Each week throughout the college football season, OddsTrader scours the college football odds board and highlights three of the biggest potential upsets for that week’s NCAAF slate. These are underdogs that will not only cover the spread but are poised to pull the outright victory.
Let’s check out the college odds board in this week’s Conference Championships and keep cashing our NCAAF tickets!
Picks Summary
- Alabama ML (+175)
- Appalachian State ML (+205)
- Oklahoma State ML (+460)
*All odds from Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Saturday, December 2, 2023 – 04:00 PM EDT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
SEC Championship
Stat Trifecta
- Georgia is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played on a Saturday when playing on the road.
- Alabama is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games when playing as the underdog.
- Alabama is 10-0 SU in their last 10 games.Â
This is the biggest conference title tilt on Saturday’s slate of games and if the Crimson Tide can knock off SEC’s big Dawgs, then things could get very interesting in terms of their chances at a CFP berth.
Georgia appears to be a lock to make it to college football’s Final Four even if they lose this game, therefore, one could even make an argument that this title clash is much more important to Alabama and will likely give them extra incentive to take the Bulldogs down.
Alabama had defeated Georgia in seven consecutive meetings before they dropped a 33-18 decision two years ago in the national championship game. Should Alabama’s stout pass defense, ranked No. 18 in the nation and surrendering just 171 yards per game, come to bear on Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, then we could easily see an upset here. Roll Tide!
NCAAF Pick: Alabama +5 (-109) at BetRivers (check our BetRivers Review)
NCAAF Pick: Alabama ML (+175) at Caesars Sportsbook
Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Troy Trojans
Saturday, December 2, 2023 – 04:00 PM ET at Veterans Memorial Stadium
Sun Belt Championship
Stat Trifecta
- Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games.
- Appalachian State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.
- Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games against Troy.
This is far from a marquee matchup as the lightly heralded Sun Belt Conference will attract few interested viewers, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t money to be made. And we found plenty of value with Appalachian State as they are getting nearly a touchdown from the oddsmakers.
The Mountaineers have defeated the Trojans in their last five meetings, with the most recent being a 32-28-win last year which was the closest game over that span. Appalachian State has defeated Troy by a 25-point average margin of victory in those five contests.
Troy has built its foundation on defense this season, allowing only 16.7 points per game which ranks them 10th in the nation while Appalachian State has been doing it on offense, averaging nearly 36 points per game which places them at No. 17 in the nation.
The Trojans don’t have the offensive firepower to keep pace with the Mountaineers despite its impressive defense, which is why the road dog is such an attractive option, especially when they are getting 6 ½ points against a team they have dominated in recent memory.
NCAAF Pick: Appalachian State +6 ½ (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
NCAAF Pick: Appalachian State +205 at Caesars Sportsbook
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Texas Longhorns
Saturday, December 2, 2023 – 12:00 PM ET at AT&T Stadium
Big 12 Championship
Stat Trifecta
- Oklahoma State is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games.
- Oklahoma State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when installed as the underdog.
- Oklahoma State is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games against Texas.
The Cowboys and Longhorns will play this edition of the Big 12 Championship on neutral soil at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium. These teams traditionally play each other during the regular season but due to an unbalanced schedule with the addition of four teams to the conference, they did not square up during the regular season. Ironically, this year they will meet in the biggest conference game of the season – the Big 12 Championship.
I bring this up because these teams know quite a bit about each other and Oklahoma State has dominated this series, having defeated Texas in 6 of the last 8 meetings and covering the number in six of those games as well.
The Horns are favored by two touchdowns because they have a better defense than the Cowboys, ranked 12th in points allowed surrendering 17.3 PPG versus Oklahoma State’s 77th-ranked defense allowing 27.3 PPG. That is the biggest advantage Texas has in this matchup but the offenses are closer with Texas scoring four points per game more than their adversaries on Saturday.
However, we should note Oklahoma State has averaged over 41 points per contest in their last two games with wins over Houston and BYU. The 14-point head start is simply too high in a game this big and in a series dominated by the underdog.
Grab the points and watch the upset.
NCAAF Pick: Oklahoma State +14 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
NCAAF Pick: Oklahoma State ML (+460) at Caesars Sportsbook
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
