While we don’t have the same number of matchups featuring ranked teams on both sides in Week 6 of the 2025 college football season as we did in Week 5, there are still plenty of pivotal games taking place as the calendar turns to October. The No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide put themselves back in the College Football Playoff picture with a win over Georgia last week and are now looking for some revenge against Diego Pavia and No. 17 Vanderbilt. The No. 3 Miami Hurricanes hope to stay undefeated when they visit the No. 18 Florida State Seminoles, who are trying to recover from a double overtime loss to Virginia a week ago.
Here’s a look at some of the best spread picks for Week 6. I’ve gone 6-9 through three weeks of spread picks, incorrectly backing LSU and Washington a week ago but nailing Oregon +3.5 and Notre Dame -4.5.
Best spread picks for Week 6
No. 14 Iowa State +1.5 vs. Cincinnati
The Bearcats do present a challenge for the Cyclones, but Matt Campbell’s squad seems locked in after a 39-14 rout over Arizona last week at home. Iowa State did make the Big 12 championship game a year ago and brought back a lot of important players, including quarterback Rocco Becht. He’s quietly building a nice Heisman case with 12 total touchdowns through five games. The SportsLine Inside the Lines team model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, likes the Cyclones on the spread and money line in this one. Iowa State covers in 73% of simulations and wins in 71%.
Maryland +6.5 vs. Washington
The Terps are 4-0 and come into this game after a week off. The Huskies dug in early last week at home against No. 1 Ohio State but simply couldn’t find enough offense in a 24-6 loss. Washington’s long home winning streak was snapped, and now it has to go on the road against an opponent that has had more time to rest and prepare. Malik Washington has been creating explosive plays for Maryland’s offense, and Washington has some injury concerns in the secondary. I like the Terps as home underdogs to keep this close. The SportsLine model has Maryland covering in 53% of simulations.
No. 17 Vanderbilt +10.5 vs. No. 10 Alabama
Pavia is one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in college football, something Alabama found out firsthandlast season. The Commodores’ passer has 15 total touchdowns this season and now has the chance to pull off another stunning upset. Alabama comes into this game with a lot of confidence after defeating Georgia, but there’s a possibility for a letdown. I don’t think the Crimson Tide will lose this game, but I do see Vanderbilt keeping things relatively tight. The SportsLine model has Alabama in this matchup, as it sees the home team covering in 58% of simulations.
No. 3 Miami -4.5 vs. No. 18 Florida State
This could’ve been one of the biggest games of the season had Florida State escaped Charlottesville a week ago with a win. The Seminoles were clearly looking past Virginia and now need this game to stay alive in the College Football Playoff picture. The Hurricanes haven’t always been at their best, but they’ve gotten up for the big-time opponents over the last few seasons under Mario Cristobal. Carson Beck has been shaky at times, and Florida State’s defense will get opportunities to turn him over. On the flip side, Miami’s defense had an extra week to prepare for Tommy Castellanos and I’ll back the Hurricanes as road favorites to get the job done. Miami covers in 52% of SportsLine model simulations.
Minnesota +23.5 vs. No. 1 Ohio State
If this game was in Minneapolis, I’d feel better about taking the Golden Gophers. They’ve struggled on the road this season, and going to Columbus is no joke. That being said, Minnesota has some talented running backs in Fame Ijeboi and Darius Taylor to potentially control the clock. Ohio State is coming off a major win over Washington and has an important game looming against Illinois. The Buckeyes will be focused enough to get a win, but covering a spread this large? Give me the Gophers here. The SportsLine model is rolling with Minnesota, which covers the spread in 63% of simulations.
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