RADIO
Mike's CFB betting picks against the spread for Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7,2024. Every college football game of Week 15 of the 2024 season picked against the spread.
It has all come down to Championship Week. Of course, it's a little anticlimactic when half of the teams that will be in the playoff aren't playing this week. We still have some drama with the Big 12 (16) likely only getting the champion in. Boise State is in a position where they need to win as well.
I had a decent week to close out the regular season last week. My goal of 52.5% won't be reached, but I still have an outside shot at 50% on the season.
These picks are for entertainment purposes only. Don't bet more than you can afford. This is supposed to be for fun and excitement. I may be under .500 on the season, but I'm having a blast and am still up some real money.
CFB Betting Picks for Championship Week (12/6 And 12/7 2024)
I will pick every college football game every week. It's not a top-5. Not a top 10. All of them. Big deal, right? Lots of people make picks. Well, I do them all against the spread. I take the odds of each game, average them out at all the Vegas casinos, and round to the nearest half. There will be no ties here. Ties are for the other (European) football.
Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State (-4.5)
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 2
This game just happened last week with Western Kentucky winning by two points in Bowling Green. Now they head south and do it again. They say that home-field advantage is worth seven points. If that's true, this is toeing the line of those seven points. I liked the Gamecocks last week and I still do. Give me JSU.
Tulane (-4.5) at (24) Army
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 2
This is at Michie Stadium. It's going to be cold (28 degrees at kickoff). This feels like a best-case scenario for Army. I'm going with the home team.
(20) UNLV at (10) Boise State (-4.5)
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 3
Last time UNLV defeated Boise State was 48 years ago.
1976. 31-26 win in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/umQoiqwXLn
— Paloma Villicana (@PalomaFOX5News) December 3, 2024
This was a five-point win for Boise in Vegas at the end of October. Has much changed since then? Ashton Jeanty's carries are up. Hajj-Malik Williams is still electric. So why is the spread basically the same as that game on October 25?
This is another game where it will be the role players who are the story of this game. Think Maddux Madsen making big plays when UNLV did a good job on Jeanty. Williams taking over the ground game when Boise bottled up Jai'Den Thomas. It will be players like that who decide this game.
So who has the better role players? UNLV has the combo of Williams and Ricky White III. Boise has Jeanty and a quarterback who makes plays when he needs to. I like Boise's secondary pieces (Cam Camper, Matt Lauter) more than UNLV. I'll take the Broncos.
(16) Iowa State vs. (15) Arizona State (-1.5) at Jerry World
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 2
I liked Iowa State to win the Big 12 (16) before the season, so this isn't much of a surprise to me. What has been a shock is Iowa State's struggles against good running teams. They allowed 354 on the ground to Central Florida and 287 to Cincinnati. The silver lining is that they held K-State to 144 in Farmageddon.
Cam Skattebo is probably a better back than any of those teams have. I trust the Iowa State offense, but the defense makes me nervous. I'm going to enjoy this game, but I'm not going against my preseason pick. I'll take the Cyclones.
Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (-1.5) at Detroit
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 2
It's official:
The 2024 MAC Championship Game in Detroit-- the conference's first-ever division-less matchup-- will feature the Miami RedHawks and the Ohio Bobcats in a Battle of the Bricks rematch! pic.twitter.com/AgydLqSfNk
— Hustle Belt (@HustleBelt) November 29, 2024
It's Battle of the Bricks Part 2: Detroit Style for the MAC Championship. I will just go ahead and say it because we're all thinking it. This needs to be an on-campus game just like C-USA and the American.
The Redhawks won the original Battle of the Bricks by 10 points in Oxford back on October 19. Since then, the Bobcats have outscored opponents 189-54 during their five-game winning streak.
It feels like something changed for Ohio in a good way. Parker Navarro has been outstanding both as a rusher and a passer. The emergence of Coleman Owen has helped. I think Ohio gets revenge and goes back to Detroit for their bowl game.
(5) Georgia vs. (2) Texas (-2.5) at Athens West (Atlanta)
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 5
So...Georgia throttles Texas in Austin by 15 points and is a dog in what is basically a home game? Georgia has only been an underdog twice since 2021. They won both games and allowed a combined 18 points (2021 Clemson, 2024 Texas). I'm betting the farm on Georgia! Those zebras better stay the hell out of this one!
Marshall at Louisiana (-5.5)
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 2
Are we really going to bet against Marshall after road wins against Old Dominion and James Madison to get here? You can if you want, but I'm not. Give me Marshall.
(3) Penn State vs. (1) Oregon (-3.5) at Indianapolis
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 5
I watch more college football than any human should. The most complete team that I have seen over the last two months is Oregon. South Carolina is second. Penn State doesn't make the list. This is too low. Give me Oregon.
(17) Clemson vs. (8) SMU (-1.5) at Charlotte
Betting Pick Confidence Factor: 1
This is going to be tough for SMU in what is basically a road game. Two of Clemson's losses are to SEC teams, so you know the SEC wants a Clemson win to make them look better. SMU has survived again and again this year. The loss to BYU was in Kevin Jennings' first start.
The Mustangs have made mostly short work of a relatively easy schedule. Clemson's schedule wasn't much better aside from the ACC schools. SMU did beat the Louisville team that beat Clemson. I'll take SMU, but I don't trust it at all. I'm leaving this alone.
There are only nine games and I have more than half of them (five) as two-point bets. However, I do have two max bets. With one each of the one-point and three-point variety. Good luck out there!
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