2026 College Football Week 5 Betting Guide: Odds, Trends, and Promos

We're already a third of the way through the college football regular season, and things continue to pick up steam with a loaded Week 5 college football schedule where you can earn nearly $3,000 in sign-up bonuses by using the top  sportsbook promos  on the best  betting apps . There are a couple of FBS games on Thursday, a trio on Friday, and then more than 50 matchups on Saturday, including No. 16 Mississippi State hosting No. 7 Alabama. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, and our Week 5 college football betting guide breaks down that matchup and several others, while also taking a detailed look at the betting trends and giving you instructions on how to boost your bankroll for  college football betting .  Claim the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $150 in bonus bets after making a $5 wager :

The latest Week 5 college football odds list the Crimson Tide as 5.5-point favorites on the road, and the over/under is 59.5. Meanwhile, No. 14 Iowa vs. No. 5 Ohio State is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff, and the Buckeyes are favored by 13.5 with the over/under at 45.5 points. You can bet either of those Week 5 college football lines and dozens of others, all while using these college football promos to rack up sign-up bonuses and other perks as a new user.  Claim $200 in bonus bets with a $10 bet by signing up for bet365 Sportsbook with the promo code CBSBET365 :

If you're wondering how to bet on college football, or where to bet on college football Week 5, our 2026 CFB Week 5 betting guide highlights some of the best college football promo codes, including the FanDuel promo code , DraftKings promo code and bet365 bonus code .

You can use these sign-up offers to load your account with bonus bets and other new user perks. We'll also offer an intro to college football wagering that gives you everything you need to know before you begin college football betting.  Bet on college football with the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS for up to $1,500 in bonus bets:

How to bet on Week 5 college football

The Week 5 college football schedule features more conference action around the country, but a non-conference contest will likely be one of the most popular options on the college football betting slate. Notre Dame, one of the most recognizable football programs in the world, takes on Bill Belichick's North Carolina squad at noon ET, which will likely bring a heavy amount of betting interest on the winner, spread, total, props, and more. It's a top contest for taking advantage of the many  sportsbook promos  from the nation's largest sportsbooks for new and existing users.

Online sports betting is now legal in more than 30 states, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, and with their growing prevalence, many of the top sports betting sites, such as DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics Sportsbook, BetMGM, bet365, Hard Rock Bet and Caesars, continue to offer strong promotions for football season. With Week 5 of the college football season here, all of these top sports betting apps are offering ways to help boost your bankroll heading into October.

Bet on every college football game by   claiming the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $150 in bonus bets after your first $5 wager :

2026 Week 5 college football odds, schedule

Thursday, Oct. 1

Western Kentucky at New Mexico State (-2.5, 57.5), 8 p.m. ET

North Texas at Tulsa (-1.5, 57.5), 9 p.m. ET

Friday, Oct. 2

Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech (-3, 54.5), 7 p.m. ET

Liberty at Delaware (+7, 50.5), 7 p.m. ET

Penn State at Northwestern (+2.5, 45.5), 8 p.m. ET

Saturday, Oct. 3

Navy at Air Force (-3.5, 46.5), 12 p.m. ET

No. 3 Notre Dame at North Carolina (+21, 47.5), 12 p.m. ET

Syracuse at UConn (+6.5, 50.5), 12 p.m. ET

No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State (+6, 60.5), 12 p.m. ET

