College Football Week 13 Odds, Picks & Predictions (Friday)
Gear up for another awesome weekend of college football action with BettingPros! We’ll have you covered with all of our top picks for the week along with our projected spreads and totals to help guide your college football bets. Below are our top picks and predictions for Friday’s games.
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Top College Football Odds & Picks: Friday
TCU vs. Oklahoma
Barring some crazy last week shenanigans, this will be Oklahoma’s last game in the Big 12 Conference. They’ll be ushered out by a TCU team that is playing for bowl eligibility. The Horned Frogs will go up against an Oklahoma defense that is much improved from last years’ unit, but has struggled down the stretch. The Sooners have allowed 408.2 yards per game over their last five contests including 390 last week against a BYU offense that was only averaging 300 per game prior to that result. TCU is by no means an elite offense, but they are more than capable of moving the ball against a turnstile defense. TCU should have some extra motivation against a program that looked to leave the Big 12 in the dust. Luckily for college football fans everywhere, the Big 12 will be fine going forward, but that extra motivation and the chance at a bowl game will be enough for the Horned Frogs to keep this close enough for a cover.
Pick: TCU +10.5 (-110)
-Ryan Rodeman
Iowa vs. Nebraska
Iowa and Nebraska face off on Black Friday in a game that features the lowest point total in the history of college football at 26 points, and for good reason. The Hawkeyes have the worst offense in the Big 10 and, frankly, one of the worst offenses in the entire country, barely eclipsing the 300 yards per game mark and averaging just 18.5 PPG - a far cry from the goal of 25 PPG that was implemented in Brian Ferentz's contract this season. Lucky for them, the Huskers are just as incompetent offensively with the 2nd-worst passing offense in the conference and an offense that barely outscores Iowa's at 18.7 PPG. Defensively though, both teams are very stout, trailing the likes of only Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan in nearly all defensive categories. Overall, the Hawkeyes are surrendering fewer than 13 PPG and the Cornhuskers have actually given up exactly the same amount of points that they have scored at 18.7 PPG. Iowa's last 5 games have included totals below 35 (one of which was a sub-30 total against Rutgers) with each game going under, bringing their season-long mark to 8-2 to the under. I'm planning on those trends to continue in this game, as sportsbooks simply can't make the total low enough in Iowa games. Give me the under in this game with a hilariously low total.
Pick: Under 26 (-110)
-Austin MacMillan
Miami vs. Boston College
The Miami Hurricanes have underachieved a great deal this year. The team earned 30.91 points per game and held teams to 22.27 points. Yet, they're 6-5 and in danger of falling to .500 on the road against Boston College. Poor decision-making in different situations has cost them. They've now lost three straight games to North Carolina State, Florida State, and Louisville, but the Hurricanes were in all of these games in the fourth quarter. Now they'll take on a Boston College team with a weak pass rush and no passing game. Miami's held teams to 92.91 yards on the ground, while the Eagles have given up 189.18 yards per game on the ground. Miami should have way more success rushing the football. Therefore, I'll back the Hurricanes at -10.5.
Pick: Miami -10.5 (-110)
-Ryan Rodeman
Memphis vs. Temple
The Tigers saw their four-game winning streak come to an end last week against the SMU Mustangs. In that game, there were a total of 72 points, as the Tigers were part of a game that saw it’s total go over 65 for the fifth consecutive week. While that could be good news for the 65.5 total posted for this week’s game, that’s asking a lot of the Temple offense. The Owls have scored 24 or fewer points in four of their last five games, and they were shut out 55-0 by SMU at the end of October. Rather than relying on the Owls to do anything, we will back the Tigers’ first-half point total. Though the Tigers have struggled in their last two games to score first-half points, they have had a lot of success in the first half of games over the course of the season. Meanwhile, the Owls have struggled to keep their opponents off the scoreboard in the first 30 minutes. In what should be a high-scoring game, look for the Tigers to score at least three touchdowns in the first half.
