
Trophies are on the line – who you got?
Opening lines for this week’s conference championship games have been hung, so in this space we take a look at what the oddsmakers are laying down around the country.
With that, as always, if you’re going to dabble, please do so responsibly. Don’t forget, any line that seems too good to be true likely is, and the sharps in Vegas know what they’re doing.
Here’s a look at the opening lines and a few other thoughts, with all lines courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, who is an SBNation partner. All odds are subject to adjust during the week, and all kick times listed are central. TV provider listed in parentheses. The Nuggets of Wisdom (NoW) are free of charge, so you’re getting what you paid for there!
What are some of your favorite plays this week? Leave them in the comments section below and we’ll compare notes.
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Friday, Dec. 6th
- 6 pm (CBSSN) – Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State (-3.0 / 57.5 total)
NoW – The Conference USA championship game is being hosted by Jacksonville State, and oddsmakers see it as a toss-up in essence, with the home team favored by a field goal…
- 7 pm (FOX) – UNLV at Boise State (-4.0 / 58.5 total)
NoW – The Mountain West title game is also on campus sites, meaning the Broncos get the huge home field edge here over former Tiger Barry Odom. It’s a little surprising that the MWC doesn’t play this in a neutral-site location. The winner should get one of the five automatic bids into the playoffs – how wild would it be if Odom got it done here? I know I’m rooting like hell for him…
- 7 pm (ABC) – Tulane at Army (+3.5 / 48.5 total)
NoW – The American conference championship is also played on campus of the #1 seed, and that means Army, at 8-0 in league play, gets to host Tulane (7-1). This one lost a little of the shine, as Tulane got beat last week by a very good Memphis team. That loss likely cost the American at any shot of getting the winner of this game into the playoff…
Saturday, Dec. 7th
- 11 am (ABC) – Iowa State vs. Arizona State (at Arlington, Texas) (-2.5 / 50.5 total)
NoW – Quite a story brewing here for the Sun Devils, who were picked dead last in the Big 12 Conference coming into the year. Now standing at 10-2, one more win improbably gets them into the playoff. The Cyclones would also get in with a win, but the Big 12 is a one-bid league, not shockingly…
- 11 am (ESPN) – Ohio vs. Miami, Ohio (Detroit, Mich.) (-1.5 / 44.5 total)
NoW – No shot at the winner here making the playoff, but the Mid-America Conference title game is usually an exciting one regardless of the national stakes…
- 3 pm (ABC) – Georgia vs. Texas (Atlanta, Ga.) (-2.5 / 49.5 total)
NoW – The psychology of this game is intriguing. We all saw Georgia dominate Texas in Austin earlier this year, yet the Longhorns now play what’s effectively a road game in Atlanta, and they’re a 2.5-point favorite. Did Georgia peak too early? They’ve been very up-and-down since that win at UT, so it’s understandable to see the Longhorns installed as favorites. Both teams are probably in the playoff even with a loss, so just how much rocket fuel does either team put into this one?…
- 6:30 pm (ESPN) – Marshall at Louisiana (-3.5 / 58.5 total)
NoW – The last of the on-campus title games for the weekend, the Sun Belt championship won’t produce a playoff bid for either team despite solid records for Marshall (9-3) and the host Ragin’ Cajuns (10-2)…
- 7 pm (CBS) – Penn State vs. Oregon (Indianapolis, Ind.) (-3.5 / 50.5 total)
NoW – The Big 10 title game will likely see both participants make the playoff, so like its SEC counterpart, just how much will both teams lay on the line for this one? I thought you might see Oregon laying a few more points here, if for no other reason that Penn State’s history in big games under James Franklin…
- 7 pm (ABC) – Clemson vs. SMU (Charlotte, NC) (-2.5 / 54.5 total)
NoW – Clemson needs a win to advance to the playoff, while SMU could back door their way into the 12-team field even with a loss here – but they’d undoubtedly be sweating selection Sunday…
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