Week 7 of the 2024 college football season is here and our VSiN team is attacking it relentlessly. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out the Week 7 CFB Betting Hub for write-ups and picks from all of our talented analysts. However, keep reading for my college football best bets and predictions for this exciting Week 7 slate. I’ll probably add some picks as lines move and more information comes out later in the week — and on game day. If I do, I’ll put them on the VSiN Pro Picks page. Don’t miss out on those.

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2024 Record: 20-17-1 (+6.53 units)

Arizona at BYU – 4:00 pm ET

BYU is 5-0 both straight-up and against the spread this season. Meanwhile, Arizona is 3-2 SU and has a big road win over Utah, but the Wildcats are just 1-4 ATS on the year. They have not lived up to expectations with Brent Brennan replacing Jedd Fisch on the sidelines.

The reason to love the Cougars here is that they’re fourth in the nation in Dropback EPA per play allowed (-0.144). This secondary has been awesome all year, and it’s not like BYU hasn’t played anybody. This team already has wins over SMU and Kansas State this season. With that in mind, the Cougars can be trusted to keep quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan from consistently hitting home runs in the passing game. And if that’s not happening, this Arizona team is extremely beatable.

The reality is that the Wildcats just aren’t very good defensively. Arizona did a great job of shutting down Utah two weeks ago, but the Utes were down to backup quarterback Isaac Wilson. And that good performance was sandwiched in between two miserable defensive performances. Arizona lost 31-7 against Kansas State on September 13th and then lost 28-22 at home against Texas Tech last week. That doesn’t bode well for this matchup. The Cougars are 23rd in the nation in EPA per play (0.145), and their running game has been very efficient. BYU doesn’t have a bell cow in the backfield, but a lot of guys are capable of making plays on the ground. That includes quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who has been superb as a runner this year. Retzlaff has also been a lot better than expected in the passing game.

I’m just not sure what Arizona will be able to do to get to BYU in this game. Unless the Cougars just aren’t prepared at all defensively, they should win this game somewhat comfortably. Provo is also one of the hardest places to play in college football.

Bet: BYU -4.5 (-110)

RELATED: Here’s an updated look at the Heisman Trophy betting markets!

Ole Miss at LSU – 7:30 pm ET

This is going to be one of the most exciting games of the weekend. Both of these teams are looking to make the College Football Playoff, but the loser is going to be in rough shape. So, there’s going to be a playoff-like intensity to this SEC matchup, and I ultimately think the home team is going to come out on top. However, I’ll happily take the 3.5 points, as I can see this going down to the wire.

Ole Miss’ advanced stats profile is a little stronger than LSU’s early in the season, but it’s hard to ignore what we saw from the Rebels against Kentucky a couple of weeks ago. Ole Miss’ offense completely fell apart in that game, and it’s not like the Rebels lit up the Gamecocks last week. Jaxson Dart has played two forgettable games in a row, and it’s now a little hard to imagine him going out and torching LSU in Death Valley. This Tigers defense is better in 2024 than it was in 2023, with new defensive coordinator Blake Baker getting the team down to 21.6 points per game allowed. Last year, LSU gave up 28.0 points per game. Look for Bradyn Swinson’s fingerprints to be all over this one.

If LSU’s defense doesn’t play well, the Tigers also happen to have an offense that can keep pace with the Rebels. While Ole Miss is sixth in the country in EPA per play (0.284), LSU is 12th (0.136) in the nation. The Tigers are also 14th in college football in Dropback EPA per play (-.149), so they’re not far behind the ninth-ranked Rebels (0.209). LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has quietly put together a great start to the year, and he is big-game tested after having faced USC in Vegas in Week 1.

LSU is also 5-0 ATS in its last five home games against Ole Miss, and the Rebels haven’t won in Baton Rouge since 2008. And generally speaking, it’s not a terrible idea to trust the Tigers at Tiger Stadium in a toss-up game.

Bet: LSU +3.5 (-109 – 2 units)

Last Week

Rutgers +7 (-110) vs. Washington
UCF vs. Florida Over 61.5 (-110)
Cal +10.5 (-105 – 2 units) vs. Miami
Cal ML (+330 – 0.5 units) vs. Miami

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