UCF at No. 20 Houston (-12.5, 51.5), 12 p.m. ET

West Virginia at Iowa State (-3, 52.5), 12 p.m. ET

Middle Tennessee at Kansas (-18.5, 50.5), 12 p.m. ET

Boston College at No. 21 SMU (-21, 55.5), 12 p.m. ET

Stanford at Wake Forest (-13.5, 53.5), 12 p.m. ET

Michigan at Minnesota (+5.5, 43.5), 12 p.m. ET

Michigan State at Wisconsin (-10.5, 43.5), 12:30 p.m. ET

Vanderbilt at No. 2 Georgia (-24.5, 50.5), 12:45 p.m. ET

Western Michigan at Buffalo (+13.5, 46.5), 1 p.m. ET

Toledo at Ball State (+19.5, 51.5), 2 p.m. ET

California at UNLV (-2.5, 53.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Samford at UAB (-30.5, 51.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee (-7, 54.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri (+5.5, 56.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Louisville at NC State (+5.5, 58.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Virginia at Florida State (+2.5, 51.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa (+14, 45.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Memphis at Charlotte (+20.5, 54.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Wyoming at North Dakota State (-18.5, 45.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Old Dominion at Georgia State (-1.5, 50.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Akron at Central Michigan (-6.5, 46.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Bowling Green at Miami (Ohio) (-13.5, 42.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Eastern Michigan at UMass (-6, 48.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Ohio at Kent State (+3, 50.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Marshall at James Madison (-18.5, 55.5), 3:45 p.m. ET

Maryland at Nebraska (-14.5, 52.5), 4 p.m. ET

UTEP at New Mexico (-22.5, 48.5), 4 p.m. ET

No. 24 Kentucky at South Carolina (-2.5, 53.5), 4:15 p.m. ET

Purdue at Illinois (-10, 61.5), 4:15 p.m. ET

Texas Southern at Florida Atlantic (-44.5, 61.6), 6 p.m. ET

Oregon State at Colorado State (+6, 60.5), 6 p.m. ET

Arkansas at Texas A&M (-14, 51.5), 7 p.m. ET

No. 10 BYU at TCU (+6.5, 48.5), 7 p.m. ET

UTSA at Rice (+11.5, 54.5), 7 p.m. ET

Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina (+2.5, 54.5), 7 p.m. ET

ULM at South Alabama (-14, 56.5), 7 p.m. ET

Army at Louisiana Tech (+2.5, 46.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

No. 12 Texas Tech at Colorado (+13.5, 50.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

No. 4 Miami at Clemson (+16.5, 48.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Washington at No. 18 USC (-9.5, 57.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Utah State at No. 22 Boise State (-19.5, 51.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Temple at USF (-6, 49.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

McNeese at No. 11 LSU (-48.5, 61.5), 7:45 p.m. ET

No. 6 Indiana at Rutgers (+24.5, 56.5), 8 p.m. ET

Arkansas State at Louisiana (-6.5, 46.5), 8 p.m. ET

Fresno State at Washington State (-2.5, 46.5), 9:30 p.m. ET

Baylor at Arizona State (-4, 49.5), 10:30 p.m. ET

Texas State at San Diego State (+4.5, 59.5), 10:30 p.m. ET

Cincinnati at Arizona (-7, 55.5), 11 p.m. ET

San Jose State at Hawaii (-3, 51.5), 11:59 p.m. ET

Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh preview

Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh kickoff time 7 p.m. ET (on Friday) Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh spread Virginia Tech -2.5 Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh over/under 53.5 Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh money line Virginia Tech -162, Pittsburgh +136

Night games at Lane Stadium have always been a sight to behold and new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin will hope to use the hostile crowd to his advantage on Friday night against Pitt. The Hokies are off to a 4-0 start coming off of back-to-back road wins over Maryland and Boston College. Meanwhile, the Panthers are also unbeaten on the season (4-0), but are making their first trip away from Acrisure Stadium in 2026. This is their first head-to-head matchup since 2023 and Virginia Tech owns a 12-11 lead in the all-time series.  Claim $200 in bonus bets with a $10 bet by signing up for bet365 Sportsbook :

Northwestern vs. Penn State preview

Northwestern vs. Penn State kickoff time 8 p.m. ET (on Friday) Northwestern vs. Penn State spread Penn State -2.5 Northwestern vs. Penn State over/under 45.5 Northwestern vs. Penn State money line Northwestern +118, Penn State -140

