Saturday's College Football Parlay Picks: Ohio State, LSU and Dog Value

Saturday's College Football Parlay Picks: Three Tickets Built on Line Shopping

Saturday's college football slate is huge, with dozens of games starting from 12:00 PM ET. This is a good day to shop lines, because the gap between books can be worth as much as the pick itself. We had no reliable form or head-to-head data for this card, so everything below comes from the market: spreads, totals and the best price available at each book. Treat these as price-driven parlays, not gospel.

Parlay 1: The Favorites Spread Ticket (+644)

Three favorites laying modest numbers at a reduced price of -105. That is a break-even rate of about 51.2%, compared with 52.4% at the standard -110.

• Ohio State Buckeyes -7.5 (-105, FanDuel) vs Oregon Ducks, Saturday 3:30 PM ET. The moneyline is -263 at FanDuel, and the spread lets you avoid paying that tax. A one-score cushion with the home side is a fair ask.
• LSU Tigers -5.5 (-105, theScore Bet) vs Alabama Crimson Tide, Saturday 3:30 PM ET. Alabama is +195 on the moneyline at betPARX, so the market treats LSU as a clear but not overwhelming favorite. Laying 5.5 at -105 is the cheapest way to back that view.
• Utah Utes -5.5 (-105, DraftKings) vs BYU Cougars, Saturday 12:00 PM ET. Utah is -200 on the moneyline at FanDuel. Taking the spread gives up the straight-up price for a modest cushion at a better number.

Combined odds: +644. A $10 stake returns about $74.42 in total, including your stake.

Parlay 2: Plus-Money Underdog Spreads (+708)

This is where the generous odds are. Getting a full touchdown-minus-a-point of cushion at even money is rare, and the usual price on a spread this size is around -110. At +100 your break-even is 50%, against 52.4% at -110.

• UConn Huskies +6.5 (+100, FanDuel) vs North Carolina Tar Heels, Saturday 12:00 PM ET. The best opposing price on North Carolina is -114 at betPARX, so FanDuel is clearly the book to use.
• Boston College Eagles +6.5 (+100, FanDuel) vs Florida State Seminoles, Saturday 12:00 PM ET. Florida State is -110 at Hard Rock Bet, so the dog side is the better price.
• UCF Knights +2.5 (+102, FanDuel) vs Kansas Jayhawks, Saturday 3:45 PM ET. You get plus money and a field-goal cushion on a game the moneyline prices as a modest Kansas edge (-141 at Caesars).

Combined odds: +708. All three legs are at FanDuel, which keeps this easy to place in one slip.

Parlay 3: Two Unders and a Duke Spread (+628)

This one mixes totals with a spread. The two totals are among the biggest on the board.

• Cincinnati Bearcats @ Houston Cougars Under 62.5 (-105, FanDuel), Saturday 3:30 PM ET. FanDuel has the best number here. BetMGM is offering the over at -108.
• Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Kansas State Wildcats Under 61.5 (-105, DraftKings), Saturday 1:00 PM ET. This is the second-highest total on the day outside the Rice game. A lot of scoring is already priced in, so the under gets a small premium.
• Duke Blue Devils -4.5 (-110, Hard Rock Bet) at NC State Wolfpack, Saturday 12:30 PM ET. Duke is -189 on the moneyline at FanDuel, so the spread is the cheaper way to back the favorite.

Combined odds: +628.

Parlay Summary

Line Shopping Notes

• Tulsa @ Tulane: the total is split between 49.5 (under, FanDuel) and 50.5 (over, BetMGM). That is a full point of difference, which is a real edge for anyone with accounts at both books.
• Delaware @ Kennesaw State: the spread is -2.5 at FanDuel but Kennesaw State is +2 at BetMGM. Compare both before betting either side.
• Western Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee: this is essentially a pick'em, with both moneylines at -105. Skip it unless you have a strong read of your own.
• Merrimack @ Wake Forest: the -48 spread is not worth building a parlay around, and the favorite's moneyline is unlisted.

The Bottom Line

Parlay 2 is our best value play, because the plus-money spread prices are better than the market norm. Parlay 1 is the safer favorites ticket, and Parlay 3 is the one to use if you like a lower-scoring Saturday. Keep stakes small, since parlays are high-variance by nature.

Where to place these parlays

A parlay has to be placed at a single sportsbook, so the best price for each individual leg is not always available together. These are the live prices for each whole parlay at the sportsbooks that offer every leg.

Please bet responsibly, only wager what you can afford to lose, and seek help at 1-800-GAMBLER if gambling stops being fun.