%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20id%3D%22Layer_1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20width%3D%2239px%22%20height%3D%2240px%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2039%2040%22%20enable-background%3D%22new%200%200%2039%2040%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M38.5%2C7H28.2v26h10.3V7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20clip-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M26.1%2C25.5c0%2C5.8-4.1%2C7.5-12.9%2C7.5C3.9%2C33%2C0%2C31.2%2C0%2C25.2v-1.1h11.6%0A%09v2.4c0%2C0.7%2C0.1%2C1.4%2C1.2%2C1.4c1%2C0%2C1.2-0.4%2C1.2-1.3v-0.9c0-1.6-0.9-1.6-3.5-2.2C2.2%2C21.7%2C0%2C19.7%2C0%2C15.3v-0.9C0%2C9.3%2C5.5%2C7%2C12.9%2C7%0A%09c10.2%2C0%2C12.8%2C2.6%2C12.8%2C7.4v1.8h-11v-2.9c0-0.6-0.4-1.1-1.2-1.1c-0.6%2C0-1.2%2C0.4-1.2%2C1.1v0.9c0%2C1.5%2C0.9%2C2%2C3.3%2C2.5%0A%09c8%2C1.6%2C10.5%2C3.3%2C10.5%2C7.5V25.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
College Football Week 12 Best Bets: Composite Ratings Picks The Winners
Well, I was right about the pattern of swinging the wrong way after a great week. Ten games under .500 is not what we’d like to see. This is the homestretch of the season.
There’s only one full week left after this one, and then championship week and bowl games. Profitability’s out of the equation (that’s around 52% Against The Spread), so we’re playing for pride like any athlete that’s had a down year. And so we go again
Given how last week went, if you believe in patterns this week has to be an up one, right?
Last Week: 25-35, 41.7%
Season: 279-308, 47.6%
Check the Latest College Football Lines at SI Sportsbook
Composite Best Bets
DOWNLOAD: PDF OR VIEW AS WEBPAGE
The process behind the picks is briefly explained in my Week 1 column. Most of the time, the computer spits out something within one or two points of the real line (and at that point, sharp plays and whale plays are what’s moving the line anyway). But if the computer gives something more than three points, it’s worth a second look.
Favorites
-San Diego State (-10.5) over UNLV
-Michigan (-14.5) over Maryland
-ECU (-4) Navy
-App State (-9.5) over Troy
-Marshall (-14.5) over Charlotte
-Baylor (PK) over Kansas State
-Auburn (-7.5) over South Carolina
Dogs
-FAU (+10) over Western Kentucky
-Virginia (+14.5) over Pitt
-SMU (+11.5) over Cincinnati
-Middle Tennessee (-3.5) over Old Dominion
The Big Dogs
-Southern Miss (+16) over Louisiana Tech
-Michigan State (+19) over Ohio State
-Rutgers (+17) Penn State
-Arkansas (+20.5) over Alabama
-South Alabama (+28) over Tennessee
-Vanderbilt (+36) over Ole Miss
Check the Latest Lines at SI Sportsbook
Get fantasy and betting analysis in your inbox by signing up for the Winners Club newsletter
More Betting & College Football:
• Which NFL Team Would You Bet to Have Best Record?
• MLB Awards Betting Primer
• NFL Week 10 Big Payouts
• TNF: Falcons-Patriots Best Bets
• Patriots-Falcons Player Props
• College Coaching Carousel
Richard Johnson is known for his college sports expertise. He co-hosts the “Split Zone Duo” podcast and co-authored The Sinful Seven: Sci-fi Western Legends of the NCAA. Richard was the 2022 winner of the Edward Aschoff Rising Star Award, and previously appeared as an analyst on the SEC Network show “Thinking Out Loud.” He established an early career with ESPN and SB Nation before joining Sports Illustrated in 2021 and lives in Brooklyn.