College Football Week 13 ATS Picks: Utah (-23) at Arizona Among Best Bets
- Utah brings its third-ranked defense into Arizona on Saturday (Nov. 23rd)
- Minnesota looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season at Northwestern
- Which teams are the best bets against the spread in Week 13?
Week 13 has some betting lines that offer great value. Utah aims to keep its CFP hopes alive against Arizona, while Minnesota is in line for a bounce-back game after suffering its first loss of the season last weekend. In the Big Ten, a surging Michigan squad is visiting feisty Indiana as a nine-point road favorite.
Read below for my three favorite ATS picks for Week 13. All games take place Saturday, Nov. 23rd.
Utah vs Arizona Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah (#7) | -23.0 (-105) | -2000 | O 58.5 (-110) |
| Arizona | +23.0 (-115) | +950 | U 58.5 (-110) |
All odds taken Nov. 19
This matchup between 9-1 Utah and 4-5 Arizona is a tale of two teams going in different directions. The Utes have won six in a row and covered the spread in all six games, while Arizona has lost five straight.
Utah likely needs two more wins to clinch the Pac-12 South title and play in the Conference Title game. The Utes are battling to make the CFP and will be motivated to turn in a strong performance against their remaining two opponents. The team’s confidence is also high after they blew out UCLA 49-3 last week and totalled 536 yards.
Utah ranks third in the nation in total defense and is allowing just 11.3 points per game. The Wildcats are dealing with quarterback issues, but it’s their defense that will due them in on Saturday. Arizona is allowing a whopping 480.2 yards per game and ranks 126th nationally in total defense.
The Utes have an elite QB/RB tandem (Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss) that has been torching Pac-12 opponents. Oregon has a very similar offense to Utah, and the Ducks were able to have their way with this Arizona defense in a 36-6 victory last Saturday.
Utah has won three straight against Arizona, including a 42-10 victory last season. The Utes’ elite defense will shutdown Arizona’s struggling offense, while their explosive offense will continue rolling en route to a convincing road victory.
Pick: Utah (-23)
Michigan vs Indiana Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan (#9) | -9.0 (-115) | -350 | O 53.0 (-115) |
| Indiana | +9.0 (-105) | +275 | U 53.0 (-105) |
The 8-2 Michigan Wolverines will be looking to avoid a double-barrelled letdown/look-ahead spot when they face 7-3 Indiana in Week 13. The Wolverines have earned three straight victories over Notre Dame, Maryland, and Michigan State and are set to clash with unbeaten Ohio State in Week 14.
Indiana is coming off a 34-27 loss to Penn State and have lost QB Michael Penix Jr. and left tackle Coy Cronk to season-ending injuries. Backup QB Peyton Ramsey is having his best season yet, but Michigan has the fourth-best pass defense in the nation and has shutdown talented QBs such as Notre Dame’s Ian Book and Iowa’s Nate Stanley.
Michigan DB Josh Metellus on #NotreDame QB Ian Book: "We knew that once we hit him a couple times, he was going to get jumpy in the pocket and not want to throw the ball down the field." ($) https://t.co/kdJwGvX0QT
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) October 27, 2019
Shea Patterson and the Wolverines passing offense is a big reason why I think Michigan will win and cover the spread against the Hoosiers. Patterson is coming off his best performance of the season in which he finished 24-of-33 for 384 yards and four touchdowns against the Spartans. Penn State QB Sean Clifford was able to throw three TD passes against this Indiana defense last weekend.
Michigan has won 23 straight games against Indiana, including a 31-20 victory last season. Two of the four matchups under coach Jim Harbaugh have gone to overtime, and this will be the year Michigan avoids the dreaded “trap game”and continues its strong play to make a statement win.
The Wolverines are trending in the right direction and are on track for a great finish to the season. This won’t be a blowout game, but Patterson and wide receiver Ronnie Bell will have another strong outing to help Michigan win by at least 10.
Pick: Michigan (-9.0)
Minnesota vs Northwestern Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota (#8) | -14.5 (-105) | -670 | O 40.5 (-105) |
| Northwestern | +14.5 (-115) | +435 | U 40.5 (-115) |
Minnesota should have a big bounce-back game in Week 13 after suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of Iowa last weekend. Northwestern owns a disastrous 2-8 record and has lost all seven games against conference opponents.
This spread likely isn’t higher due to the unknown status of Tanner Morgan. The Golden Gophers’ star QB is questionable to play Saturday after being sacked hard late last weekend against Iowa.
Minnesota’s elite defense should lead to them winning and covering the spread whether or not Morgan plays. The Golden Gophers are only allowing 307.8 yards and 20.9 points per game, while the Wildcats offense that has been held to three or fewer points in three of its last five games.
The Cats’ lack of explosive plays has been one of the main reasons their offense this season has been one of the worst in college football.https://t.co/k9h0w9e3UR
— The Daily Northwestern (@thedailynu) November 16, 2019
Golden Gophers running back Rodney Smith has been a force on the ground, while talented receivers Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson will make life easier for a freshman QB if Morgan can’t go. Minnesota is very likely to win the battle in the air considering Northwestern has the nation’s worst-ranked pass offense and have lost their starting QB Hunter Johnson to injury.
Northwestern may have “bounced back” with a 45-6 win over UMass last weekend, but they were 39.5-point favorites in the game and expected to easily win. The Golden Gophers are still fighting to win the conference title and will be playing with much more motivation that a Northwestern team that has lost seven of their last eight.
Morgan has played an important role for Minnesota this season, but the Golden Gophers have other players who are capable of stepping up. Expect Minnesota’s defense to shutdown Northwestern’s 125th ranked offense and lead the team to a big bounce-back win.
Pick: Minnesota (-14.5)
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
