College Football Playoff Games Picks & Predictions: Saturday (12/21)
Gear up for another awesome weekend of college football action with BettingPros! We’ll have you covered with all of our top picks for the week along with our projected spreads and totals to help guide your college football bets. Below are our top picks and predictions for this weekend’s college football playoff games.
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Top College Football Playoff Games Odds & Picks: Saturday
SMU vs. Penn State
After falling behind 24-7 in the ACC Championship, the Mustangs mounted a furious comeback to tie the game with just 16 seconds remaining. While they ultimately lost the game, the performance showed just what this team is capable of when they’re playing their best football. The Mustangs had an unbelievable amount of pressure on them in that game and it showed. Now, they’re playing with house money, and I expect them to come out loose and remind us why they’re a team that averaged 36.8 points per game. Of course, the Nittany Lions are at home on Saturday, and one could argue that the Mustangs haven’t beaten anyone nearly as good as Penn State this season. But the Nittany Lions have had a schedule loaded with cupcakes, and they lost to two of the three ranked teams they played. The Nittany Lions may win this game, but neither one of these teams is more than a touchdown better than the other.
Pick: SMU +8.5 (-110)
-Phil Wood
Clemson vs. Texas
The Tigers lost to Georgia by 31 points on August 31, which will certainly make it hard to trust them against a team that just went wire-to-wire with the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship. But while that was the worst performance of the season from the Tigers, they trailed just 6-0 at halftime. More importantly, in their most recent game against an SEC opponent, the Tigers led South Carolina 14-10 with just 1:08 remaining in the game. The Tigers are playing their best football right now, and the Longhorns aren’t. Losing to a Georgia team that had to play with a backup quarterback leaves me very concerned about this team heading into the College Football Playoff. Offensively, the Longhorns have scored more than 20 points just once in their last three games. Look for them to struggle again, as Cade Klubnik does enough to keep the Tigers close. And don’t be surprised if the Tigers win outright.
Pick: Clemson +12 (-110)
-Phil Wood
Tennessee vs. Ohio State
The Ohio State Buckeyes were embarrassed by the Michigan Wolverines in the final regular season game. Now they'll look for redemption with a College Football Playoff game against a ten-win SEC team. The Buckeyes have been unbelievable on defense. Ohio State has allowed below 11 points per game and has held teams to 144.25 yards in the air and 96.83 yards on the ground. It's the offense that hasn't clicked all the time. Some of the blame is on the play-calling. Some of it is on the depleted offensive line. Either way, Tennessee will likely cause some disruption as one of their strengths on defense is that defensive line. Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly vows to make adjustments and be more aggressive. But the Buckeyes' offense isn't elite with Will Howard at quarterback. Let's just say it how it is. Therefore, I'm taking the Under 45.5 (-110) in this CFP matchup.
Pick: Under 45.5 (-110)
-Jason Radowtiz