Friday CFB Best Bets: NCAA Football Expert Picks & Predictions (10/16)
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Fri Oct 16, 2026, 10:43 am ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
ncaaf
Spread
Total
Moneyline
-6.5
-115
56
-110o
-250
Spread
Total
Moneyline
+7.0
-120
55
-110u
+219
The weekend is officially here! Well almost. We've got one more day of work before a couple days full of football on our screens. Obviously we are all psyched for College Football Saturday Week 7, but there are still three games on Friday night that are worth looking at. Take a peek at our NCAA Football expert picks for tonight's contests, and see if you will tail or fade their picks on this Friday.
Check out the best odds on the market and tons of picks for the NCAA Football Season.
NCAA Football Expert Picks: Friday's Best Bets – October 16
Tonight we have a matchup in the American Conference, the Sun Belt, and even a Big Ten battle. However, I'll only put out one pick today, in order to make sure we don't blow our entire bankroll before Saturday. Stay disciplined, and let's hope we can earn an extra unit tonight on the gridiron.
Memphis Tigers vs. Tulane Green Wave NCAA Football Expert Picks
Marcus Stokes has thrown for over 1,500 yards in just six games this season. Will he keep it up against Tulane?
Best Bets: Marcus Stokes Over 224.5 Passing Yards (-114) BetOnline
Tonight we are backing the Memphis Tigers' quarterback to sling the pill on the road against the Green Wave. Stokes was a stud at the D-II level last year, but since moving up to D-I he has excelled. Stokes has cleared this line in just three of his six games, but he also ended with 223 on just 15 completions in Week 0 against UNLV.
The spread suggests that the Tigers control this game, but on the road, Tulane could give them trouble. I like there to be points from both sides in this contest, which should result in Stokes airing it out plenty. This team is actually bottom 12 in pass play percentage, but lead the nation in yards per pass. They might not throw very often, but when they do, they are very efficient. And tonight they face a struggling secondary.
Last week, Tulane's secondary wasn't tested against Army, a team that runs the ball every single play. The Green Wave do not have an interception this season, they are bottom 40 in sack percentage, and the secondary is in the bottom half of the nation in completion rate allowed and yards per pass allowed. I am hoping Tulane can at least keep it competitive enough for Memphis to throw the ball, but regardless, Stokes can clear this line on a low number of completions.
Washington Huskies vs. Purdue Boilermakers NCAA Football Expert Picks
Will Demond Williams suit up tonight against Purdue on the road?
Heavy Lean: Washington +3.5 (-110) BetOnline
If you told me at any point in my life, that the Purdue Boilermakers would be 3.5 point favorites over Washington at home, I would've immediately asked you how good the Huskies' basketball team is. Never would I have imagined that they would be the underdog in a football game against this team from West Lafayette.
Everything in me wants to take the Huskies here, even outright, but with quarterback Demond Williams' status being up in the air, I'll have to hold off. Washington has now lost three in a row, but were competitive in two of those games (with their starting QB). It sounds like it will be the backup again tonight, making me hold off of the Huskies on the road.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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