Saturday Night College Football Best Bets: October 24, 2026
Five Saturday night college football best bets for October 24, featuring Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, UTSA and Houston-Utah under.
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Saturday night’s college football card starts with two road underdogs we believe can win outright and ends with a defensive matchup hiding behind a big total. Virginia Tech and Ole Miss get the points, Kentucky and UTSA are the favorites, and Houston-Utah under 57.5 is our late-night total.
These five picks cover games beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern or later on October 24. Our strongest matchup angle is Houston-Utah: both offenses have been productive, but both defenses can take away the easy rushing yards that keep drives moving.
Saturday Night CFB Best Bets: October 24
| Kickoff ET | Game | Our pick |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Virginia Tech at Clemson | Virginia Tech +2.5 |
| 7:30 p.m. | Ole Miss at Texas | Ole Miss +3 |
| 7:30 p.m. | Vanderbilt at Kentucky | Kentucky -10.5 |
| 8 p.m. | UTSA at Tulane | UTSA -3 |
| 10:15 p.m. | Houston at Utah | Under 57.5 |
DraftKings lines observed October 24 at 1:38 a.m. ET. Selections refer to those numbers; markets can move.
Virginia Tech +2.5 at Clemson
The play: take the Hokies’ points in a game their defensive front can influence. Clemson entered the week last in the ACC in passing efficiency at 108.9 and had allowed 17 sacks. Virginia Tech’s Aycen Stevens had six sacks, giving the visitors an obvious way to interrupt possessions before Clemson gets comfortable. Those figures come from Virginia Tech’s matchup preview.
The Friday ACC report lists no quarterback for either team. We are therefore not building this pick around an assumed Clemson backup start. Virginia Tech does have four offensive linemen listed out, including Nathaniel Wright and Lucas Austin, which makes protecting its own quarterback a significant concern.
Clemson’s defense is the strongest argument against this pick. It had held three opponents to 10 points or fewer. Still, the Hokies have a receiving threat in Que’Sean Brown, who produced 182 receiving yards against Georgia Tech. A few explosive gains combined with stalled Clemson drives would be enough to make this competitive.
Main risk: Clemson wins the field-position battle and turns a tight game into a late touchdown margin. A three-point loss would also beat +2.5. We like Virginia Tech’s chance to win, not just its chance to hang around.
Ole Miss +3 at Texas
The play: trust Ole Miss to protect the quarterback and stay within a field goal. The Rebels entered this matchup allowing just 0.83 sacks per game, best in the SEC and 10th nationally. They also ranked sixth nationally in net punting at 44.5 yards. Those are useful strengths for an underdog playing in Austin: fewer drive-killing sacks and better chances to make Texas travel the field. Ole Miss’ Friday preview provides the protection and special-teams figures.
Texas will be without edge rusher Colin Simmons and running back Hollywood Smothers, both listed out in the SEC Friday availability report. Ole Miss offensive lineman Terez Davis is questionable and Brycen Sanders probable. The protection matchup remains attractive, although those offensive-line statuses deserve attention.
Our preferred script has the Rebels avoiding obvious passing situations and making Texas defend complete drives. Protection gives Trinidad Chambliss more opportunities to extend possessions without constantly throwing under pressure.
There is evidence for both confidence and caution in the Rebels’ recent results. They beat Missouri 31-3 and Vanderbilt 52-17, but earlier conceded 52 points at Florida. The official results show why we prefer the spread to declaring the defense invulnerable.
Main risk: Texas creates explosive scores and forces Ole Miss away from a balanced game. At +3, a three-point Rebels loss pushes. Our bet is that their protection and field-position strengths keep the game inside that narrow margin.
Kentucky -10.5 vs. Vanderbilt
The play: Kentucky has the more convincing foundation on both sides of the ball. The Wildcats’ season statistics show 4.9 yards per rush offensively and 3.7 allowed. Kenny Minchey had completed 68.4% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and one interception. That combination supports a favorite that can sustain drives without needing repeated high-risk throws. Kentucky’s official statistics cover the first seven games.
The Friday SEC report lists Vanderbilt quarterback Blaze Berlowitz out. Kentucky receiver Nic Anderson and defender Sam Greene are also out, so neither side is at full strength. Vanderbilt arrives 3-4 and winless in four SEC games, while Kentucky is 6-1. We expect the Wildcats to have more opportunities to play from ahead and use their run game to keep the Commodores defending. A two-score margin is the requirement here, not simply a Kentucky victory.
We are not treating last week’s four interceptions at Oklahoma as a repeatable weekly target. Kentucky won that game 21-13, and its Friday preview notes three consecutive victories after trailing in the fourth quarter. That is a warning against assuming this team automatically separates early.
Main risk: Kentucky wins another close game or allows a late Vanderbilt touchdown after establishing control. The pick rests on its rushing efficiency and Minchey’s ball security producing a cleaner home performance, rather than another rescue act.
UTSA -3 at Tulane
The play: back UTSA to generate more dependable offense. Tulane’s 31-17 win over Memphis came with six takeaways. Those opportunities helped the Green Wave considerably, but we do not want to build a forecast around another six-turnover game. Tulane was averaging 20.5 points and 332 yards per game while allowing 419.7 yards. UTSA’s official preview details those numbers.
The Roadrunners enter 6-1 and 3-0 in conference play after beating Navy 38-34. They have won four straight, although the narrow finishes are important context. Their recent success has required late execution, including A’Marion Peterson’s decisive touchdown reception against Navy.
We favor the offense that has shown it can finish those possessions over relying on Tulane to repeatedly manufacture short fields. A three-point UTSA victory returns the stake on this spread; winning by more is the goal.
Main risk: Tulane forces another turnover-heavy game, or UTSA spends too much of the night trading scores. The Roadrunners’ earlier 16-14 road win at Rice demonstrates how little room there is for a sluggish start. This is a competitive road favorite, not a blowout call.
Houston at Utah Under 57.5
The play: make two strong rushing defenses prove they can be beaten consistently. Houston allows 82.6 rushing yards per game, sixth nationally, and only one opponent had barely exceeded 150. The Cougars also have three players among the national top 30 in passes defended. Their official Utah preview gives this defense a more substantial case than the score of last week’s 35-32 game suggests.
Utah allows 88.7 rushing yards per game and 3.3 per carry. Opponents have completed 49.3% of their passes, and the Utes have conceded 14.83 points per game. Those official season statistics support an under built on difficult early downs and incomplete passes, not an assumption that either offense lacks talent.
The danger is real. Utah averages 40.17 points and 6.8 yards per play, while Conner Weigman just threw for 343 yards and five touchdowns against Oklahoma State. Both teams can punish mistakes. We nevertheless expect the opposing defenses to make sustained touchdown drives harder than the raw offensive production implies.
The Friday Big 12 report lists Utah cornerback JC Hart and defensive tackle Jamal Wallace out, along with Houston defenders Jaden Yates and De’Marion Thomas. Those absences weaken the under case at the margins and deserve acknowledgment.
Main risk: explosive passes, short fields or overtime. Under 57.5 has room for a 31-24 finish but loses at 31-27. Our preference is the total rather than choosing a side in a matchup where both defensive fronts can dictate stretches of play.
How We Are Playing the Night Card
Houston-Utah under 57.5 and Ole Miss +3 are our two favorite angles. Keep the five selections as individual bets rather than requiring every game to land in one parlay. A good read can still lose to a turnover, a late score or an overtime possession. Pick the matchups you want exposure to and keep that exposure consistent across the night.
Market references: DraftKings evening games and DraftKings late games. Bet responsibly.