College Football Week 13 betting preview

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It’s possible that the Pac-12 Championship Game matchup could be finalized this Saturday. No. 6 Oregon (rankings from new AP Top 25) already has clinched the North Division in a runaway and will play in the conference title game for the third time overall and first since 2014. The Ducks look to avoid a potential trap game at Arizona State in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Sun Devils, who are 15-point dogs, are on a four-game losing streak overall both straight up and ATS.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

college-football-week-13-betting-preview-nov-minMeanwhile, No. 7 Utah could clinch the South Division, in which the Utes are defending champions, with a victory at Arizona in a 10 p.m. ET game. They need a win and a Southern Cal home loss to UCLA in the regular-season finale for the Trojans. Utah is -22.5 against Arizona, which is on a five-game losing streak. For the Pac-12 to get a team in the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2016 season, it can’t afford either Oregon or Utah – both with one defeat – to lose again before they meet in the conference title game.

As for USC, might Saturday be the final game for embattled coach Clay Helton? If the school is going to fire him, and many think he’s a goner, it likely would do so before any lower-tier bowl game. Urban Meyer and Penn State’s James Franklin have been mentioned as top candidates for one of the top jobs in the country. The Trojans are -14 against the Bruins for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. USC has won nine of the past 10 at home in the series.

Very important game from the American Athletic Conference’s West Division as SMU visits Navy at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Mustangs come out of their bye week, while the Midshipmen lost out of conference at Notre Dame in Week 12. SMU, Navy and Memphis are all battling for the West title with each at 5-1 in conference – the Tigers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over both the Mustangs and Middies. Navy is -3.5 against SMU, and the Midshipmen have won the past four at home in the series by an average margin of nearly 20 points.

There will be no unbeaten team in the Big 12 this regular season after Baylor lost at home to Oklahoma last Saturday, putting the conference in major jeopardy of missing the College Football Playoff. It’s now all on the Sooners. Baylor can still reach the conference title game for the first time in school history if it wins out. The No. 13 Bears are -5.5 for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff against Texas, which has covered seven of the past 10 on the road in this series.