Pick: Memphis First Half Over 19.5 Points (-115)
-Phil Wood
UTSA vs. Tulane
Frank Harris and the Roadrunners have rattled off seven consecutive wins to get to 8-3 on the season. Four of their wins during that span have been by at least 20 points, as the average margin of victory for the Roadrunners is 18.9 points during their winning streak. This week, they’re 3.5-point underdogs against Tulane, a team that has won nine games in a row. However, the Green Wave have struggled in recent weeks, winning four of their last five games by seven or fewer points. The Roadrunners’ offense is clicking right now, and they’re currently 26th in the NCAA, averaging 429.1 yards per game. The Green Wave has a top-20 defense in terms of both yards and points allowed per game. But the Green Wave is struggling to put teams away because their offense is having difficulties against even the worst defenses in their conference. With an offense among the nation’s best, the Roadrunners will cover. They may even pull the upset.
Pick: UTSA +3.5 (-110)
-Phil Wood
Missouri vs. Arkansas
There's always a bit of anxiety involved with laying a touchdown with a road favorite in a rivalry game. But this annual grudge match could have the makings of a blowout. At 9-2 Missouri has a New Year's Six bowl squarely in its sights after outlasting Florida at home in a tough spot. The Tigers also match up incredibly well with an embattled Razorbacks bunch that won't be bowl-eligible. Missouri's aerial attack should have no issues carving up an Arkansas secondary that ranks 101st in passing yards allowed per attempt. And while Mizzou's defense is nothing to write home about, Arkansas doesn't have the firepower to exploit the Tigers stop unit. The Razorbacks rank 75th in passing and inexplicably 106th in rushing this season. These two programs are headed in opposite directions, with Missouri looking to end the season on a bang, while Arkansas might just be playing out the string and perhaps moving on from coach Sam Pittman. We'll back the Tigers to roll on Black Friday.
Pick: Missouri -7 (-110)
-Matt Barbato
Air Force vs. Boise State
The wheels have completely fallen off for the Falcons. After starting the season 8-0 and appearing in the College Football Playoff ranking, they’ve lost three consecutive games despite being favored by at least 17.5 in two of them. This week they face the Broncos, a team that has scored at least 30 points in nine consecutive games. The Broncos are favored by 6.5 points in this game, and while they should cover that spread, it’s tricky betting against the Falcons because of the offense they run. They have the ability to run a lot of clock and keep other teams from pulling too far ahead. That being said, the Broncos’ offense has been phenomenal this season. They’re averaging 31.5 points per game, and based on how the Falcons’ defense has played in recent weeks, there’s no reason to think they won’t top that this week. However, just because the Broncos score doesn’t mean they’re going to win by a large margin. Look for the Falcons to use their rushing attack to keep this closer than many expect, as they score enough to push this total over.
Pick: Over 46.5 (-110)
-Phil Wood
Texas Tech vs. Texas
The Longhorns have gutted out their last three wins, covering the spread just once. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders have won three games in a row, which includes a 16-13 road victory over the Kansas Jayhawks. The Longhorns are favored by 12.5, which feels like a lot of points considering only one of their last five wins have come by more than 10 points. However, they won’t be looking ahead to the Big 12 title game, because despite their 10-1 record, they still haven’t secured a berth in the championship game. Yet, even with plenty of motivation, we aren’t sure how this game will unfold against the spread. Therefore, we’re going to play the under. The Longhorns have scored fewer than 30 points in back-to-back games after scoring 30 or more in their first nine games of the year. The Red Raiders are averaging 27.4 points per game, but they’ve scored more than 24 in just one of their last five contests. The Longhorns are allowing just 18.2 points per game, and with how their offense has played of late, we don’t see either team getting into the 30s in this game.
Pick: Under 54.5 (-110)
-Phil Wood
Penn State vs. Michigan State
At the moment, the Spartans don’t have a team total listed. To take them to score under 1.5 touchdowns, you have to pay a price of -240. While that is way too expensive to back, we would recommend backing the Spartans under 10.5 points if a sportsbook offers it before kickoff. With the lines listed right now, we will back the under in this game. The Nittany Lions are allowing just 13.0 points per game, and the Spartans are averaging just 14.6 per contest. Against Big 10 opponents, the Spartans are averaging just 13.5. The Nittany Lions’ offense has struggled of late. In their last five games, they’ve scored more than 30 points just twice. While they should put up plenty on the Spartans in this game, it’s hard to imagine them scoring five touchdowns in this game. Considering their defense can easily shutout the Spartans, there is no reason to think more than 40 points will be scored even if this game is being played indoors at Ford Field.
