This is an archived edition. For the latest picks see College Football Player Props Today, updated every game day.
Best College Football Player Props Today: Big Game Picks for Saturday, October 17
Every prop on today's slate, ranked live: College Football Player Props Today
The picks
8 picks
Picks are opinions, not guarantees. Odds may have moved since publishing.
Saturday's college football slate is loaded, with Ohio State at Indiana, Notre Dame at BYU, Alabama at Tennessee and Florida at Texas all on the board. I went through the player prop markets for each of those games and picked the props with the strongest case.
My picks are driven by PF Rating, which blends the game environment, the defensive matchup, recent hit rates and scoring averages into one number. Below you will find each pick with the best price I found across the books, plus the reasons behind it.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Indiana Hoosiers
Ohio State and Indiana meet at noon ET on FOX in a Big Ten game between the second and fifth teams in PropFinder's power ratings. Ohio State comes in 5-1 and Indiana has six wins. The market total sits at 50.5, which points to plenty of passing-game opportunity for both offenses. My two picks are Ohio State receivers.
Devin McCuin Over 2.5 Receptions (-152, FanDuel)
Devin McCuin
Over 2.5 Receptions
Devin McCuin has a PF Rating of 81 for this over. He has gone over 2.5 receptions in 3 of his last 5 games and 7 of his last 10, and he averages 3.4 catches across the last five.
Indiana ranks 123rd out of 316 against wide receivers, a middle-of-the-pack mark that gives him room to work. With a 50.5 total in Bloomington, volume should be there. The best price is -152 at FanDuel, so you are paying for the likelihood.
Brandon Inniss Over 1.5 Receptions (-120, Fanatics)
Brandon Inniss
Over 1.5 Receptions
Brandon Inniss has a PF Rating of 79.1 for over 1.5 receptions. He has cleared the number in 3 of his last 5 and 7 of his last 10, and he averages 2.0 catches over his last five and 2.5 over his last ten.
The matchup is the same soft spot as McCuin's, with Indiana ranking 123rd against wide receivers. At -120 on Fanatics this is the cheaper way into the Ohio State passing game, and a low line gives him a cushion.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at BYU Cougars
Notre Dame travels to Provo to face BYU at 7:30 PM ET on ABC. The Fighting Irish, third in PropFinder's power ratings, have six wins, while BYU, seventeenth, has five. I like one under on a Notre Dame tight end and one rushing over on the BYU side.
Cooper Flanagan Under 10.5 Longest Reception (-110, theScore)
Cooper Flanagan
Under 10.5 Longest Reception
Cooper Flanagan has a PF Rating of 77.1 for under 10.5 on longest reception. He has stayed under in 3 of his last 4 games, and his average longest catch is 10.2 over that stretch. The sample is small, so treat it with some caution.
BYU ranks 241st out of 316 against tight ends, a soft number, but the lower total of 47.5 points toward a quieter game for the pass catchers. The best price is -110 at theScore.
Preston Rex Over 20.5 Rushing Yards (-115, Caesars)
Preston Rex
Over 20.5 Rushing Yards
Preston Rex has a PF Rating of 70.1 for over 20.5 rushing yards. He has gone over in 4 of his last 5 games and averages 23.0 yards over that span, though his last ten games average 14.5 and he is 4 of 10 over that longer stretch, so this is a recent-form play.
Notre Dame ranks 274th out of 316 against running backs, a soft number that helps the case. At -115 on Caesars this is the lowest-rated pick on the card, so size accordingly.
Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers
Alabama and Tennessee are both 5-1 as they meet at Neyland Stadium at 3:30 PM ET on ABC. Alabama is sixth in PropFinder's power ratings and Tennessee is thirteenth, and the total is 50.5, one of the higher numbers on the card. I have a ground play on the Alabama quarterback and a receptions over on a Tennessee wideout.
Keelon Russell Over 15.5 Longest Rush (-120, DraftKings)
Keelon Russell
Over 15.5 Longest Rush
Keelon Russell has a PF Rating of 87.8 for over 15.5 on longest rush. He has cleared the number in all 5 of his last 5 games and in 6 of 8 over his last ten, with an average longest run of 25.6 over the last five.
Tennessee ranks 163rd out of 316 against quarterbacks, a neutral matchup, and the 50.5 total points to an open game. A mobile quarterback who keeps finding long runs is a good fit for this market. The best price is -120 at DraftKings.
Mike Matthews Over 3.5 Receptions (-120, BetRivers)
Mike Matthews
Over 3.5 Receptions
Mike Matthews has a PF Rating of 77.7 for over 3.5 receptions. He has hit in 4 of his last 5 games, and in 5 of 6 this season, and he averages 3.6 catches over the last five. He is also 1 for 1 against Alabama.
Alabama ranks 131st out of 316 against wide receivers, which is a modest matchup, and the 50.5 total should keep Tennessee's offense on the field. The best price is -120 at BetRivers.
Florida Gators at Texas Longhorns
Florida visits Texas at noon ET on ABC. The Gators are 4-2 and 25th in PropFinder's power ratings, while the Longhorns are 4-1 and seventh. The game total is 51, and Texas is the clear favorite, which should keep its skill players involved. Both of my picks come from the Texas offense.
Hollywood Smothers Over 2.5 Receptions (+140, Fanatics)
Hollywood Smothers
Over 2.5 Receptions
Hollywood Smothers has a PF Rating of 89.9, the highest on this card, for over 2.5 receptions at +140 on Fanatics. He has gone over in 4 of his last 5 and 7 of his last 10, and he averages 3.0 catches over the last five. His season mark is 3 of 4, a small sample.
Florida ranks 12th out of 316 against running backs, a tough run defense, but this market is about catches, and Texas is the favorite in a game with a 51 total, so he should see short passing-game work. The plus price makes it appealing.
Ryan Wingo Over 56.5 Receiving Yards (-112, FanDuel)
Ryan Wingo
Over 56.5 Receiving Yards
Ryan Wingo has a PF Rating of 81.9 for over 56.5 receiving yards. He has cleared the line in 3 of his last 5 and 7 of his last 10, averaging 59.2 yards over the last five and 62.6 over the last ten. He is 1 for 2 against Florida.
Florida ranks 31st out of 316 against wide receivers, a difficult matchup, but Wingo's averages sit above the line and Texas is the favorite with a 51 total. The best price is -112 at FanDuel.
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Jake Casso
Jake is a Chicago native and lifelong sports enthusiast who brings energy, creativity, and expertise to the PropFinder team. He plays a key role in developing educational livestreams and producing YouTube content that helps sports bettors better understand betting markets, strategies, and data-driven insights.
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