Where does the time go? We’re entering Week 13 of the college football season now with just a couple more games to go before the regular season is complete. Many thought that the expanded CFP would lead to a watered-down regular season, but it’s been just the opposite.

As we see with the CFP rankings each and every week now, each spot hangs in the balance with every game being played. This week, of course, is headlined by the Indiana vs. Ohio State top 5 matchup.

 

 

 

Can the Hoosiers upset the Buckeyes? What will the committee do with Indiana if they wind up losing? We’ll get those answers soon, but not before a full slate of games! And with that full slate, I bring you my Week 13 CFB best bets.

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Saturday, 11/23

This article is being written Thursday afternoon, but as of right now, we’re 3-0 in our midweek CFB best bets with a couple more wager set for Friday. After we came out on top last week, this is an early indicator of what we could be in store for again with the Week 13 CFB picks!

With the confidence back, I plan on getting into my Illinois vs. Rutgers prediction, BYU vs. Arizona prediction, Army vs. Notre Dame prediction and plenty more! Time to place some more winners.

 

 

 

Illinois vs. Rutgers Prediction: Saturday, November 23rd

We start the Week 13 CFB best bets with what almost feels like a trap line. And, I’ll take the bait, I guess. The Fighting Illini are ranked 24th in the nation but go on the road to take on a Scarlet Knights team that’s coming off of back-to-back wins.

Neither team has necessarily beaten anyone of note, but Illinois looks and feels like the much better squad overall compared to Rutgers. The Illini’s loss to Minnesota feels more like an outlier than anything as they’ve been one of the more balanced teams in the conference all season long.

The defense of Rutgers has certainly stepped up their play in recent weeks, but I’d still take the Illinois offense over the previous two that have faced the Scarlet Knights. And no matter how well he’s played recently, it’s still hard for me to trust Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis.

The Rutgers team as a whole goes through hot and cold stretches and I think this is where their current hot one comes to an end. They’ve failed to cover the spread in 2 of their last 3 home games whereas the Illini are 2-1 in that department on the road this season. It’ll more than likely come down to the wire, but Illinois will leave Piscataway with a victory.

 

 

 

BYU vs. Arizona State Prediction: Saturday, November 23rd

To the Big 12 we go with the next batch of CFB best bets with the Cougars visiting the Sun Devils. BYU’s offense really struggled last time out, which was a big reason why they lost their first game of the season, but they should be able to do some damage here.

Balance is key for this unit but QB Jake Retzlaff should be able to take advantage of an ASU defense that ranks 63rd in the country in passing yards allowed per game at 216.3. This is also a Sun Devil defense that has allowed 21+ points in 7 of their 10 games this season.

On the other side, Arizona State’s Cam Skatebo looks to be in store for a big day. The Cougars are stout against the pass, but they’ve really struggled defending the run this season. ASU already averages over 190 rushing yards per game (30th in NCAA) and could very well eclipse that total in this one.

With BYU scoring 30+ themselves in 7 games, and the Sun Devils doing the same thing in 6, this matchup has shootout potential. On the road for the Cougars this season, the over is 4-1, while Arizona State home games have an over record of 3-1-1 in this campaign. Let’s root for offense here.

 

 

 

Army vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Saturday, November 23rd

I feel like I’m going out on a limb here with this one, but I really do like the Black Knights to keep the score respectable in this one. Yes, we saw how the Fighting Irish manhandled another service academy this year already in Navy, but Army is a much, much better team than the Midshipmen.

They have the best rushing attack in the nation at 334.9 yards per game and are currently putting up north of 35 points per contest. And on defense, they’ve been just as good. They rank inside the nation’s top 32 in both passing yards allowed per game and rushing yards while holding all but 1 opponent to 14 points or less in this campaign.

Notre Dame’s defensive unit has been stout too, but if there is an area to attack, it would be the running game. Conversely, their offense has also been very good, but more so from a rushing standpoint than passing. We know how infrequent Army tosses the rock, so we’re probably in store for a slow, slugfest style game. Which helps me wager on Army even more.

Everything just seems to be matching up well for them in this game, and even though ND will have the sheer talent advantage, asking the Black Knights to keep it within a couple of scores to finalize our CFB best bets isn’t all that crazy.

 

 

 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks - Saturday, 11/23