College football picks, schedule: Predictions against the spread, odds for top 25 games in Week 6

We are approaching the midway point of the 2022 college football season and just like we expected, last week’s rankings underwent a significant transition as top 25 opponents squared off in conference play. Well, guess what?! The same will be true this week with three such games between ranked opponents along with a number of rivalry showdowns that will help make early determinations in clearing up the College Football Playoff picture.

No. 8 Tennessee looks to continue its resurgence behind Hendon Hooker as it travels to No. 25 LSU, which is irked to be hosting a major game in the sunlight. No. 19 Kansas welcomes No. 17 TCU in a surprise battle of Big 12 unbeatens as both programs prepare to lean on their high-powered offenses to continue their upward trajectories. No. 11 Utah hopes to continue its bounce back from a season-opening loss to Florida and regain its spot as the top team in the Pac-12 (as predicted this preseason) when it visits undefeated No. 18 Utah. Plus, No. 1 Alabama (vs. Texas A&M), No. 2 Georgia (vs. Auburn), No. 3 Ohio State (at Michigan State) and No. 4 Michigan (at Indiana) all hope to avoid being upset as double-digit favorites by teams that know them all too well.

By the time Saturday’s action concludes, numerous conference title pictures will clarify and there may even be notable changes to Jerry Palm’s bowl projections (look for those on Sunday). Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 6.

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern

Auburn at No. 2 Georgia

3:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Auburn couldn’t have hand-picked a worse time to catch Georgia in Sanford Stadium. Robby Ashford won’t have the same production through the air due to a stout Georgia defensive front and a secondary that will take advantage of pressure that front seven generates. The sloppy play the last two weeks will force Kirby Smart to keep his foot on the gas more than he normally wood, leading the Bulldogs to an easy cover. Prediction: Georgia -30 — Barrett Sallee

No. 11 Utah at No. 18 UCLA

3:30 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) — I was impressed by what I saw from Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Bruins against Washington last week, but it’s had too much of an impact on the line in this game. Yes, there were questions about the Bruins because they had played a soft schedule to that point, but a solid offensive performance against Washington hasn’t convinced me much. The Huskies effectively moved the ball against the UCLA defense and offered little defensive resistance. That won’t be the case against a Utah defense that ranks 13th nationally in success rate, 15th in points allowed per drive and fourth in EPA (expected points added) per snap. What would worry me even more if I were a UCLA fan is that the Utes rank eighth nationally in pressure rate, and Thompson-Robinson has never fared well when pressured. Prediction: Utah -3.5 — Tom Fornelli

No. 3 Ohio State at Michigan State

4 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try for free) —  If betting the spread, I lean toward Ohio State -25.5, but with questions about the availability of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson, I’m not as confident. It’s entirely possible the Buckeyes could build an early advantage and take their foot off the gas to rest some banged up players and save themselves for upcoming games against Iowa and Penn State. Plus, while Michigan State’s biggest problem has been its defense, the team’s offense hasn’t been great, either. When considering all of that, the under seems like the best play on the board. Prediction: Under 65 — Tom Fornelli

Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama

8 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App —  Texas A&M may have one of the 10 worst scoring offenses at the Power Five level, but I have to believe that the same coach who put Zach Calzada in a position to succeed against a solid Alabama defense will be able to get more than 13 or 14 points attributed to the Aggies in the implied score of this point spread and total — 38-14 based on Alabama-24 and an over-under of 51.5. Additionally, Alabama — with or without Bryce Young — is going to hang at least 40 in this game. It might be a sweat, but the series trends back up a higher scoring game when these two meet. Prediction: Over 51.5 — Chip Patterson

No. 8 Tennessee at No. 25 LSU

Noon | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — Auburn racked up 438 yards against LSU’s defense last week, which is a concern given how weak Auburn has looked offensively this season. While LSU came away with a big road win, much of it was likely attributable to a +3 edge in turnover margin. Replicating that against Tennessee’s high-powered attack may be a problem. LSU shouldn’t have too much trouble scoring against the Volunteers, but Tennessee is more consistent offensively and should be able to outscore the Tigers. Prediction: Tennessee -3 — David Cobb

No. 17 TCU at No. 19 Kansas

Noon | FSI, fuboTV (Try for free) — Unfortunately, Kansas’ winning streak likely comes to an end here. As good as the Jayhawks have been, TCU is the best, most complete team they’ve faced. I fear the Horned Frogs will be too much to handle; however, I do not believe the Horned Frogs will be so much that the Jayhawks won’t cover. KU had its worst offensive performance of the season against Iowa State but still won with its defense. That’s an encouraging sign moving forward. Also, while TCU is the most complete team Kansas has faced, it’s not particularly special on the defensive side and has given up plenty of explosive plays. That’s not good news for a team facing this Kansas offense. I expect a lot of points and neither team to pull too far away from the other. Prediction: Kansas +7 — Tom Fornelli

Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 6, and which Top 25 favorite will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $3,100 in profit over the past six-plus seasons — and find out.