This season, Rivals.com's weekly college football predictions involve anyone on the national staff brave – or foolish – enough to risk embarrassment by making their picks against the spread. Overall, the crew is hovering just below the .500 mark overall.
Here are the Week 10 picks versus Wednesday's Vegas line, according to MGM Mirage.
LOCKS OF THE WEEK
ROB CASSIDY: UCF (-14.5) over SMU. "You don’t need a long, drawn-out reason. Just get your money ready and let Scott Frost double it."
MIKE FARRELL: Notre Dame (-14) over Wake Forest. "Wake lost its best offensive weapon in Greg Dortch and Notre Dame has been running the ball down teams' throats all season. Wake’s front is solid but it will get worn down and lose by 21 points."
ADAM FRIEDMAN: Notre Dame (-14) over Wake Forest. "Brandon Wimbush, Josh Adams and a defense that is playing well. The Fighting Irish should put up a big number against Wake Forest at home."
ADAM GORNEY: Missouri (–3.5) over Florida. "Can you believe I'm going with Missouri for the third straight week? Neither can I. But I like the Tigers here because the offense is humming and the defense is decent enough against a Florida team in complete chaos. Jim McElwain is out, the offense is terrible and now the Gators have to go on the road against a Missouri offense that can score points at will. Call me crazy but I like the Tigers comfortably."
JOSH HELMHOLDT: Syracuse (+5) against Florida State. "Florida State is 0-3 against the spread at home. Syracuse is 3-0 against the spread on the road. Enough said, give me the Orange."
DEREK SAMSON: UCF (–14.5) over SMU. "UCF coach-for-now Scott Frost suddenly has another big-time job opening for which to audition and so far his weekly auditions have been going quite well. However, there's a chance Frost may miss this game due to his wife expected to give birth to the couple's first baby any day."
BILL TROCCHI: Syracuse (+5) against Florida State. "Florida State's two wins were seven-pointers against Wake Forest and Duke in which the Noles had to defend semi-Hail Marys (less than 40 yards) on the game's final play. FSU isn't exactly brimming with motivation down the stretch and will face a spunky Syracuse team looking for another marquee win for Dino Babers."
WOODY WOMMACK: Minnesota (+15.5) against Michigan. "This is a game I fully expect the Wolverines to win but I've had quite a bit of luck this season going against them when the spread is this large. Expect the Golden Gophers to hang around and make this one a game."
FIVE SPOTLIGHT GAMES
Midweek lines according to MGM Mirage (all games Saturday & Eastern time):
- Penn State (–8) at Michigan State, noon
- Stanford (+2) at Washington State, 3:30 p.m.
- Oklahoma (+3) at Oklahoma State, 4 p.m.
- LSU (+21.5) at Alabama, 8 p.m.
- Virginia Tech (–2.5) at Miami, 8 p.m.
