Week 13 College Football Picks Against the Spread

• Week 13 of College Football features a packed slate of game on Saturday, November 28th
• Northwestern vs Michigan State and Mississippi State vs Ole Miss are among the intriguing matchups
• Read below for the best ATS picks for Week 13 of the college football season

The 2020 College Football season is heading into its 13th week, and there is no shortage of great matchups for this Thanksgiving weekend. The packed slate on Saturday, November 28 features numerous games with betting value.

Clemson returns from a long layoff to face Pittsburgh, while Northwestern looks to keep its momentum rolling against Michigan State. Over in the SEC, Ole Miss and Mississippi State clash in the Egg Bowl.

Here are three ATS picks to consider for Week 13.

No. 11 Northwestern vs Michigan State Odds

All odds taken Nov. 25th at DraftKings

Wildcats Continue to Roll Against Spartans

Northwestern will continue its quest for the Big 10 championship when they travel to Spartan Stadium to face Michigan State in Week 13. The Wildcats remain unbeaten through five games and will be facing a slumping Spartans team whose only win came against lowly Michigan. Northwestern’s defense is one of the best in the country and should have another big day against a weak Spartans offense.

Michigan State was shutout 24-0 in their last game against Indiana and turned the ball over four times in that contest. They’re struggling mightily to take care of the football, as exemplified by their brual turnover margin (-2.25) on the season. This is the perfect matchup for a hungry Northwestern defense that forced five turnovers in their recent win over Wisconsin and has come up with 15 of them on the year.

Current Defensive Mindset:

What’s yours is ours 😎#GoCats | @B_Gallagher41 pic.twitter.com/b7xNCVm2jD

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) November 23, 2020

Northwestern doesn’t have a high-powered offense, but they’re exceptional at controlling the time of possession and making big plays. Indiana transfer QB Peyton Ramsey has thrown for 926 yards and eight touchdowns this season and has three 100-yards receivers at his disposal. They should have no problem keeping it rolling against a Michigan State secondary allowing over 240 passing yards per game.

Michigan State is a rebuilding program under first-year coach Mel Tucker and won’t have the fight to stick with a determined Northwestern team fighting for a conference title berth. While Ramsey has been a great story, the Spartans QB situation is worrisome. Starter Rocky Lombardi has struggled big-time in the last two games, meaning untested freshman Payton Thorne could face this stingy Wildcats defense.

Northwestern’s defense is winning them games right now and it will be the difference against an Michigan State offense that has managed only seven points in its last two games. The Wildcats have covered the spread in eight straight games at Michigan State, and there’s no reason to think that trend ends in 2020.

Pick: Northwestern Wildcats -13.5 (-110)

Pittsburgh vs No. 4 Clemson Odds

Tigers Take Out Frustration on Panthers

Clemson will be looking to make a statement in Week 13 as they return from a three-week layoff to face Pittsburgh at Clemson Memorial Stadium. The Tigers had a bye in Week 11 before having their Week 12 game against FSU cancelled at the last minute due to a reserve Clemson offensive lineman testing positive for COVID-19.

Dabo Swinney is really upset: "This game was not canceled because of COVID. COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game." Says FSU administration forfeited the game. If FSU wants to play Clemson, they can home to Death Valley, he says. Or they can pay for Clemson's travel.

— Grace Raynor (@gmraynor) November 22, 2020

Clemson has dropped to the fourth spot in the AP Poll while they were idle, as their last game was a close loss to Notre Dame with star QB Trevor Lawrence sidelined by COVID. Lawrence is set to make his return on Saturday and could have a monstrous day against a Pittsburgh secondary allowing 224 yards per game.

The Panthers are coming off two impressive wins over Florida State and Virginia Tech, but they were clearly outmatched in losses against ACC powerhouses Miami and Notre Dame earlier in the season. The Tigers have racked up a whopping 30 sacks this season and will create all kinds of pressure for QB Kenny Pickett, who has yet to face an elite defense this season.

Clemson needs as many style points as they can get as they continue to make their case for the CFP. Lawrence should dominate in his return, but also look for a big game from Travis Etienne after he was held to just 28 rushing yards by the Irish last time out. Dabo Swinney and company are a frustrated group, and they’ll take out their anger on a Pittsburgh team that got blown out 45-3 last time they faced a top ACC team.

Pick: Clemson Tigers -24.5 (-107)

Mississippi State vs Ole Miss Egg Bowl Odds

Rebels Get Revenge Over Bulldogs

Ole Miss will be looking for revenge when they welcome Mississippi State to Vaught Hemingway Stadium in the 2020 Egg Bowl. The Bulldogs won by just a single point last season after Rebels’ wide receiver Elijah Moore cost his team the victory. Moore caught a touchdown pass with four seconds left to make it 21-20 Bulldogs, but an inappropriate TD celebration set the Rebels back 15 yards. Kicker Luke Logan missed the game-tying extra point from the 18-yard-line.

Expect a massive game from Moore, who has set the SEC on fire this season with 1,054 receiving yards and 74 catches for eight touchdowns. He’s been catching passes from standout sophomore quarterback Matt Corral, who has thrown for 2,359 yards and 22 touchdowns. They should have no problem keeping it rolling against a Bulldogs secondary allowing over 250 yards per game.

Elijah Moore: Only WR in College Football with 1,000+ receiving yards (1,054) pic.twitter.com/WQNEvXKdT0

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 17, 2020

Mississippi State has the better defense, but it’s offense is nowhere nears as talented as the Rebels’ attack. The Bulldogs have the second-lowest scoring offense in the SEC and didn’t manage a single touchdown in losses against Kentucky and Alabama. Those are the same defenses the Rebels dropped a combined 90 points on this season.

New head coach Lane Kiffin has this Ole Miss offense firing on all cylinders, while Mike Leach’s team has shown nothing since their opener against LSU that would indicate they can keep pace. Expect Corral and Moore to keep the momentum going against a weak secondary, while the Bulldogs simply won’t have the weapons to keep up.

Pick: Ole Miss Rebels -9.5 (-108)