NCAA Football Picks: Bet SMU-Duke in Week 9 Over/Under Bets

· Oct 23 - 6 minutes read

SMU visits Duke for a key ACC contest.
Indiana tries to stay unbeaten vs visiting Washington.
Houston hosts Utah in a battle of struggling Big 12 squads.
Check the latest college football odds and make your under bets on these games.

We’re getting to the point in the season where some teams are realizing they won’t be in the College Football Playoff, or possibly even making a trip to a bowl game. They’ll keep fighting hard, but things just aren’t working out, whether because of injuries or some other reason.

NCAA Football Week 9 Picks: Bet SMU-Duke Under — Kevin Jennings #7 of the Southern Methodist Mustangs | Sam Hodde/Getty Images/AFP

We’ve looked at the Week 9 college football schedule and picked three games that we believe will finish below the total. They’re not all between struggling teams, but for whatever reason or another, these teams will struggle to light up the scoreboard this week. Make sure you check the odds before you place your wagers on BetUS Sportsbook.

Top 3 Unders You Should Bet in Week 8

1. Low-Scoring Affair on Tap for SMU vs Duke, Bet the Under

The SMU Mustangs are enjoying their first season as a member of the ACC and head into Week 9 as one of four conference schools with no losses in league play. SMU will get a test this week when they travel to face the Duke Blue Devils, who have just one loss on the season, falling to Georgia Tech three weeks ago.

Duke has had its success thanks to a solid defense, which is holding teams to 17.3 points per game, good for 17th in the country. The Blue Devils have allowed over 20 points just twice this season, with the 24-14 loss to the Yellow Jackets marking a season-high scoring total by an opponent.

The 22nd-ranked Mustangs will bring a high-powered offense to Durham, though that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to put a lot of points on the board. In SMU’s only loss this season, it was held to 15 points by BYU in an 18-15 setback. But in the four games since that loss, the Mustangs have averaged 45.5 points.

Sophomore quarterback Kevin Jennings is coming off a great performance in a 40-10 win at Stanford, throwing for 322 yards and three touchdowns. The Blue Devils will need to keep him in check in this one if they hope to keep things close.

#SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings has been the best QB in Power-4 against the blitz with a 92 overall grade this year @SMUFB pic.twitter.com/hntbPrbTHZ

— Clint Brewster (@clintbrew247) October 23, 2024

SMU is a 12-point favorite to win this game, and we don’t doubt that the Mustangs will come out on top. But we see this contest being more of a low-scoring affair, especially for the Blue Devils. Put your bet online on the under for this ACC matchup.

Bet on SMU vs Duke Under 48½

2. Can Indiana Survive Loss of QB Rourke vs Washington? Back the Under

The Indiana Hoosiers have been making college football news all season long, starting the season with seven straight wins and putting themselves in contention for a College Football Playoff berth. But with starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke sidelined with a finger injury that required surgery this week, the Hoosiers will host the Washington Huskies with an offense that might not be as potent.

The Ohio transfer hit his throwing hand on the helmet of a Nebraska defender last week, injuring his right thumb. He didn’t return for the second half of the Hoosiers’ blowout win and, according to college football news, underwent thumb surgery on Monday.

Rourke has been phenomenal this season, completing 74.6% of his passes while throwing 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The Indiana Hoosiers are No. 1 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 48.7 points per game.

But how much will Rourke’s absence hurt Indiana’s attack? Sophomore Tayven Jackson was 7-of-8 for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the second half against the Cornhuskers, though the contest was decided at that point. He’ll get the start with Rourke sidelined this week.

Washington’s offense hasn’t exactly been lighting things up this season, with the Huskies averaging just 17.6 points per game in their three losses. As good as Indiana’s offense has been, its defense has been very good as well, so we don’t see Washington holding up its end of the scoring in this one.

The total of 53 seems a bit ambitious with Washington’s lack of scoring punch and Rourke’s absence. Make one of your college football predictions this week be the under on this Big Ten contest.

Bet on Washington vs Indiana Under 53

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3. Going Under Low Total No Problem For Utah vs Houston, Pick the Under

The lowest total in NCAA football lines for Week 9 has been set at 37 points for the matchup between the Utah Utes and the Houston Cougars. And we don’t see these teams reaching that goal.

Utah has been one of the bigger disappointments in college football, going from a 4-0 start to a 4-3 record entering this one thanks to three straight losses. Senior quarterback Cam Rising was expected to run the show for the Utes this season, but he managed to play in just three games due to multiple injuries that now have him sidelined for the rest of the season.

In his place, freshman Isaac Wilson has struggled, throwing eight interceptions on the season. In his last two games, Wilson has guided the Utah offense to just 17 points as he’s taken seven sacks.

The Houston Cougars has been a mess all season as well, going 2-5 to this point, including losses in three of its last four contests. The Cougars have been shut out twice in that span and managed just 14 points in last week’s loss to Kansas.

Quarterback Donovan Smith has eight interceptions of his own and has passed for 867 yards and four touchdowns while taking 16 sacks.

Maybe one of these teams breaks through with a big scoring effort, but we don’t see it. This will likely be a game that is won with just a couple of touchdowns, so add it to your unders to wager on when you’re making your college football picks this weekend.

Bet on Utah vs Houston Under 37