College football odds, lines, schedule for Week 5: Alabama, Clemson open as big favorites in key matchups

The opening betting lines for Week 5 of the college football season have been released

By Shehan Jeyarajah

Sep 25, 2022 at 4:14 pm ET • 3 min read

USATSI

The start of conference play throughout college football has delivered with nearly every national title contender facing real adversity. Now, there are five ranked matchups that will take center stage as the season heads into Week 5. No. 20 Arkansas gets a quick opportunity to rebound against No. 1 Alabama after losing on a bizarre field goal miss against Texas A&M. Meanwhile, No. 16 Baylor and No. 9 Oklahoma State battle for control of the Big 12 title race after both entering as prohibitive favorites.

In the ACC, quarterback battles should make for an exciting weekend. No. 10 NC State's Devin Leary and No. 5 Clemson's DJ Uiagalelei vie against the best defenses each has faced so far. No. 12 Utah also faces a large line against an Oregon State squad that took USC to the wire in Week 4.

Here are a few of the biggest spreads to watch in Week 5 with odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

No. 10 NC State (+7) at No. 5 Clemson: The Tigers narrowly survived a battle with Wake Forest, and now get a physical Wolfpack team coming to Death Valley. NC State has slowly gotten better since nearly suffering a loss to East Carolina in its opener, but Clemson is its first real test. The battle features perhaps the two best defenses in the ACC, so keep an eye out for the under.

No. 9 Oklahoma State (+1.5) at No. 16 Baylor: The Cowboys travel to Waco for a rematch of last year's Big 12 Championship Game. Oklahoma State is 3-0 but has not played a team ranked higher than 86 in the CBS Sports 131 Rankings. Baylor lost a double-overtime thriller against BYU but beat Iowa State last weekend. Whichever team emerges victorious will have an inside track back to the Big 12 title game in 2022. Something to watch: OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders threw seven of his 12 interceptions against Dave Aranda's defense last season.

No. 2 Alabama (-16.5) at No. 20 Arkansas: The Razorbacks lost a heartbreaker on a missed field goal against Texas A&M last week and fell 10 spots in the rankings as a result. With Alabama coming to town, Arkansas has a chance to shock the world and pull off a signature victory. Arkansas played Alabama within seven points last season, and the Tide only beat Texas by one point in Week 2. The ingredients for an upset are there.

No. 7 Kentucky (+4) at No. 14 Ole Miss: The Rebels finally get their first test of the season as Kentucky heads to Oxford with its highest ranking since 1977. The Wildcats beat Florida by 10 points but struggled in a lookahead spot against Northern Illinois. Ole Miss also played inconsistently against Tulsa in a 35-27 victory, but the win moved them to 4-0. NFL-caliber quarterbacks Will Levis and Jaxson Dart will be on full display in this game.

No. 22 Wake Forest (+4) at No. 23 Florida State: The Demon Deacons were painfully close to snapping a 13-game losing streak to Clemson but ultimately fell in overtime. Florida State is undefeated, but its best win is over a shaky LSU team. Ultimately, the Sam Hartman vs. Jordan Travis showdown should set up one of the best games of the weekend. Home-field advantage could be the difference.