The time has come to decide college football’s conference champions. We will take a look at the best bets in all of the Power Five conference championships to see where we can win some money. We are looking to bounce back after a bit of a rough go last week. All lines come via Draft Kings as of Thursday night since the PAC-12 title game is being played on Friday night.
Power 5 Conference Championships’ Best Bets
#11 Utah vs #4 USC: USC -2.5 (-115)
Look, it is really hard to beat a team twice. That’s what this pick ultimately comes down to. When these teams first met back in October, the Utes were able to steal a win with a fourth quarter comeback. However, the Trojans did have a chance to win the game late, but Caleb Williams and company ran out of time.
Williams is probably the biggest “X factor” in this matchup. You could argue that no player has made as much progress this season as he has. Williams is a much better player now than he was six weeks ago. For that reason, I like USC in this one, and I am comfortable laying 2.5 points.
#10 Kansas State vs #3 TCU: TCU -2.5 (+100)
This game is also a rematch. In this case, we are going to bet on the Horned Frogs beating the same team twice. When they played in October, TCU sleepwalked through the first half, and then rallied in the second to win by 10. This was pretty typical for them at that point in the season.
Lately, it seems as though the Horned Frogs have taken a step forward. They aren’t falling behind early in games now. They are taking care of business against the teams they should. TCU is by far the best team in the Big 12. Kansas State just happened to be the team to emerge out of the chaotic mess that is the rest of the conference. Take TCU to cover at this shockingly great value.
#14 LSU vs #1 Georgia: LSU +17.5 (-110)
Let’s make one thing clear, Georgia is more than likely going to win this game. That doesn’t mean they will win by 18 though. The Bulldogs are just 6-6 against the spread this year. Their offense has been a bit inconsistent at times this year, which has kept them from running it up.
LSU is pretty solid defensively. Also, their offensive pace is pretty methodical. I think they lose by like 14 in a game that looks a closer than it actually is. Take the points in this one.
#9 Clemson vs #23 North Carolina: UNC Moneyline (+255)
If there is going to be an upset in any of these matchups, this is it. Clemson is officially washed. This team is crumbling as we speak. How does a team that sees itself a perennial National Championship contender get up for a game after being effectively eliminated from the College Football Playoff? Don’t be surprised if Dabo Swinney gives some younger guys a little extra playing time.
Yes, I am aware that North Carolina has dropped its last two games to unranked opponents. They have been shaking off a rough hangover after locking up the ACC Coastal. There is plenty of reason to believe that the Tar Heels will get up for this one.
This is only their second appearance in the ACC title game ever. Their other one came in a loss to Clemson in 2015. A win on Saturday would be huge for this program, despite the game having little meaning for their opponents. I like North Carolina straight up here, but you could always play it safe and take the 7.5 points that they’re getting.
Purdue vs #2 Michigan: Michigan -17 (-110)
The Wolverines are a wagon this year. They have been steamrolling just about everyone. Michigan has only played three games all season in which teams kept within two scores. The other nine were all won by more than 20. This is an extremely generous spread, and it doesn’t make much sense. They would have to really overlook this Big Ten title game for this to be close.
The reason for that is the fact that Purdue is, well, just not very good. They basically fell into this game due to the ineptitude of the rest of the Big Ten West. They have one good win against Illinois, and a couple of close losses to Penn State and Syracuse. Those are their three best games. Michigan is a totally different animal. This one won’t be close. The Wolverines might cover this spread by halftime.
Best Bets for the Conference Championships Recap
- USC (-2.5)
- TCU (-2.5)
- LSU (+17.5)
- UNC (ML)
- Michigan (-17)