Pick: Under 43 (-110)
-Phil Wood
Oregon State vs. Oregon
As someone who got burnt by the Beavers last weekend against Washington, it pains me to say I'm going back to the well. While Oregon State let us down, it outgained the Huskies by more than 40 yards and held Michael Penix Jr., to just 5.8 yards per pass attempt. The difference wound up being three costly turnovers. That all being said, this is too many points in what could be the last game between these two in-state rivals for a long time now that Oregon is leaving for the Big Ten. These rivals also matchup extremely well. Oregon is 2nd in rushing, and Oregon State is 11th. Oregon State is 23rd in run defense, and Oregon is 25th. Oregon's passing game averages 9.9 yards per attempt, the Beavers aren't far behind at 8.6 yards per pass. The biggest advantage the Ducks have is in pass defense, but even that isn't all that significant. While the Oregon State letdown factor is real, I have to trust that they'll show up here, especially when considering Oregon State can potentially spoil Oregon's PAC-12 title and College Football Playoff hopes with an upset. Ultimately, I think Oregon wins the game, but it'll be closely contested the entire way.
Pick: Oregon State +13.5 (-110)
-Matt Barbato
Best Ways to Bet College Football for Beginners
Game Total
Bettors new to the hobby can be confused by spreads, but game totals are simple. Every football game has a total posted for the combined final score between the two teams. Bettors have the option to choose the OVER or UNDER, generally at -110 odds (risk: $110; win: $100). So if the total is 42 and you take the OVER, you need 43 points to win the bet. If you put a bet down on the over to win $100 and it goes over, you get back the money you initially risked, plus $100. If it stayed under, you would have lost your $110 and that's it. If by chance the game ended with 42 total points, it's called a push; when a game pushes, you get the money you risked back but nothing more.
ie: California vs. Illinois, Over 42 or Under 42
tip: Over bets can be a really fun social event with your buddies. Have everyone throw in a few bucks, then take the over together. Instead of getting pumped when one side scores, everyone is pumped for ANY score, all game.
Moneyline
The moneyline is the easiest way to test your college football knowledge: who will win the game? That's it. The moneyline doesn't use favorites or underdogs, it's totally straight up. That said, the risk-reward can be challenging because they're weighted. Instead of every game being around -110, like game totals and spreads, moneylines vary depending on the matchup.
For our example, California was favored by seven points over Illinois, meaning oddsmakers think the Golden Bears are a touchdown better than the Fighting Illini. If you took Cal on the moneyline, points don't matter, they just need to win the game. But because it's safer to take them straight-up without points, you'll have to risk more when you make the bet - remember, they're seven points better than Illinois in the eyes of the oddsmakers. In this case, Cal is -280 on the moneyline, so if you want to win $100, you have to risk $280. On the flip side, moneyline bets can be valuable when taking the underdog because it's a riskier bet - they're seven points worse than their opponent. In this case, Illinois is the underdog - +220 on the moneyline. You'd win $220 on a $100 bet if you picked Illinois on the moneyline and they pulled off the upset.
ie: California (ML -280) vs. Illinois (ML +220)
tip: Check their history against one another. Keep an eye on the injury report and the weather.
Player Props
Player props are some of the most exhilarating bets you can place during a college football game, but they're also easy to understand. For major conferences, you'll have a wide array of options to choose from. Quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, and sometimes tight ends will have props to choose from. It's simple, fun and easy to follow, and odds on player props don't vary as much as moneylines. Generally, prop bets are in the -110 range like generic spread and total bets.
ie: How many passing yards will Brandon Peters have against California? Over 250 or Under 250
tip: Check how players have performed in the situation they're going to be in. Use split stats on any reliable site to see their numbers at home, on a neutral-site, in December, etc.
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