College football picks for Week 9: Oregon rolls, ASU struggles and UCLA attempts to stay perfect on cross-country trips

Welcome the Hotline’s weekly picks against the point spread, published Thursdays throughout the regular season with a focus on the top games nationally and the most intriguing matchups across the West. Last week, we were 4-7. Lines are courtesy of vegasinsider.com. Picks are for entertainment purposes only … unless they aren’t.

The most interesting game in the Big Ten this week matches two undefeated teams, Indiana and UCLA.

The Hoosiers are unbeaten on the field.

The Bruins are perfect against the spread — not in every game, of course, but in the matchups that mirror the situation they face Saturday morning.

When it comes to managing cross-country flights, no team can match UCLA’s success.

Since the start of last season, when they joined USC, Oregon and Washington to form the Big Ten’s western wing, the Bruins have been perfect against the point spread when playing conference games in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.

They covered the spread three times last year and have done it twice this season.

Here’s the breakdown in 2024:

— As 29.5-point favorites at Penn State, they lost by 16

— As 4.5-point underdogs at Rutgers, they won by three.

— As 7.5-point underdogs at Nebraska, they won by seven.

And so far in 2025:

— As 6.5-point underdogs at Northwestern, they lost by three.

— As 7.5-point underdogs at Michigan State, they won by 25.

It’s a remarkable development, especially when compared to their peers: Washington and USC are 0-11 (combined) against the spread when playing conference road games in the eastern half of the country. (Oregon is over .500.)

And it’s something to consider when assessing the Bruins’ prospects Saturday in the ‘Big Noon’ showcase game on Fox. They are 25.5-point underdogs in Bloomington, where Indiana beat Illinois by 53 points, and kickoff is set for 9 a.m. Pacific.

But the Bruins covered the spread at Penn State and Rutgers last year and at Michigan State this season when playing in the 9 a.m. window.

Somehow, someway, they are immune to the disruptions caused by long flights and time zone changes, resulting in a perfect record — not on the scoreboard, perhaps, but in the stat that truly matters.

To the picks …

Season record: 40-43-1
Five-star special: 4-4

(All times Pacific)

Cal (+5.5) at Virginia Tech
Kickoff: Friday at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN
Comment: We’ll count this as a loss for the Bears, courtesy of the ACC’s schedule-makers. Cal is making the long trip on a short week after a down-to-the-wire win over North Carolina. Meanwhile, the Hokies have been off since Oct. 11. Absolutely brutal. Pick: Virginia Tech

UCLA (+25.5) at Indiana
Kickoff: 9 a.m. on Fox
Comment: Can the Bruins stay hot under interim coach Tim Skipper? They are catching the Hoosiers at a good time, after an easy win over Michigan State. But UCLA is awful against the run, and Indiana prefers the ground-and-pound approach. We see a matchup with limited possessions that’s close into the third quarter. Pick: UCLA

San Diego State (-3) at Fresno State
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. on FS1
Comment: A duel of Mountain West title contenders, each with two weeks to prepare. Both teams faced Nevada earlier this month: The Aztecs won handily; the Bulldogs won narrowly. We’ll take the stouter defense. Pick: San Diego State

Missouri (+2.5) at Vanderbilt
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. on ESPN
Comment: The Hotline has a Heisman Trophy vote, and if ballots were due today, Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia would be our top choice. They are a juggernaut, and he’s the reason. Pick: Vanderbilt

BYU (+3) at Iowa State
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. on Fox
Comment: We learned all the way back in October 2024 that doubting the Cougars under any circumstances was hazardous. But this assignment, with Iowa State coming off a bye, is beyond difficult. What’s more, BYU isn’t built to take full advantage of the Cyclones’ weakness, an injury-depleted secondary. Pick: Iowa State

Illinois (+4.5) at Washington
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
Comment: The Illini had two weeks to prepare for UW and are undefeated against teams not named Indiana and Ohio State. The Huskies are battered from the failed trip to Michigan. How will quarterback Demond Williams Jr. respond to his three-interception performance in Ann Arbor? Our view: Close throughout with special teams as the difference. Pick: Illinois

Toledo (+1.5) at Washington State
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. on The CW
Comment: WSU’s first home game since Sept. 20 (the Apple Cup) brings a mid-level opponent from the Mid-American Conference that has not won a road game this season. And due to the distance, this is unlike any trip the Rockets have taken in years. If the Cougars don’t beat themselves with mistakes, they should roll. Pick: Washington State

BYU tops Big 12 at midseason as schedule turns difficult

Pac-12 bowl picks: ASU to Alamo, UW to Las Vegas, WSU’s possible outcomes

Big Ten power rankings: Ohio State on top, Indiana No. 2 and Oregon 3rd

Big 12 power rankings: BYU on top, followed by Cincinnati, Arizona State

Pac-12 power rankings: Narrow CFP path for Boise State, others

Stanford +(30.5) at Miami
Kickoff: 4 p.m. on ESPN
Comment: Not since the famous upset of USC in 2007 has Stanford been an underdog of this magnitude. The timing could not be worse, either: The Cardinal beat Florida State late Saturday night and now has a long flight to face a talented opponent furious about its loss last weekend (to Louisville). Pick: Miami

Wisconsin (+33.5) at Oregon
Kickoff: 4 p.m. on FS1
Comment: The Badgers haven’t scored a point in their past two games (vs. Iowa and Ohio State); their coach, Luke Fickell, is on the hottest of seats; and Oregon is adept at smashing inferior opponents. Honestly, this should be the halftime line. Pick: Oregon

Houston (+7) at ASU
Kickoff: 5 p.m. on ESPN2
Comment: A trap game for the Sun Devils after their pulsating comeback against Texas Tech and subsequent field-storming experience. The Cougars aren’t good enough to win, but they should hang around into the fourth quarter, especially considering the Sun Devils will be without injured receiver Jordyn Tyson. Pick: Houston

Colorado (+13.5) at Utah
Kickoff: 7:15 p.m. on ESPN
Comment: Colorado lost its two previous Big 12 road games by double digits and will be out-manned at the line of scrimmage. But the line seems a tad high with Utah quarterback Devon Dampier listed as questionable with a lower-body injury. (His replacement would be freshman Byrd Ficklin.) Pick: Colorado

Straight-up winners: Virginia Tech, Indiana, San Diego State, Vanderbilt, Iowa State, Washington, Washington State, Miami, Oregon, ASU and Utah

Five-star special: Oregon. When favored by 20 points (or more) under Dan Lanning, the Ducks are 13-6 against the spread. That success should continue with Wisconsin limping into Eugene.

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