BETANYSPORTS’ COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 14 OPENING LINES
The only team in contention that is not playing this weekend is the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who completed their perfect 12-0 straight-up run through their schedule with last Saturday’s victory against USC.
The toughest test on the board among playoff contenders is in the SEC Championship Game between the No. 1 Alabama Tide and the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs. The 12-0 Tide have already built a strong enough resume regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s clash in Atlanta by winning each of those games with a double-digit margin of victory. The Bulldogs’ only blemish among 11 wins came against LSU. Alabama has been listed as a 13-point favorite at OnlineSportsBet for this 4 p.m. start on CBS. The total has been set at 63 points.
The No. 2 Clemson Tigers are looking to extended their 12-game winning streak as heavy 26.5-point favorites against the No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers in Saturday night’s ACC title game in Charlotte. Game time on ABC has been set for 8 p.m. and the total has been set at 54. The Tigers have been favored by 21 points or more six times this season and they have only been able to cover against the spread in one of those contests.
The fourth and final playoff spot remains up for grabs after the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes crushed the then-No. 4 Michigan Wolverines last Saturday as four-point home underdogs. The Buckeyes have been opened as 14-point favorites for Saturday night’s Big Ten Championship against the No. 19 Northwestern Wildcats with the total set at 60.5 points. Game time on FOX is set for 8 p.m.
Also in the mix with Georgia and Ohio State for the final playoff spot is the Big 12’s Oklahoma Sooners, who are currently ranked No. 6 ahead of the updated CFP rankings. They will get a chance to avenge their only loss of the season this Saturday afternoon at AT&T Stadium as 7.5-point favorites against the No. 14 Texas Longhorns. Texas won the first meeting 48-45 as a seven-point underdog with the total going OVER OnlineSportsBet ’ closing 59-point line. The total has been set at 78 points this time around for the 12 p.m. start on FOX.
