It’s almost over, friends. End of 2024 College football The regular season is on the horizon.
It’s good that we have a 12-team playoff this year to keep it interesting.
Before we head to next week’s exciting conference games and then the playoffs, I have a few bets that I hope will earn us all some money.
Let’s check out my best bets for College Football Week 14.
(All times are Eastern Time)
Saturday, November. 30
Fresno State @ University of California (3:30 PM Bahrain time)
One angle I like to play on the final week of the regular season is a team fading from losing competition that has nothing to play for on Thanksgiving weekend.
UCLA started the season 1-5, then won three straight games before losing to Washington and University of Southern California In his last two matches. The Bruins went from a disastrous start in the Deshaun Foster Era to turning the corner with road wins in Rutgers and nebraska Maybe playing in a bowl game is because things aren’t going well.
After being unable to score against USC last weekend, UCLA is no longer eligible for the tournament and has nothing left to play for this weekend.
Older players are already making plans to NFL Combine and players who want to move are planning their exit.
Enter Fresno State, a Mountain West team that qualifies for the tournament after an upset win Colorado State Last weekend.
I’m from Southern California and grew up a UCLA fan. I know the college football ecosystem in California very well. When the Group of Five team (Fresno State, San Jose State) plays UCLA, USC, Cal or Stanford (And even Oregon), the athletes on those teams have revenge on their minds.
They were most likely passed over by the big four schools in California in recruiting and ended up at Fresno State. They want to beat these teams, and now, they’re catching UCLA at a disadvantage due to the upset.
Ohio State vs. Michigan best bets, predictions and odds: CFB Week 14 Super Six
Besides the feeling of wanting to win, Fresno State stands up well against UCLA.
The Bulldogs rank 73rd in offensive points per drive and 49th in defensive points per drive. UCLA ranks 113th in offensive points per drive and 107th on defense.
Yes, these stats are adjusted by opponent as UCLA plays at the top level of the Big Ten and Fresno State plays in the Mountain West. But it’s worth noting that these teams have similar profiles, and I’m almost done wanting Fresno State to win this game?
I’ll take Fresno State to cover.
Choice: Fresno State (+8.5) to lose by less than 8.5 points, or win outright
Penn State vs. Maryland, Baylor vs. Kansas in CFB Week 14 Best Bets
Maryland @No.4 Pennsylvania (3:30 PM Bahrain time)
That’s a big number for Pennsylvania. But their head coach James Franklin will make some late touchdowns to cover that number.
More than anything else – and just like UCLA – Penn State’s opponent Maryland is a dead team.
Maryland’s last seven games have been a disaster. The Terrapins won one game by one point against USC. They have lost all seven games by at least 14 points and last weekend they benched their quarterback yeah A loss of 16 points.
The Nittany Lions are in the running for a playoff berth, and what do they do well? They prevent weak teams from scoring and score late to cover the gap.
I’m not sure Maryland will score much in this game. The Terrapins have an injured quarterback and no motivation to succeed. Penn State’s defense has shown up in every game this season, including against offenses like Ohio State.
The Nittany Lions’ offense faces a Maryland defense that ranks 89th in scoring and 115th in passing rate. Maryland allowed 38 to Oregon and 48 to Minnesota And 42 l Indiana.
Penn State will score in this game.
Pick: Penn State (-24.5) to win by more than 24.5 points
Jeff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @Jeff Schwartz.
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