CFB Best Bets - 2024 Conference Championships: Expert Picks, Predictions & Props
We’ve made it, folks! It’s conference championship week, which means the 2024 college football regular season is officially over. It was a wild ride that saw the most parity a season has seen in what feels like forever.
And with the CFP rankings recently being announced as they were, we know these games will surely have a bearing on Selection Sunday. That’s great for a team like Clemson – not so much for their upcoming counterpart, SMU.
It’s evident that these are the top teams in each conference with all matchups having single-digit point spreads. Should be a fun couple of days, but what do our CFB best bets have lined up this time around?
CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Conference Championship Week
In theory, the games most peoples’ eyes will be on is the SEC Championship game and the Big Ten Championship game. Though it’s worth pointing out that, regardless of those outcomes, all 4 of those teams are more than likely secure in the CFP.
In the Big 12 and ACC though, this appears to be much more of a ‘win and you’re in’ type of thing. I’ve laid out a few player props at the end of this CFB best bets article, but first here’s my Georgia vs. Texas prediction and Penn State vs. Oregon prediction.
Georgia vs. Texas Prediction: Saturday, December 7th
We know that these two teams met earlier in the season, but it’s safe to say that they’re both playing much different ball than they were at that time. Texas is playing better, in my opinion, yet Georgia won fairly easily last time around.
That’s making it tough for me to decide on a pick ATS, so instead I’ll focus on the game total. Aside from a hiccup against Ole Miss, the Bulldogs offense has been rolling this season, with 8 of their last 9 games resulting in 30+ points. That includes when they put up 30 on Texas in Week 8.
I’m not worried about them being able to score, even against a stout Longhorns defense, but it’s the Georgia defense I’m concerned about here. They’ve played rather poorly their last 2 times out coming against UMass and Georgia Tech – not exactly offensive powerhouses.
The Longhorns have won with their defense mainly, but the offense is certainly capable of holding their own (21st in NCAAF in points per game at 34.8). Add in the fact that the total isn’t set all that high to begin with, and I’m liking the over to start these CFB best bets. We don’t need the offenses to be elite; just to do enough.
- Expert Georgia vs. Texas Prediction: Over 49.5 (-108 at DraftKings)
Penn State vs. Oregon Prediction: Saturday, December 7th
Let’s cap off our CFB best bets for the conference championship games with the Big Ten Championship. Something about this line feels fishy, but I’ll take the bait. The Ducks are the much, much better team in this matchup.
It’s clear at this point that James Franklin struggles (to put it lightly) in big games. He had the chance to redeem his past when Ohio State came into Happy Valley this season, and still couldn’t get the job done. That same Ohio State team that just lost to Michigan at home.
I just have no faith in the Nittany Lions to win a game of relevance at this point, and when Dillon Gabriel is the opposing quarterback too, it gets even tougher. What about the best tight end in the nation, Tyler Warren? Well, Oregon is actually elite at defending TEs this season, and if PSU can't utilize him, they’ll be in for a long, long game.
We’ve seen the Ducks come out to some slow starts this season, and they could do so here as well. I expect it to be a Penn State-heavy crowd in Indianapolis, but when the clock hits all zeroes in the 4th quarter, I’m rather confident that Oregon will be the team on top – probably by a touchdown or so.
- Expert Penn State vs. Oregon Prediction: Ducks -3.5 (-105 at Bet365)
Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks - Conference Championships
- Kanye Udoh (ARMY) O43.5 Rushing Yards (-129 at Caesars Sportsbook)
- Keyon Mozee (UM) To Score A Touchdown (+105 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
- Cade Klubnik (CLEM) O247.5 Passing Yards (-115 at BetMGM Sportsbook)
- Iowa State vs. Arizona State: Sun Devils ML (-120 at Caesars Sportsbook)
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.