Battles between Ohio State at Michigan State and Clemson at Virginia Tech highlight SI Gambling analyst Roy Larking's Saturday college football betting card.
College Football Week 14 Betting Preview
Aiming to impress the College Football Playoff committee, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson are heavy favorites during Week 14 NCAA football action. The Buckeyes visit Michigan State and the Tigers visit Virginia Tech.
With betting odds from the DraftKings Sportsbook - here is a breakdown and picks for those two matchups that are scheduled for Saturday, December 5th.
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No. 4 Ohio State (-24) at Michigan State | TOTAL: 59.5
Looking to remain in the top four College Football Playoff rankings, and the Big Ten Championship race, No. 4 Ohio State (4-0) visits Michigan State (2-3) on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. ET at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Buckeyes have had two of their last three games cancelled due to COVID-19 issues. Ohio State needs to defeat the Spartans this week and Michigan next week to earn a berth in the Big Ten Championship game.
Ohio State last played on November 21 and posted a 42-35 win over previously unbeaten Indiana. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 42-21 third quarter lead before easing up and getting shutout 14-0 in the final frame. Ohio State defeated Nebraska (52-17), Penn State (38-25) and Rutgers (49-27) during their first three games this season. Games against Maryland and Illinois were cancelled. Head coach Ryan Day is not with the team after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Michigan State opened their season with a 1-3 record as they lost to Rutgers (38-27) defeated Michigan (27-24) and were flat in loses to Iowa (49-7) and Indiana (24-0). Following a cancelled game against Maryland, the Spartans shocked previously unbeaten No. 8 Northwestern during a 29-20 win at home last week. Playing a tough schedule, this is the fourth game Michigan State will play against an AP Top 25 ranked team. They are 2-1 in the previous three games.
Buckeyes QB Justin Fields has completed 79.6% of his passes for 1,208 yards with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. Spartans QB Rocky Lombardi has completed just 54.1% of his passes for 1,057 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Including a 34-10 win at home last season, Ohio State has won four straight games against Michigan State. Feeling Ohio State starts fast in this contest – bet on the Buckeyes covering the first half point spread.
Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes (-12.5) First Half at DraftKings
Bet on College Football at DraftKings Sportsbook
No. 3 Clemson (-22) at Virginia Tech | TOTAL: 66.5
Looking to earn a sixth consecutive berth in the ACC Championship game, with a win this week, No. 3 Clemson (8-1) visits Virginia Tech (4-5) on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. Playing for the first time in 21 days, due to COVID-19 issues, the Tigers showed very little rust as they pounded Pittsburgh 52-17 at home last week. Clemson had 581 total yards on offense and the Tigers defense held the Panthers offense to 246 total yards.
After missing two games, due to COVID-19 protocol, QB Trevor Lawrence returned as the Clemson starter last week. He completed 26-of-37 pass attempts for 403 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers were up 48-17 after three quarters and Lawrence sat out the final frame. While not as dominant as he usually is, RB Travis Etienne posted 78 total yards and two rushing touchdowns. The Clemson defense did their part with four interceptions and one forced fumble.
Following a 4-2 start to their season, Virginia Tech was flying high with a No. 19 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll back in Week 8. The wheels have fallen off since then as the Hokies have lost three straight. The first two losses were close as they fell 38-35 to No. 25 Liberty and 25-24 to No. 9 Miami. Prior to a bye last week, Virginia Tech was blasted 47-14 on the road against Pittsburgh. The Hokies trailed 23-14 at halftime and were shutout in the second half.
In addition to their games against Pitt, which ended in decidedly different results, Clemson and Virginia Tech have played three other same opponents. They both defeated Boston College while the Hokies lost to Miami who the Tigers defeated 42-17. In the other game, Clemson topped Wake Forest 37-13 who defeated Virginia Tech 23-16. Clemson has won five straight against Virginia Tech. That includes a 31-17 victory in Blacksburg during last the meeting in 2017.
Pick: Clemson Tigers (-22) at DraftKings
2020 NCAA Football Record: 6-4 ATS
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