Week 11 of the college football season is in the books. In particular, Saturday delivered another eventful slate. We had close finishes, a few massive upsets and compelling games galore. In all, it was a weekend that further solidified the excitement this college football season.
Now it’s time to turn our attention to Week 12. This slate is another compelling one, with plenty of intriguing matchups. The opening lines were released at most sportsbooks on Sunday, so let’s take a look at these openers and give our first impressions.
Get our NCAAF picks for this week’s action
NCAAF Week 12 opening lines and odds
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Bowling Green +14.5 (-110) vs Toledo – Tuesday, November 15
Ohio -4 (-110) vs Ball State – Tuesday, November 15
Western Michigan +9.5 (-110) vs Central Michigan – Wednesday, November 16
Miami OH +3 (-110) vs Northern Illinois – Wednesday, November 16
SMU +2.5 (-110) vs Tulane – Thursday, November 17
San Diego State -13.5 (-110) vs New Mexico – Friday, November 18
Illinois +17 (-110) vs Michigan – Saturday, November 19
Texas -8.5 (-110) vs Kansas – Saturday, November 19
Tennessee -21 (-110) vs South Carolina – Saturday, November 19
Penn State -19 (-110) vs Rutgers – Saturday, November 19
Georgia -22.5 (-110) vs Kentucky – Saturday, November 19
Kansas State -7 (-110) vs West Virginia – Saturday, November 19
Texas Tech +2.5 (-110) vs Iowa State – Saturday, November 19
Western Kentucky +7 (-110) vs Auburn – Saturday, November 19
Ohio State -27 (-110) vs Maryland – Saturday, November 19
Ole Miss -2 (-110) vs Arkansas – Saturday, November 19
Miami FL +19 (-110) vs Clemson – Saturday, November 19
Indiana +12.5 (-110) vs Michigan State – Saturday, November 19
Iowa +3 (-110) vs Minnesota – Saturday, November 19
Syracuse +9.5 (-110) vs Wake Forest – Saturday, November 19
NC State +4 (-110) vs Louisville – Saturday, November 19
Washington State -3.5 (-110) vs Arizona – Saturday, November 19
Florida -14.5 (-110) vs Vanderbilt – Saturday, November 19
USC -3 (-110) vs UCLA – Saturday, November 19
Colorado +31.5 (-110) vs Washington – Saturday, November 19
TCU -2 (-110) vs Baylor – Saturday, November 19
Utah +3 (-110) vs Oregon – Saturday, November 19
We’ll have college football predictions for all of this week’s biggest games!
Best early bets for NCAAF Week 12
UCLA +3 (-110) vs USC
The lookahead line on this game was UCLA -1, which seemed perfectly priced given the strengths and weaknesses of these teams. However, it since moved to USC laying 3 points after the Bruins fell to Arizona on Saturday night. I’m not too concerned about the result. The Bruins were extremely flat for the first half and it was apparent that they were looking ahead to this massive showdown against their crosstown rivals. After all, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and this offense are still 6th in EPA per rush, while USC’s defense is 130th. The loss of Travis Dye is a massive blow for the USC rushing attack, as well. In a game where both offenses will hold considerable advantages over the opposing defenses, this should come down to the last possession. Take the points with the underdog.
Kansas +8.5 (-110) vs Texas
This is an extremely difficult spot for Texas to get up for. The Longhorns were just 7-point favorites in a primetime matchup against TCU at home. Texas came up woefully short in that game despite holding a number of statistical and talent advantages on paper. Now this Longhorns team doesn’t have much to play for with 4 losses already on the season and needing help from other teams to qualify for the Big 12 Championship game. On the other hand, Kansas is coming off a loss to Texas Tech in which it did just as much to lose that game as the Red Raiders did to win it. In a game that will mean a lot to the Jayhawks, I think anything over a touchdown is pretty appealing for a team that consistently shows up at home this season. Look for Kansas to keep things close.
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