College football delivered a thrilling slate of games last week, and it could be even better for Week 7 on Saturday, October 17, with six top-25 matchups today. We even get two top-10 battles, beginning with #4 Ohio State vs. #5 Indiana (12:00 p.m. ET), followed by #2 Notre Dame vs. #8 BYU (7:30 p.m. ET).
Tonight’s primetime matchups especially grab the eye for college football predictions today, including two top-25 matchups and one top-25 squad listed as an underdog on the road by PrizePicks.
Let’s dive into our best college football predictions tonight, featuring winner payouts, spreads, and over/unders on PrizePicks.
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Best College Football Predictions Today: Spreads, Schedule for Saturday, October 17
#2 Notre Dame (6-0) vs. #8 BYU (5-0) is surely the highlight of primetime games, with the Fighting Irish (1.04x) and Cougars (2.38x) sporting favorable payouts to qualify for the 2026 College Football Playoff, per PrizePicks.
#18 Oklahoma State (6.25x) traveling to #20 Houston (10x) is our second top-25 matchup of tonight, with the two holding two of the five shortest payouts to win the Big 12 championship.
Last week, #15 Kentucky and Oklahoma gave us two of the weeks best games. The Wildcats took down then-#10 LSU on a two-point conversion in overtime, while Oklahoma knocked off its bitter rival, then-#1 Texas, in the Red River Rivalry. Now, the two meet for a primetime SEC clash.
Before we dig into our best college football predictions for today’s primetime games, check out every Power Four school in action for games scheduled at 7:00 p.m. ET or later, including how to watch each matchup and the point spread via PrizePicks.
Now, it’s time to dig into our college football predictions today. We’ll analyze winner payouts, spreads, and over/unders, all found on the CFB board on PrizePicks.
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#2 Notre Dame vs. #8 BYU Prediction on Over/Under for CFB Week 7
Time, How to Watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Notre Dame and BYU operate as two of the slowest-paced teams in the nation, with the Fighting Irish logging 29.9 seconds per play (seventh percentile) compared to the Cougars’ 31.5 (second percentile), per TeamRankings. That leads to BYU posting 59.8 plays per game (fourth percentile), and Notre Dame’s 66.8 still sits in the bottom half nationally (41st percentile).
We’re not done talking about pace, as the Irish have a 57.61% rush play rate (80th percentile). The Cougs take it a step further at 58.58% (82nd percentile).
In short, neither offense plays in a hurry, and that points to a low-scoring bout. Considering each team’s limited plays, Saturday’s 47.5 over/under even feels a bit high.
Notre Dame boasts one of CFB’s best defenses, yielding only 11.0 PPG (99th percentile), a 36.8% success rate (93rd percentile), and -0.16 EPA per play allowed (96th percentile), per Game on Paper.
The Irish give up 2.1 yards per carry (98th percentile), backed by an exceptional 2.4 line yards per carry allowed (88th percentile), via Fourth and Short — which measures an offensive line’s ability to create push. BYU, meanwhile, is without its top running back LJ Martin for the second straight week.
In Week 6, the Cougars passed more often with a 50.8% rush play rate. ND’s 22.8% havoc rate on defense is the third-best mark out of 138 FBS teams; perhaps BYU should avoid too many dropbacks.
The Irish’s superstar CB Leonard Moore is listed as questionable with a concussion; that’s about the only area potentially aiding BYU’s offense.
According to College Football Nerds’ projection model, this game has a forecasted 25.7-16.5 final in favor of Notre Dame. That’s a combined point total of only 42.2 points.
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#15 Kentucky vs. Oklahoma Prediction on Spread for CFB Week 7
Time, How to Watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Kentucky has quickly become a mainstay for many across the country, with the Wildcats going 5-1 against the spread (ATS). During the Cats’ four-game winning streak, three came as underdogs, including last week’s 35-34 win as 9.5-point dogs vs. LSU.
Despite UK coming off one of its best home wins in years, the Wildcats are hefty 6.5-point underdogs on the road. Oklahoma is just 2-3 ATS, including a 1-3 mark over its last four.
However, the Sooners scored a 27-24 win as 7.5-point underdogs vs. Texas last week. U needed a blocked punt for a TD and a pick-six to secure the victory. Can that production keep up Saturday night?
Kentucky is averaging only 0.8 turnovers per game (75th percentile) while forcing 2.2 turnovers per contest (94th percentile). Big Blue won the turnover battle 2-0 a week ago.
While Oklahoma’s defense allows 4.4 yards per play (93rd percentile) and a 32.2% success rate (first nationally), the unit forces only 1.0 takeaways per contest (49th percentile).
According to Pro Football Focus, OU QB John Mateer has been a turnover machine with a 5.8% turnover-worthy play rate that tops qualifying QBs in the SEC. Mateer’s 4 INTs and 5 fumbles is fueling the Sooners’ 2.0 turnovers per game (11th percentile).
Kentucky is going into this game with a significant advantage in the turnover department, aiding its chances on the road.
Furthermore, OU allowed 8.4 yards per passing attempt vs. Texas, and the unit is now up to 6.7 yards per passing attempt (49th out of 138 FBS teams).
Success can be had through the air, and the Wildcats handled LSU’s defense by totaling 246 passing yards, 6.8 yards per passing attempt, while the offensive line gave up 1 sack against one of the nation’s best pass rushes. Kentucky QB Kenny Minchey may get enough time against Oklahoma’s elite 20.5% havoc rate (90th percentile).
In two road games this season, the Wildcats won as 16.5-point underdogs vs. Texas A&M in Week 3, followed by another dub as 2.5-point underdogs at South Carolina in Week 5.
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#18 Oklahoma State vs. #20 Houston Prediction on Over/Under for CFB Week 7
Time, How to Watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX
If you like points and QB play, this one’s for you. Oklahoma State logs 33.0 PPG (78th percentile), slightly ahead of Houston’s 32.6 PPG (76th percentile).
Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker is flying up draft boards, now ranked fifth overall on NFL Mock Draft Database’s 2027 Consensus Big Board. Meanwhile, Houston QB Conner Weigman has 1,428 passing yards, 15 passing TDs, 1 INT, 177 rushing yards, and 6 rushing TDs through six games.
The Cougars sport a 54.1% pass success rate (93rd percentile) and total 8.5 yards per passing attempt (78th percentile). Oklahoma State touts a 50.00% pass play rate (62nd percentile) and leans on Mestemaker’s arm with a healthy 50.0% pass success rate (84th percentile).
Tonight’s 62.5 over/under doesn’t come as a surprise. PrizePicks projects Mestemaker for 280.5 pass yards, while Weigman holds 255.5 pass yards.
The Cowboys look to push the pace with only 24.3 seconds per play (86th percentile), fueling 75.0 plays per game (90th percentile). Houston is right behind OSU, racking up 73.0 plays per contest (73rd percentile).
Neither pass defense yields much confidence, as Oklahoma State gives up 7.0 yards per passing attempt (59th percentile), compared to the Cougars ceding 7.4 (48th percentile). Both defenses even rank 100th or worse in pass explosiveness rate allowed.
We’ve got two of the Big 12’s best QBs colliding with a quick pace and likely a ton of plays ahead. That sounds like a good old-fashioned shootout for primetime football.
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Kentucky takes on the underdog role on the road once more. Notre Dame’s defense could stifle BYU, and Oklahoma State vs. Houston may be like watching a different sport with high-scoring offenses battling in Big 12 play.
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