College Football Picks: Conference Tournament Betting Parlay
College Football Picks
The college football regular season has come to an end, and the biggest weekend of the year is ahead. It’s time for conference championship games around the country, and there are some terrific matchups on the schedule.
Instead of betting on each game individually, more money can be made by combining these bets into one large parlay. There are four games that you should be targeting this weekend in college football as the conference title games are set to begin.
Pac-12: Oregon Ducks ML vs. Utah Utes
The action begins on Friday night in the Pac-12 Championship Game featuring the Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes. Utah picked up a 38-7 win over Oregon just two weeks ago, but the Ducks will now be out for revenge. Oregon was able to get back on track with an impressive win over Oregon State, and the Ducks have also knocked off Ohio State this season. Utah has been red hot over the past month, but there are still some flaws for the Utes.
Oregon is a three-point underdog in this game, but this team has plenty of big-game experience. It will be the defense of Oregon that determines this game, and the Utes are going to struggle to run the football. There just isn’t much separation between Oregon and Utah, but it will be the Ducks that get some revenge on Friday. Begin your parlay by picking an upset as Oregon wins the Pac-12 Championship.
Big 12: Baylor Bears +5.5 vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Big 12 Championship will look a bit different this season as the Oklahoma Sooners are not going to be on the field. Instead, it will be Baylor and Oklahoma State, and each team has been great on the defensive end of the field.
Baylor has rushed for 227 yards per game this season, and the Bears can really chew up some clock with a similar performance. Running back Abram Smith has racked up 1,366 yards this season, and he could take over a game. Oklahoma State is giving up just 16 points per game, and the Cowboys have shut down some explosive offenses this season. Quarterback Spencer Sanders can make plenty of big plays, but he also has turned the ball over at times. The winner of this game could potentially get into the College Football Playoff, and that will add some extra motivation to this matchup. Oklahoma State is the more complete team, but it’s hard to count out Baylor.
Your second bet on the parlay should be to take the 5.5 points and bet on the Baylor Bears.
SEC: Georgia Bulldogs -6.5 vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
The biggest game of the entire weekend takes place in the SEC, and this feels like an annual occurrence. This time it is Georgia that is the favorite over Alabama, but this should be a terrific battle.
Georgia is scoring over 40 points per game this season, but that isn’t even the most impressive stat. The Bulldogs are holding teams to less than seven points per game, and that is why they are the top-ranked team in the country. Alabama has just one loss on the year, but the Crimson Tide hasn’t looked sharp in the last two weeks. The Crimson Tide narrowly escaped the Iron Bowl with a 24-22 win over Auburn in overtime.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has thrown for 40 touchdowns this season, and he is the best player in this game. The Crimson Tide are going to have to find a way to run the football on Saturday if they want to pull off this upset. Georgia isn’t an explosive team, but the defense will continue to set them up with some great scoring opportunities. It’s hard to picture the Crimson Tide not winning the SEC title, but Georgia is simply better this season.
Take the Bulldogs -6.5 as they win the SEC Championship Game by a touchdown at least.
Big Ten: Iowa Hawkeyes +10.5 vs. Michigan Wolverines
The Big Ten Championship Game will feature the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. This was not the matchup that most thought would occur, and Michigan is a pretty sizable 10.5-point betting favorite. Both teams come into Saturday having won four straight games, and that could set up for a classic battle on Saturday. Michigan wants to score, while Iowa has a pretty sound defense.
A win by Michigan likely puts them in the College Football Playoff, but it’s hard to see them winning this game by double-digits. It’s been a strange year for Iowa, but the Hawkeyes are still a really good team.
The Wolverines will be able to win the Big Ten, but Iowa is going to keep things interesting on Saturday. Taking the 10.5 points is the right play here, and it’s a great bet to add to your parlay.
Derek Hudson
Derek is a long time sports bettor who grew up in Providence, RI. Derek is data driven and believes the key to betting the sportsbooks is finding an edge in analytics. Derek is happily married and has two young boys. Derek will bet on anything if you let him.
