Week 13 College Football Upset Picks
- Week 13 of the College Football season features a packed slate of exciting games
- Three blue blood programs from three different conferences are on upset alert
- See the odds and the best upset picks for Friday & Saturday within the story below
Alabama, Texas and Michigan.
The theme of this week’s upset picks is big time programs on upset alert. Below you’ll find game previews that clearly spell out the case for taking the underdog on the moneyline.
#22 Auburn vs #1 Alabama Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| #22 Auburn | +25.5 (-115) | +1200 | O 62.5 (-109) |
| #1 Alabama | -25.5 (-106) | -3335 | U 62.5 (-112) |
All odds taken Nov. 24th at DraftKings
Auburn Aims to Continue Recent Iron Bowl Success
Auburn is entering the Iron Bowl as an underdog to a top ranked Alabama program. This is nothing new for the Tigers, in fact, upperclassmen on the team are entering the game under the exact same scenario for the fourth straight year.
In the previous three games, they’ve won two outright. This is one of the biggest rivalries in college football and the games are always much closer than you might have anticipated. In a crazy year like 2020, would it really be so crazy for Auburn to win their third game against Alabama in four years?
One of the greatest rivalries in football ‼️
See you next week for the Iron Bowl! 👏 pic.twitter.com/LBZOyoe07W
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 22, 2020
Alabama is the best bet to reach the College Football Playoff but that doesn’t make them a lock in this game.
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix has 1,627 yards passing and 10 touchdowns, and he’s also second on the team with 284 rushing yards and three scores. The Tigers have two receivers with more than 500 receiving yards in Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz.
Auburn is 5-2 on the year and has won three straight games against SEC competition by a combined 57 points. They have no business as 25.5-point underdogs and should be taken seriously in this game.
If you want some insurance on your wager, consider betting the spread as well. You may well end up cashing both bets.
The Pick: Auburn Moneyline (+1200)
#13 Iowa State vs #17 Texas Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| #15 Iowa State | +1.5 (-109) | +100 | O 57 (-110) |
| #20 Texas | -1.5 (-112) | -121 | U 57 (-110) |
Iowa State Chasing History in Big 12
The last time Iowa State was the outright Big 12 Champion was over a century ago. The year was 1912 and Woodrow Wilson had just won the U.S. presidential election.
With wins against Texas, West Virginia and their opponent in the Big 12 Championship, the Cyclones could re-write history. This game will be played at Noon EST Friday on ABC, and is a great opportunity for the Iowa State program to showcase how good they truly are in front of a national audience.
Running back Breece Hall will be the most impressive player on the field. He has 1,169 yards and 15 touchdowns in only eight games this season.
Do we talk enough about Iowa State RB Breece Hall?
A: no, we do not pic.twitter.com/9s6bETSB5O
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) November 21, 2020
The key matchup to watch is actually on the sidelines with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell facing off with Texas’ Tom Herman. Campbell is the trendy name in college football, linked to all kinds of potential job openings thanks to the great job he’s done with the Cyclones.
Herman was the hot name back in 2017, and ironically enough, Campbell could be up for his job should Texas run him out of town after another disappointing loss.
The Pick: Iowa State Moneyline (+100)
Penn State vs Michigan Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | +2.5 (-113) | +104 | O 58.5 (-112) |
| Michigan | -2.5 (-108) | -127 | U 58.5 (-109) |
Penn State Still Searching for First Win
When the schedule was first created, many expected this to be a matchup between ranked teams with all sorts of conference championship implications. It’s just the opposite for the Nittany Lions and Wolverines.
Penn State has yet to win a game this season and Michigan continue to the toe the line of mediocrity. All of this said, betting on Penn State to pickup their first win of the season is the correct play here.
James Franklin is one of the best coaches in college football despite his team’s record in the early going. His team has trailed by double digits at half time in every since game, but have never quit. They routinely end up in exciting contests in the second half because they refuse to pack it in.
Wide receiver Jahan Dotson has been a lone bright spot with 527 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Expect him to have a big day against a Michigan secondary that has struggled this season.
Harbaugh is REALLY excited about going to double overtime with Rutgers 😂 pic.twitter.com/RjOVyOpj2f
— Barstool OSU (@BarstoolOSU) November 22, 2020
Last week, Michigan needed a 17-point comeback and three overtimes to escape with a win against Rutgers. The only reason the Wolverines are listed as favorites is because some believe the change at quarterback could spark the team. Cade McNamara played well after earning coming in against Rutgers.
Prior to the comeback against the lowly Scarlet Knights, McNamara had completed only 40% of his passes in mop up duty against Wisconsin and Minnesota. With Penn State’s talent level more similarly matching the Badgers and Golden Gophers, I’d expect a regression from the new Michigan man.
The Pick: Penn State Moneyline (+104)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
