College football picks, schedule: predictions against the spread, odds for the top 25 games in week 10

With the first college football playoff standings now released, the table is set for the remainder of the 2022 season. And it starts in earnest in Week 10 with two top-10 matchups involving SEC opponents who will have direct implications on the league title game and playoff image.

Tennessee’s No. 1 visits Georgia’s No. 3 in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week. It’s the 25th all-time regular season game between the No. 1 (Bulldogs) and No. 2 (Volunteers) ranked teams in the AP Top 25, and it comes just weeks after Tennessee recorded its highest big win in decades by handing Alabama their first loss of the season at Neyland Stadium. Now the Vols will look to prove their mettle against defending national champion Dawgs, who will present the toughest defensive test of the entire season for the nation’s top-ranked offense.

As if that weren’t enough, Alabama’s No. 6 pays a visit to LSU’s No. 10 in the Tigers’ favorite atmosphere: a Death Valley night game. The Crimson Tide can’t afford a second loss if they’re still hoping for a playoff berth, while the Bayou Bengals are looking for a signature first-year win under Chip Kelly. A win for Bama would be a significant rebound from the Tennessee loss and a key feather in his cap as he attempts to shut down SEC West and meet either Georgia or Tennessee in the SEC Championship game.

The SEC isn’t the only conference in the spotlight on Saturday. While the Big Ten, No. 2 Ohio State (at Northwestern) and No. 5 Michigan (at Rutgers) are on the road as heavy favorites, the ACC’s top team is also on the road, but in a much tougher competition with No. 3 Clemson visiting Notre Dame as a 3.5-point favorite. And while No. 13 Kansas State may have two more losses than No. 7 TCU (against Texas Tech), it still faces a key game against No. 24 Texas as the Wildcats hope to play in the game. Big 12 championship.

By the end of Saturday’s action, we’ll have a much clearer picture of what the second set of CFP rankings will look like once Tuesday rolls around. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from kickoff. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games of week 10.

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern

Air Force at Army West Point

11:30 a.m. | SCS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Since 2005, under betting in games between service academies has increased to 42-9-1. Even though bettors have followed the trend over the years and lowered the totals, under bets continue to cash in. The methodology is simple and works on both sides of the ball for both teams. Since service academies run the ball more than almost any other college football team, the clock rarely stops. And since service academy defenses know option-based principles by practicing against them every day, there aren’t as many mistakes that result in long-running plays. It takes a lot of plays to move the ball down the field 3-4 yards at a time, and those runs move the clock forward. All of these conditions limit points and bring us back to the pit for another penny. Prediction: Under 40.5 -Chip Patterson

No. 1 Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia

3:30 p.m. | SCS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — I’ll go out on a limb and take on Tennessee to win straight. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to grab those points too, but this Tennessee offense is too good to be stopped even by a defense as talented and deep as Georgia’s. The Volunteers will operate at lightning speed and expose the absence of linebacker Nolan Smith while using quarterback Hendon Hooker and running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright on the ground to set up the big plays over the top. Stetson Bennett won’t be able to keep up and Tennessee will once again claim their biggest win in decades. Prediction: Tennessee +8.5 — Barrett Sallee

No. 6 Alabama at No. 10 LSU

7 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — LSU is one of the top 10 teams, according to college football playoff rankings, but I don’t think LSU is one of the top 10 teams in the country. Alabama has flaws and isn’t the same juggernaut dynamo we’re used to seeing, but they’re the best overall team in this game. Now, is it so much better than LSU that Bama will win by two touchdowns? I’m not so sure about that. The home atmosphere in Baton Rouge, Louisiana will be tough for Bryce Young and the Alabama offense, and I think the Crimson Tide are struggling enough to have a hard time pulling away. I take the points. Prediction: LSU +13 –Tom Fornelli

No. 24 Texas at No. 13 Kansas State

7 p.m. | FS1, fuboTV (Try for free) — Texas has owned K-State for the past half-decade, but it’s the Wildcats’ best version yet. Texas’ Quinn Ewers struggled in his first road start, and Kansas State won’t be a friendly turf for the young quarterback. The ‘Cats will hold on to the ball and limit possessions to earn a resounding victory. Prediction: Kansas State +2.5 –Shehan Jeyarajah

No. 4 Clemson at Notre Dame

7:30 p.m. | BNC, fuboTV (Try for free) — Notre Dame’s playbook against Ohio State was to lean on defense and play a ball control game that allowed the Fighting Irish to latch on to the Buckeyes as deep in the game as possible. Clemson also has a history under Dabo Swinney of leaning into his defense, playing position on the field and trying to limit mistakes in those big regular season matchups. The defensive battle should lead to a lot of field goal attempts and fewer scorecards. Prediction: Under 44 -Chip Patterson

What college football picks can you confidently make in Week 10, and which top-25 teams will fall hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that’s brought in nearly $3,000 in profit over the past six-plus seasons — and find out.