College football picks, schedule: Predictions against the spread, odds for NCAA top 25 games in Week 7

Week 7 brings a blockbuster assortment of matchups as the midway point of college football’s regular season arrives with plenty needing to be sorted out within the national hierarchy. By late Saturday night, we should have a clearer picture of where many teams — especially the top contenders in the Big Ten — stand in the pecking order.

No. 4 Penn State is hitting the road for the first time since Week 1 as it travels to face USC in a game that can put the Nittany Lions in prime position to claim a spot in the Big Ten title game. Teams traveling multiple time zones for Big Ten battles have struggled this season, and the Trojans hope that trend continues as they looked to bounce back from a 1-2 start in conference action.

No. 2 Ohio State is also making a cross-country trek as the Buckeyes head to face No. 3 Oregon in the day’s most-anticipated matchup. Though Ohio State is favored, it will be entering a hostile environment as the Ducks host the Buckeyes for the first time since 1967.

Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 7 with cited picks from best sports betting apps available.

All times Eastern

No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU 7:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — This game seems ripe to produce chaos and confusion with a back-and-forth style that may come down to which team has the ball last. While Ole Miss has been the higher-performing team statistically, LSU should come out of the off week with a strong focus on what’s needed to win and maintain an unbeaten start to SEC play. In this series, the home team is 10-2 across the last 12 and covered the spread in nine of the last 10. That continues here. Pick: LSU +3.5 via Caesars — Chip Patterson

No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon 7:30 p.m. | NBC, fubo (Try for free) — This will be Ohio State’s first real test of the season. It’s the Buckeyes’ first game against a ranked opponent, and Autzen Stadium is an extremely hard place to play. Ryan Day’s squad matches up really well in this one, however. Oregon hasn’t exactly set the world on fire so far, and its offensive struggles have been a big reason. The Ducks’ offensive line allowed seven sacks in the first two games, and though they have buckled down since, Ohio State brings in the best defensive front they’ll see all year. Oregon’s run game has jelled recently, but Ohio State has held three of its five opponents below 100 total yards rushing. This game will be close, and Ohio State should cover. Pick: Ohio State -3.5 via Fanatics Sportsbook — Backus

No. 7 Alabama at South Carolina Noon | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — South Carolina doesn’t have the offensive weapons to pick Alabama apart like Vanderbilt did, but the Gamecocks are much better defensively — especially along the line where they should be athletic enough to keep Jalen Milroe in the pocket and force him to make throws. I actually expect this to be a pretty low-scoring game, and although South Carolina is equipped to cover a massive spread, Alabama should still net a comfortable enough win. Pick: South Carolina +21.5 via FanDuel — Will Backus

No. 4 Penn State at USC 3:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — The biggest question coming into the season was how USC’s defense would perform. At the midway point, there are more questions around Riley’s offense than a group that has shown flashes under first-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Penn State and USC have been two of the best passing defenses in the country, so this game may come down to who can control the trenches and who can run the football better. Penn State has a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, so the advantage in that department should go to the road team. Pick: Penn State -5.5 via DraftKings — Cameron Salerno

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (Dallas) 3:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — The Red River Rivalry is one of those matchups where you have to throw the records out. Granted, this is one of the more difficult ones to do so as Texas comes in as a much higher-quality team than Oklahoma, but strange things happen at the Cotton Bowl. A win for Oklahoma would be massive for Brent Venables’ fortunes after a disappointing start to his third year. Taking care of business would help cement Texas as a serious national title contender. The Longhorns come away with a win, but two touchdowns is excessive in a heated rivalry game. Pick: Oklahoma +14.5 via BetMGM — Shehan Jeyarajah

SportsLine’s proven computer model is calling for 10 outright upsets in Week 7 of college football. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates each game 10,000 times.