Week 5 College Football Best Bets, Picks and Predictions from Wes Reynolds:

Lets take a look at my Week 5 college football best bets:

 

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Navy (-3.5; 57.5) at UAB

Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Navy won a shootout last week as 9-point underdogs, 56-44 over Memphis. The game not only featured 100 total points but 1,225 yards (Memphis 659, Navy 566).

Now Navy and its new-look triple-option offense takes to the road for the first time this season to take on UAB.

UAB is 1-2 with a bad home loss to UL-Monroe, but also lost a close game to Arkansas and only trailed the Razorbacks by three with seven minutes to go.

The Blazers are also off a bye week, so they have had two weeks to prep for this newish Navy offense.

The Midshipmen also have a trip to Air Force on deck, where they are looking to break a four-year losing streak.

UAB has won 12 of its last 14 games at home.

Week 5 College Football Best Bet: UAB +3.5

# 22 BYU at Baylor (-3.5; 45.5)

12:00 p.m. ET (FS1)

Both of these teams were in after-dark action last Saturday night. 

Baylor missed a field goal with 2:19 left to go, which would have put them up 10 at Colorado and then allowed a 43-yard Hail Mary with :02 left to get put into overtime. In overtime, Baylor fumbled into the end zone and lost the game in Boulder.

On the other hand, BYU upset Kansas State despite being outgained 367-241. With 2 minutes left in the first half, the Cougars got their first points with a field goal, cutting their deficit to 6-3. Next, they got a fumble return touchdown and an interception, leading to a short-field touchdown on the ensuing drive. That’s 17 points in the final 2:12 of the first half for a 17-6 halftime lead.

The good fortune continued with another interception leading to a short field touchdown and then a punt return touchdown to blow the game wide open.

Baylor’s offense has been a bit better since Sawyer Robertson took over at QB replacing Toledo transfer Dequan Finn. Robertson is the more accurate passer (64% vs. Finn’s 53.5%) and has been the better runner.

With two conference road games on deck for the Bears, this is one they gotta have. BYU was fortunate last week vs. Kansas State and at SMU two weeks ago.

Week 5 College Football Best Bet: Baylor -3.5 or -160 ML

Minnesota at #12 Michigan (-9.5; 35.5)

12:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

Michigan concludes its five-game opening home stand in “The Big House” on Saturday before traveling to Washington next week for a rematch of last year’s National Championship Game.

The Wolverines scored on 4th-and-goal with :37 left to upset USC, 27-24. Michigan did it primarily on the ground with 290 yards as Alex Orji only threw 12 times for 32 yards.

Minnesota led at halftime against Iowa in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy (bronze pig) but was outscored 24-0 in the second half to fall 31-14.

Now the Gophers play for another rivalry trophy as the Little Brown Jug is on the line.

Minnesota ranks 13th nationally in total defense (252.7 ypg) and should be able to keep this within the number against a Michigan team that is has had to lowest low (home blowout L to Texas) and the highest high (comeback W vs. USC) in the span of just three weeks.

Week 5 College Football Best Bet: Minnesota +9.5

Fresno State at UNLV (-2; 48.5)

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Needless to say, it has been a tumultuous week in Las Vegas around the Rebels program.

Starting QB Matthew Sluka, a Holy Cross transfer, left the team over an NIL dispute and has certainly caused a disruption after 3-0 start for the Rebels which include victories over two Power 4 opponents on the road at Kansas and at Houston.

Campbell transfer Hajj-Malik Williams, a sixth-year senior, gets his opportunity to start and it seems like his teammates are ready to rally around him if linebacker Jackson Woodard’s reaction is any indication:

Sluka has been an effective runner with 253 yards on 39 carries through three games. However, he was only completing 43.8% of his passes. Williams has a 62% career completion percentage and threw for over 4800 yards in the last two seasons at Campbell. So there does not appear to be much of a drop-off.

Time will tell if there will be more roster attrition in Las Vegas, but for this week, I would expect a motivated and ticked off Rebels squad to give its best effort.

Week 5 College Football Best Bet: UNLV -120 ML

No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State (-18; 48)

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Illinois is a surprising 4-0 and is the only team to defeat two ranked teams thus far in the young season. The victories over Kansas and Nebraska were both coin flips. Plus, they were not able to get away from Central Michigan until late in the fourth quarter.

Kansas, one of Illinois’ victims this season, has dropped off substantially largely because of the departure of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who is now at….Penn State.

The Jayhawks offense put up 539 yards of total offense and 34 points in a 34-23 victory over Illinois last year.

This year, the Penn State offense under Kotelnicki currently ranks 4th nationally in total offense. The pre-snap motion schemes are the same, but this time only with better offensive talent.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema made an innocuous comment regarding Penn State’s “White Out Energy” for Saturday’s game that will certainly be used as bulletin board material.

James Franklin has a history of covering big numbers as a favorite. He is 43-24-2 (64.2%) when laying double-digits.

Week 5 College Football Best Bet: Penn State -18

Other CFB bets throughout the weekend will be up at the VSiN Picks page.

For more College Football Week 5 predictions, visit the College Football Week 5 Hub at VSiN.com.

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