Saturday, November 11, 2017

The best bets from Week 11's college football slate

Oklahoma (-6.5) over TCU

Oklahoma (-6.5) over TCU

Last week, Baker Mayfield proved himself a worthy frontrunner for the Heisman, taking down Oklahoma State to come back home from the Red River Rivalry a hero. According to ESPN's Chris Fallica, TCU is looking to be the first team in the history of the Big 12 to beat both OU and OSU on the road in the same season, and I just don't see it happening with Mayfield so locked in.

Purdue (+4.5) over Northwestern

Purdue (+4.5) over Northwestern

I LOVED this pick when I saw the number at first, but then I found out that the snow is coming down pretty hard at Northwestern, which won't be totally conducive to Purdue's high-octane offense. So now I just like the pick.

Wisconsin (-12.5) over Iowa

Wisconsin (-12.5) over Iowa

After beating down Ohio State last weekend, Iowa is not going to surprise the Badgers. Iowa is known throughout the Big Ten as a terrifying team to play when you're ranked. But the Hawkeyes have now gotten their spoiler for the season out of the way. Wisconsin will likely need to go undefeated for the year to make the playoff, so they still have everything to play for each and every Saturday, and style points still count.

Miami (+3.5) over Notre Dame

Miami (+3.5) over Notre Dame

The U is back! At least it sure looked like it last weekend against Virginia Tech. Notre Dame is a much better team than the Hurricanes took down last weekend, and could very likely trounce Miami on Saturday. But you see a bold confidence when you watch The U play and it feels wrong to bet against it. This one is much more heart than head.

Ohio State (-16.5) over Michigan State

Ohio State (-16.5) over Michigan State

Ohio State underperformed last week and Michigan State over-performed last week. There will be a lot of talk heading into this game about how the Spartans can pull this one out with one right bounce this way or that, and then I expect the Buckeyes to jump out to a huge lead right away and never look back.

Auburn (+2.5) over Georgia

Auburn (+2.5) over Georgia

While I hate to bet against Georgia, it feels like this is the week they might stumble. Auburn is a tough road environment, and as visiting favorites that have been designated the best team in the country, Georgia is in unfamiliar territory. I expect Auburn to at the very least keep this one close — but this game is likely good enough you won't need to bet on it to enjoy what it has to offer.

Mississippi St (+14) over Alabama

Mississippi St (+14) over Alabama

Last week, taking Mississippi State to cover as huge favorites against UMass was our only losing pick of the week. It was obviously the wrong pick, and I offer my apologies. To make it up to you, here's a winner. Mississippi State is getting way too many points against Alabama this week. The Bulldogs can score and will be fighting to protect home turf. After last week's scare against an inferior opponent, you can be sure they'll be wide awake for this one.


Source: Business Insider India