What college football games appear to be the best bets and the best picks going into Week 12? The 10 best predictions against the spread are the biggest games in the biggest week so far.
Week 12 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
CFN Week 12 Experts Picks: College
CFN Week 11 Experts Picks: NFL
Week 12 Schedule, Game Times, Game Previews
Game Previews ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
College Football Playoff Rankings Reaction
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Results So Far ATS: 69-53-1
No goofing around
No gimmicks – the Kansas train finally came to a crashing halt, and in spectacular fashion. However, that was an overall plus to save my bacon after an offseason lobbying effort to get everyone to go over on the KU season win total of 1 or 1.5.
No obscure Group of Five on Group of Five action – because, to be honest, I couldn’t find anything.
No, it’s time to gear up and get in shape for what’s coming with the monster Thanksgiving Week around the corner – I’ll do this Wednesday before the Thursday and Friday games and then another version Friday night – leading into the conference championships leading into the bowl games.
But first, a bonus pick because I can’t resist, and because I’m not messing with a streak after falling into last week’s calls of Utah State outright over San Jose State (48-17 Aggies) and Nevada covering the 3 against San Diego State (SDSU 23-21).
It’s arguably the biggest game of the weekend, and I’m not going with it because I’m compromised.
For nine months I picked Utah to beat Oregon outright, and now 1) I hate Utah giving away points, 2) the pick fits my narrative, and that’s not a good thing – forgive the nauseating pretentiousness; I just chugged a latte at 2 am – and 3) I was yelled at by Oregon people that it’s not going to be as obvious as Oregon loses to Utah, Oregon beats Oregon State, Oregon beats Utah for Pac-12 Championship and goes on to beat random-good Big Ten team in the Rose Bowl.
Whatever. Of course that’s what’s going to happen. Utah -3. (BTW, biggest badass game preview photo ever for that.)
10 biggest college football games, 10 biggest college football picks. Here we go, starting with …
Click on each game for the preview
10. Virginia at Pitt
LINE Pitt -14.5
ATS PICK Virginia
Forgive me for doing this for a second week in a row.
Last week I loved the over in Virginia-Notre Dame, but that was based on Cavalier QB Brennan Armstrong playing. As it turned out, he couldn’t go with his injured rib and the team was a disaster in the 28-3 Irish win that didn’t come within ten miles of the total.
I might change this on the fly if news comes out about Armstrong one way or another, but at the moment the line is based on him not playing.
If he plays – and I’m guessing he tries everything to get out there with the Coastal Division still up for grabs – the line might plummet fast and the 14.5 should be a gift. However, that doesn’t quite jibe with the point total of 66.5.
If he’s not playing, UNDER if you can still get the 66.5. If he is playing, stay away from the total.
– CFN Week 12 Experts Picks: College
9. SMU at Cincinnati
LINE Cincinnati -11
ATS PICK Cincinnati
I know this goes completely against my unwavering belief that Cincinnati not obliterating everyone with this schedule of meh is a disqualifier for the College Football Playoff, but I don’t believe in SMU at all.
No, Cincinnati hasn’t been as good as it should’ve been against awful teams, but yeah, Navy is quirky, and yeah, Tulsa is tough – and loses after bringing a decent fight – and the team did pull away from Tulane and USF.
SMU has been good enough over the last few years to get to the big stage, and then lose. Last year it was the 42-13 loss to Cincinnati. In 2019 it was the 54-48 loss to Memphis, and in 2018 – granted, that team was just okay – it was a 48-20 loss to UCF.
Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder is playing better lately than he’s getting credit for, the lack of a consistent running game shouldn’t matter in this, and …
If this 2021 Bearcat ride ends, I think it happens either at East Carolina next week or against Houston in the AAC Championship.
– CFN Week 11 Experts Picks: NFL
8. Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
LINE Oklahoma State -10.5
ATS PICK Oklahoma State
Interim head man Sonny Cumbie is coaching up this Texas Tech team through a tough situation. It fought well in a loss to Kansas State, got picked apart by Oklahoma, and then pulled off a Big 12 game-changer with a win over Iowa State. However …
Oklahoma State is fabulous.
This defense is incredible – it has yet to allow more than 24 points and gave up just 23 total in the last three games – the offense is finding its stride, and for all of his Mike Gundyness, Mike Gundy is really, really good at this and has his team peaking at the right time.
Texas Tech freshman QB Donovan Smith looks like a superstar to build around after ripping up Iowa State. However, Iowa State doesn’t get into the backfield like Oklahoma State does.
Donovan, meet the No. 1 pass rush and No. 3 defense in college football.
NEXT: College Football Pick Against The Spread No. 7: Nebraska at Wisconsin