Bet with Gary.

Halloween at noon in the Dome: No. 19 SMU makes its first road trip since Sept. 19, about 1,320 miles, to face a 3-4 Syracuse team that has made a habit of close games. I'm taking the Orange and the 8.5 points. Syracuse doesn't get blown out by FBS teams. Five of its six FBS games were decided by 8 or fewer, including overtime wins at UNC and UConn. SMU beat Florida State by 3 and lost at Louisville by 10 in its two road games. It also hosts Virginia Tech next Friday, six days from now. A ranked team in that spot usually takes the win and gets home. The matchup points the same way. SMU allowed 219 rushing yards at FSU and 265 at Louisville. Syracuse has become a running team: 207 yards on 48 carries at UNC, with Ahmad Miller going for 133 and 123 in the last two games. Syracuse has won time of possession in all seven games. Long drives mean fewer SMU possessions, and that makes a 9-point win harder to get. Common opponents back it up. SMU beat Virginia by 10 at home, while Syracuse lost there by 3 after leading 17-7 at the half. SMU lost at Louisville by 10, and Syracuse lost to Louisville by 8. Both Syracuse games came with Malachi Nelson at quarterback. Steve Angeli is back now after a clean day at UNC: 20-of-34, 256 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions. Fran Brown says Angeli is "finally back to himself a little bit more." The risks are real. SMU crushed Cal 59-20, while Syracuse lost to Cal at home with 14 penalties and three Angeli interceptions. Angeli has 5 picks in 4 starts. Syracuse has scored 11 touchdowns on 25 red-zone trips against FBS teams, and Shay Barker is 1 of 5 from 40 yards or longer. Syracuse has also been outscored 34-13 in third quarters against FBS opponents. And starting DB Jai Eugene Jr. is out against Kevin Jennings, who hasn't thrown an interception in three games. But SMU has to win by 9 on the road, and it hasn't done that yet this season. Give me Syracuse plus the points.

Noon in Raleigh is 9 AM in Berkeley. A banged-up Cal team flies 2,390 miles to face an NC State program that fired its head coach, GM and defensive coordinator this past week. Todd Goebbel coaches his first game, and Charlton Warren calls the defense for the first time. I'll take the points. NC State is 2-4 against FBS teams, and its biggest FBS win is exactly 10. That was 41-31 over App State, a game NC State led 28-7, let App tie at 31-31 in the fourth, and reached 10 only with a late field goal. The Wolfpack also blew a 17-0 lead in a 35-31 loss at Vanderbilt. Last week they lost 31-28 at Stanford, a team Wake beat 57-3. Cal can attack through the air. NC State has allowed 300-plus passing yards in three of its last four games and has 7 sacks in six FBS games. Safety Tristan Teasdell is out and corner Jamel Johnson is questionable. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, expected to start, went 27-of-37 for 265 yards and no interceptions at SMU. Cal throws a lot, which stops the clock and keeps a backdoor cover open. The records hide the schedules. Cal's FBS opponents are a combined 36-14, and NC State's are 26-19. Against teams closer to NC State's level, Cal beat Syracuse and Virginia Tech and lost by 8 at UNLV. Without Duke Scott, NC State can't run over Cal the way SMU did. Davion Gause ran 15 times for 49 yards at Stanford, behind a line now missing three players who have started this year. The risks are real. Wake beat NC State by 24 and Cal by 34. Cal has allowed 200-plus rushing yards in five of seven FBS games and has no takeaways in three straight. At SMU, Cal led at halftime and then lost the second half 42-0. Cal's questionable list is long: - running backs Ashten Emory and Adam Mohammed - receiver Ian Strong - eight-game line starters Frederick Williams III and Tyson Ruffins - linebackers AJ Tuitele and JD McKinley Watch the final report two hours before kickoff. If most of Cal's starters play, +9.5 is the side.

It's a Halloween noon kickoff in College Park. Maryland debuts interim coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim after a bye, and Illinois likely turns to freshman Michael Clayton II with Katin Houser hurt. The line is short for good reasons, but I'm still laying it with Illinois. The market's worries are fair. Houser is questionable after surgery on his throwing hand, and Bielema said he's "not to the level of what it was." Maryland has 13 days of rest to Illinois's 6 and a new defensive staff with no film to study. And the 21-10 win over Oregon flattered Illinois: Oregon outgained them 440 to 314 and missed three field goals. But Maryland disappears after halftime. In four Big Ten games, the Terps have been outscored 92-13 in second halves, and only 7 of those 13 points came from the offense. They led Rutgers 23-13 at the break and lost. They've converted 9 of 54 third downs in league play and lost time of possession in all four games. That fits how Illinois wins with Clayton: on the ground. Aidan Laughery ran for 123 yards against Oregon, and the Illini piled up 225 rushing. Maryland has allowed 158, 214, 229 and 270 rushing yards to Big Ten opponents. Ohio State tells the story too. Illinois ran for 225 and threw for 263 in Columbus, while Maryland managed 82 and 64. Ball security favors Illinois as well. Malik Washington threw all six of his interceptions against UCLA and Nebraska, and three went back for touchdowns. Clayton hasn't thrown one in 26 attempts. Maryland is also 0-3 at home against FBS teams. The risk is Maryland's passing game. Illinois hasn't had more than two sacks in any game, Tywan Cox is out at corner, and Chris Durr Jr. has gone for 149 and 104 yards in two of his last three. If Washington gets a clean pocket all afternoon, this is a coin flip. Expect Maryland to come out sharp with two weeks to prepare, so don't panic at halftime. A field-goal win cashes this ticket, and I think Illinois pulls away late.