Three picks, best bets for Saturday’s slate

One of the great things about College football is that it produces all kinds of different personalities. You get Tim Tebows, Johnny Manziels, Baker Mayfields, but you also get Micah Alejados.

Alejado, a 5-foot-10 freshman who weighs 180 pounds in his gear, is the kind of quarterback you envision when you close your eyes and think of the prototypical gunslinger for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

It is also the goods.

The Honolulu-born, Vegas-raised quarterback is a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Award given to the nation’s best freshman, and is the main reason Hawaii is going to a bowl game for the first time since 2020.

But they can do more than just bowl.

Hawaii welcomes Mountain West leader San Diego State to the island on Saturday night in a game that could have massive ramifications on the college football landscape. The Aztecs are a contender for a Group of Five bid to the tournament should they win the conference, but they’ll be sure not to relax too much on this trip to paradise.

Alejado and the Rainbow Warriors are one of the very few teams in the Group of Five that can challenge San Diego State’s impressive passing defense.

Strange things happen on the island. I expect this game to be very tight as Hawaiian offers good value on the spread and moneyline.

Selection: Hawaii +6.5 (Kings Project)

Mississippi (+9.5) over Georgia

Shame on us for facing pesky Mississippi State last Saturday.

The Bulldogs’ 5-4 overall record and 1-4 mark in the SEC may not jump off this page, but it deserves a lot of respect considering Mississippi State went 2-10 in 2024, including 0-for-8 in conference play.

And it’s fair to suggest that the Bulldogs deserved better than they got this season. Three of the four losses Mississippi State suffered were heartbreaking. They lost to Tennessee and Texas in overtime, and fell by two points to Florida in the Swamp.

Betting on college football?

Some tough breaks are all that separates the Bulldogs from an 8-1 (4-1) record.

The Bulldogs have proven themselves to be masters of hitting and scaring better teams, hence their 8-1 record against the spread, and I’d love for them to do just that with Georgia ahead of Kirby Smart’s team.

Purdue (+29.5) over Ohio State

The Buckeyes could play their B team and still make the College Football Playoff, but that’s too many points for a quiet road game on Saturday afternoon.

Purdue isn’t going anywhere, but the Boilermakers have played better than their 2-7 record. If the close losses to Michigan, Rutgers and Minnesota had gone the other way, that number would have been significantly reduced. Don’t forget they also put up 30 points on Notre Dame.

It shouldn’t take many points to get into the window here, as Ohio State will likely take its foot off the pedal after building a big lead. Bordeaux is in a good place to become the first team to cover the gap against the defending champions.

Last week: 1-2. Florida (W), Cal (L), Arkansas (L).

season: 20-10

Why trust the New York Post to bet

Michael LeBoeuf is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-time profitable sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help gamblers win pots, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.