from the will-he, won’t-he game with Cameron Rising, two defensive starters missed Week 4. Defensive end Connor O’Toole missed the last two games, and linebacker Karene Reid missed Week 4. That’s in addition to starting corner Kenan Johnson, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.

Arizona, of course, still has eligibility questions surrounding RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt. There’s a chance the back is declared ineligible before Saturday and done for the year.

Other Impact Injuries

• Dequan Finn, QB, Baylor
• L.J. Martin & Hinckley Ropati, RB, BYU
• Marion Lukes, RB, Central Michigan
• Will Whitson, DT, Coastal Carolina
• Dallan Hayden, RB, Colorado
• Tanner Arkin, TE, Illinois (cluster injuries to important position to Illini offense)
• Devin Kargman, QB, Kent State
• Stone Earle, QB, Marshall
• Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (FL)
• Jalen Rivers, LT, Miami (FL)
• Colson Loveland, TE, Michigan
• Jalon Glover & Nick Marsh, WR, Michigan State
• Micah Mazzccua, OG, Nebraska
• Parker Navarro, QB, Ohio
• Jake Springfield, OT, Oklahoma State
• Danny O’Niell, QB, San Diego State
• Shazz Preston, WR, Tulane
• Lake McRee, TE, USC
• Jasheen Davis, EDGE, Wake Forest
• Fa’alili Fa’amoe, OT, Washington State
• Jalen Buckley, RB, Western Michigan
• Kenneth Womack, WR, Western Michigan
• Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina (season)
• Harold Perkins, LB, LSU (season)
• Blake Shapen, QB, Mississippi State (season)
• Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Wisconsin (season)

Other Roster & Staff Impacts on Week 5 Odds

No. 21 Oklahoma at Auburn, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC)

Brent Venables benched QB Jackson Arnold in a 25-15 loss to Tennessee in Week 4. True freshman Michael Hawkins replaced Arnold, throwing for 132 yards and a touchdown and leading the team in rushing (albeit, just 22 yards). Oklahoma tacked on a late touchdown, but for three quarters, the offense barely moved. Under Hawkins, the Sooners seemed to play with more rhythm. On Monday, Venables announced Hawkins as Saturday’s starter.

Auburn’s starting QB is also up in the air. Payton Thorne was benched in favor of redshirt freshman Hank Brown, but Brown threw three interceptions of his own before being replaced by Thorne last week. Thorne also threw an interception.

Wisconsin at No. 13 USC, Saturday (3:30 p.m., CBS)

USC left tackle Elijah Paige was benched against Michigan after allowing four pressures and two hurries in 25 pass blocking snaps. USC’s offensive line grades poorly, per PFF, but Paige was the only one to be benched this season. Mason Murphy moved from right tackle to left to replace Paige.

North Carolina at Duke, Saturday (4:00 p.m., ESPN2)

North Carolina benched QB Conner Harrell in favor of Jacoby Criswell last week. The Tar Heels scored 50 and Criswell threw for 475 yards (3 TD, 2 INT) against James Madison – of course, UNC lost that game, surrendering 70 points.

Weather Impacts On College Football Week 5 Odds

Weekly college football weather reports will be released later this week as forecasts become more certain. But here’s a few spots to keep tabs on early in the week.

The big weather story this week is Invest 97, a system near the Yucatan Peninsula that’s forecast to become a major hurricane. Monday developments narrow the possible landfall and strength, pinning it between Mobile, Ala., and Tampa, Fla. Low-end projections forecast the system grows to a Category 2 hurricane while higher-end suggest this could be a Cat. 4. Landfall is expected sometime Thursday.

As hurricanes hit the coast, they slow down considerably. By Saturday, the system is forecast to be over the Midwest, specifically Indiana. Games potentially impacted here include Nebraska at Purdue, Maryland at Indiana, Middle Tennessee at Memphis, and Louisville at Notre Dame. Other games with an outside shot at impact include Ohio State at Michigan State, Minnesota at Michigan, and Western Michigan at Marshall.

Of course, the impacts of landfall could have major impacts on schools under the eye wall. Keep a close eye on this one.

