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. Through five weeks, the group still is clinging to a winning record, collectively standing at 105-95 overall and 21-19 on the "lock" picks.
Here are the Week Six picks versus Wednesday's Vegas line, according to MGM Mirage.
LOCKS OF THE WEEK
ROB CASSIDY: UCF (-17) over Cincinnati. "The nice thing about betting on UCF this year is that you always win. What’s even nicer is that the Knights never even make you sweat. UCF is a bona fide covering machine that will blow the doors off of yet another opponent because Scott Frost’s offense is somehow still undervalued."
MIKE FARRELL: Cal (+27.5) against Washington. "Even with some key injuries I think this number is too big. Cal hasn't been playing poorly and can put up points, so if it just scores 17 then it should cover."
ADAM FRIEDMAN: Penn State (-14.5) over Northwestern. "It's hard to bet against Penn State right now especially with Saquon Barkley in the backfield. Northwestern has one of the worst rushing defenses in the Big Ten and is tied for giving up the most rushing touchdowns in the Big Ten so far this season."
ADAM GORNEY: Washington State (-2.5) over Oregon. "Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is out, backup Taylor Alie is questionable and the Ducks might have to turn to freshman Braxton Burmeister to run the offense. It sounds like RB Royce Freeman will play this weekend but top receivers Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell remain questionable. Washington State is humming on offense and defense - that's right, defense. I can see Oregon putting up a valiant fight, but the Ducks will come up short. Pac-12 After Dark and Pac-12 refs scare me, but I'm on the Mike Leach train this week."
JOSH HELMHOLDT: UCF (-17) over Cincinnati. "Luke Fickell will get a pass in Year 1, especially with the way he is recruiting, but this Cincinnati team is just not very good right now. UCF beat two better ballclubs in Maryland and Memphis the last two weeks by bigger margins than this spread. Easy call to go Scott Frost and the Knights in Nippert."
DEREK SAMSON: Kentucky (-10) over Missouri. "Missouri is atrocious. Kentucky is not atrocious – and also playing at home."
BILL TROCCHI: Syracuse (-3.5) over Pittsburgh. "Syracuse ranks in the top 50 in both total offense and total defense while the Panthers are hovering around 100 in both categories. A rout of Rice does not mean things are fixed for the Panthers. Syracuse easily covers."
WOODY WOMMACK: Michigan State (+11.5) against Michigan. "I was surprised to see the Spartans cover against Iowa last week so I'll go with them this week in a rivalry game against the Wolverines. I actually think Michigan upgraded at the quarterback position, but this is a rivalry game and I expect it to be close."
FIVE SPOTLIGHT GAMES
Midweek lines according to MGM Mirage (all games Eastern time):
- Louisville (-4) at NC State, 8 p.m. Thursday, ESPN
- LSU (+3.5) at Florida, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
- West Virginia (+13) at TCU, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, FS1
- Miami (-2.5) at Florida State, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
- Michigan State (+11.5) at Michigan, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
