College football betting odds and expert picks for KU, K-State & more in Week 13
It’s hard to believe there are only two weeks left in the college football regular season.
But here we are.
Let’s try to find some winners before bowl season arrives.
Missouri (+7.5) at Oklahoma
Missouri might be playing Oklahoma at a good time. The Sooners are coming off a monumental win at Alabama, and OU fans are starting to look ahead to the College Football Playoff. Can the Tigers play spoiler? Maybe. But they haven’t been great against the best SEC teams on their schedule. And it’s hard to see the Missouri offense firing on all cylinders with a backup QB on the road.
Kansas State (+17.5) at Utah
Chris Klieman has a good track record when K-State is the underdog. He has even guided the Wildcats to three outright wins as a double-digit dog. But all three of those victories came against Oklahoma. And K-State wasn’t playing without its best running back and wide receiver in any of those games. It’s hard to see K-State pulling off an upset at Utah without Dylan Edwards and Jayce Brown.
When the Utes win, they usually do it big. All eight of their victories have come by more than 20 points.
Kansas (+4.5) at Iowa State
There aren’t many things you can count on in Big 12 football. But Kansas always seems to create problems for Iowa State. The Jayhawks have won three in a row against the Cyclones, and that history doesn’t seem to be factored into this spread. Iowa State has lost four of its past five games. And it needed an improbable comeback for the lone victory at TCU. Take away a punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter, and it doesn’t happen.
To be fair, Kansas hasn’t been anything special lately, either. But the Jayhawks are getting a few extra points of value in a game they have traditionally won under Lance Leipold.
My favorite college football bets for Week 13
1. BYU (-2.5) at Cincinnati: I expected BYU to be favored by nearly a touchdown in this game. Instead, we can get the Cougars at under a field goal. Sign me up! I’m not sure why the betting market isn’t embracing the Cougars, but they have covered this number in every game that wasn’t played against Big 12 juggernaut Texas Tech. Cincinnati hasn’t performed well against the best teams on its schedule. It’s hard to see that changing now. Pick: BYU.
2. Kansas (+4.5) at Iowa State: Who are the Cyclones to be laying this many points against any competent Big 12 team, let alone one that they haven’t beaten since 2021? Pick: Kansas.
3. California (-2.5) at Stanford: They say you’re supposed to throw out the records in rivalry games like this, but that is hard for me to do when Cal (6-4) has been so much better than Stanford (3-7) all season. Pick: Cal.
4. USC (+9.5) at Oregon: The Ducks are good, but I think they are a tad overrated. Their best win is against who exactly? USC will provide a step up in competition and keep this game close. Pick: USC.
5. Michigan State (+16.5) at Iowa: Iowa fell short of pulling off upsets in its past two games. But it managed to cover the spread as an underdog against both Oregon and USC. Here’s guessing they take out their frustrations against Michigan State at home. Pick: Iowa.
Last week: 2-3.
Season record: 25-33 (-12.3 units).
Other bets worth considering
6. K-State (+17.5) at Utah: The Wildcats are usually feisty when they are underdogs. But I’m worried they are dealing with too many injuries to keep up with Utah on the road. Lean: Utah.
7. Nebraska (+9.5) at Penn State: The Nittany Lions have been playing better of late, but this feels like too many points. Nebraska is coming off a bye week, and I expect the Cornhuskers to have a good game plan. They will push Penn State, even with a backup quarterback. Lean: Nebraska.
8. Baylor (+7.5) at Arizona: I was really hoping to avoid this. The Bears have not been a fun team to bet on this season. They have gone 2-8 against the spread, and head coach Dave Aranda might be on the hot seat. But I can’t get this number. Arizona is also due for a letdown with Arizona State up next on the schedule. Lean: Baylor.
9. TCU (+1.5) at Houston: Willie Fritz might be the Big 12 Coach of the Year. TCU might be the most disappointing Big 12 team of the year. Let’s not overthink this. Lean: Houston.
10. San Jose State (+12.5) at San Diego State: The Aztecs seem to have the best home-field advantage in the Mountain West this season, as they have gone a perfect 5-0 straight up and against the spread in San Diego. Meanwhile, San Jose State is coming off a 55-10 road loss to Nevada. Lean: San Diego State.
Last week: 1-4.
Season record: 33-27 (+4.5 units).
Upset pick of the week
11. Kansas (+180) at Iowa State: Let’s hope the Big 12’s version of rock, paper, scissors continues for another week. Iowa State beat Kansas State earlier this year. Then K-State defeated KU. Now it’s time for KU to keep the tradition going and knock off the Cyclones. Pick: Kansas.
Last week: 0-1.
Season record: 4-8 (-0.2 units).