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Situational Spots To Watch With College Football Week 5 Odds

Minnesota at No. 12 Michigan, Saturday (12:00 p.m., FOX)

Michigan comes off a thrilling upset win over USC last week. This week, the Wolverines face a team willing to play physical football in the trenches in Minnesota. Alex Orji managed just 32 passing yards in the USC win and it was another Will Johnson pick-six – and an ill-ran route that came up short of the sticks on fourth down – that lifted Michigan to victory. Relying on defensive touchdowns is likely an unsustainable method to win games.

Further, Michigan has a short week after Minnesota, flying to Washington in Week 6.

Buffalo at UConn, Saturday (12:00 p.m., CBSSN)

Buffalo comes off a major win over No. 23 Northern Illinois to play a second consecutive road game at UConn. The Bulls (+14.5) won on an overtime field goal and head to a UConn team that’s 3-1 ATS on the season and just pummeled FAU, 48-14, at home. The Huskies play six consecutive home games with a bye week sandwiched in. They don’t plan for a road trip until November.

Georgia Southern at Georgia State, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPNU)

This is a major rivalry for both programs. Georgia State not only comes off a bye to host Southern, but they head on bye the week following, too. Sandwiched in three weeks’ worth of football is one game to focus on – this one right here. Georgia Southern comes off a game at Ole Miss, where it lost 52-13. State head coach Dell McGee was on the Southern coaching staff from 2014-15 and even coached a bowl game for the Eagles. Weather could be a factor during this game, too.

Western Michigan at Marshall, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)

Marshall plays its second game in a stretch of five weeks where it plays a team coming off bye or playing on short rest themselves. Perhaps not an immediate issue, look for future Marshall games to be especially difficult. QB Stone Earle was injured against Ohio State last week. Charles Huff continues his abysmal run as a home favorite, where he is 4-11 ATS against FBS foes when favored at home.

Akron at Ohio, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)

Akron plays its fourth away game in five weeks, a stretch that extends to five road games in seven weeks by Oct. 12. In those road games (at Ohio State, Rutgers, and South Carolina), the Zips were outscored 151-30.

North Carolina at Duke (4:00 p.m., ESPN2)

Rivalry game? Sure. But a report emerged that Mack Brown offered to step down following an embarrassing 70-50 loss to James Madison at home. UNC and Brown refuted the claim, so who really knows the validity to it (we’ll let you decide).

The bottom line here is that Brown, 73, has overstayed his welcome in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have failed to meet expectations or make much national noise in the college football landscape. The end of Brown’s tenure at UNC is coming, and that kind of dismantling could be the start of the untethering. A second blow could be this weekend at an arch-rival with a hungry coach, Manny Diaz, eager to make his mark in his first year with the program.

Stanford at No. 17 Clemson, Saturday (7:00 p.m., ESPN)

Syracuse notched a big upset win at Syracuse last week. Though the game was played on a Friday, Stanford flies home to Palo Alto and then back out again to Clemson in consecutive weeks. While Clemson is hardly a “letdown” spot for Stanford – after all, Clemson is one of two ACC teams taking top billing – we get to see the real effects of realignment travel on these athletes (over 4,600 miles traveled!). This stretch features three trips to the Eastern Time Zone for Stanford in four weeks.

No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State, Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBC)

This is the rubber match to the infamous nine-overtime game from 2021. Illinois overcame injury and a +24 spread to win the game in a two-point shootout, 20-18. Last week, the Illini upset Nebraska (+8.5) in overtime, 31-24. Penn State crushed Kent State 56-0.

Florida State at SMU, Saturday (8:00 p.m., ACC Network)

SMU comes off a major win over arch rival TCU, beating the Frogs 66-42. The victory was an emotional one, as it is the final scheduled Iron Skillet game at home for the Mustangs. SMU hosts Florida State, coming off its first win of the season, as nearly a touchdown favorite. This is a prime letdown spot for SMU against an opponent they should beat, based on this year’s results for FSU.

Best of luck betting college football Week 5 odds.

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