Both teams are coming off narrow losses last week, but the defeats painted dramatically different pictures. The Nittany Lions lost 24-20 at home to unranked Wisconsin as a 9.5-point favorite, while the Wildcats lost 29-26 on the road against as 21-point underdogs against then No. 5 Indiana. Now Northwestern gets to head back home, where it's won its first two games at the new Ryan Field over San Diego State (34-18) and Colorado (41-7). The Wildcats also won 22-21 in State College last year, but the Nittany Lions own a 16-6 edge in the all-time series.  Bet on college football with the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS for up to $1,500 in bonus bets:

North Carolina vs. No. 3 Notre Dame preview

North Carolina vs. No. 3 Notre Dame kickoff time Noon ET North Carolina vs. No. 3 Notre Dame spread Notre Dame -21 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Notre Dame over/under 47.5 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Notre Dame money line North Carolina +1050, Notre Dame -2000

The Fighting Irish have blown the doors off Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State and Purdue to open the season. Now they'll go on the road to take on the Tar Heels, who are 2-1 in Bill Belichick's second season after a 28-20 loss to Clemson last week. Notre Dame is 3-1 against the spread this year and North Carolina is 1-2 against the number. The Irish are 22-2 against the Tar Heels all time and North Carolina had to vacate one of those wins (29-24 in 2008).  Sign up at Hard Rock Bet and get $100 in bonus bets :

No. 16 Mississippi State vs. No. 7 Alabama preview

No. 16 Mississippi State vs. No. 7 Alabama kickoff time Noon ET No. 16 Mississippi State vs. No. 7 Alabama spread Alabama -5.5 No. 16 Mississippi State vs. No. 7 Alabama over/under 59.5 No. 16 Mississippi State vs. No. 7 Alabama money line Mississippi State +184, Alabama -224

This is the biggest game in Starkville since at least the Mike Leach era and some might say its the biggest since Dak Prescott and Dan Mullen led the program to No. 1 in the country back in 2014. However, it's a crucial game for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama too after back-to-back four-loss seasons to start his tenure. Kamario Taylor and Keelon Russell are both electrifying playmakers who can make things happen with their arms and their legs. Alabama has the talent advantage, but the energy level should be unbelievably high at Davis Wade Stadium.  Bet on college football by claiming the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $150 in bonus bets after your first $5 wager :

Minnesota vs. Michigan preview

Minnesota vs. Michigan kickoff time Noon ET Minnesota vs. Michigan spread Michigan -5.5 Minnesota vs. Michigan over/under 43.5 Minnesota vs. Michigan money line Minnesota +181, Michigan -221

Michigan's rollercoaster season took another wild turn on Saturday, when they suffered a 20-19 loss to Iowa at home on the final play of the game after statistically dominating. Now the Wolverines are 3-1 heading into a matchup with the Golden Gophers, who are also off to a 3-1 start. Minnesota upset Washington as 11.5-point home underdogs a week ago. Michigan has won five in a row in the series, but Minnesota did almost pick the Wolverines off in Ann Arbor two years ago.  Use the FanDuel promo code to get $250 in bonus bets for college football games:

Navy vs. Air Force preview

Navy vs. Air Force kickoff Noon ET Navy vs. Air Force spread Air Force -3.5 Navy vs. Air Force over/under 46.5 Navy vs. Air Force money line Air Force -170, Navy +140

Navy and Air Force meet for the 59th time, and Air Force leads the all-time series, 34-24. Navy has won the last two meetings over the previous two seasons, though. Navy defeated Air Force, 34-31, last year. Air Force returns 11 starters from last year's team, including eight on defense and starting quarterback Liam Szarka. In last year's meeting, Szarka threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 152 yards and two scores. Air Force is off to a 2-1 start, while Navy is 1-2. It's a slower start for Navy, but head coach Brian Newberry has led the program to double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons.  Use the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code here to get $350 in FanCash:

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Iowa preview

Ohio State vs. Iowa kickoff 3:30 p.m. ET Ohio State vs. Iowa spread Ohio State -14 Ohio State vs. Iowa over/under 45.5 Ohio State vs. Iowa money l

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/how-to-bet-on-2026-week-5-college-football-betting-guide-odds-trends-promos-apps-schedule-previews/)._