College Football Picks Week 12: Where the Smart Money Should Go

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Week 12 of the college football season is here and sports bettors are trying to figure out which teams are supremely motivated down the stretch. 

Smart money usually lands squarely on programs that have a reason to play on Saturdays, or against ones that are looking ahead to the 2012 campaign.

Let's take a look at five teams that are attracting plenty of attention from the bigger bettors in Las Vegas.

Oregon State Beavers

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The Oregon State Beavers don't have much to play for with a 2-8 record and no chance of becoming bowl eligible, but sharp bettors got down on them early as 3.5-point home underdogs against the Washington Huskies this week.

It may have something to do with the Huskies being 0-7 ATS in the last seven meetings in this Pac-12 Conference series.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

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The North Carolina State Wolfpack opened up as nine-point home underdogs versus the Clemson Tigers and were immediately bet down by as much as two full points in some spots.

That's an interesting move when considering that over 85 percent of the straight-bet action is coming in on the visitor for Saturday's ACC affair.

It might have something to do with the Wolfpack's stellar 63-47 ATS record as an underdog.

SMU Mustangs

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The SMU Mustangs attracted plenty of sharp players when the betting odds opened them as 20-point road underdogs against the Houston Cougars Saturday.

Due to no further line movement occurring with the announcement of ESPN College GameDay coming on campus, it's probably the right side.

The Mustangs are a money-making 15-5-2 ATS as a road underdog of 10.5 points or more, while the underdog has cashed in five of the last seven meetings in this series.

Purdue Boilermakers

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The Purdue Boilermakers may have had trouble getting up for this game until the oddsmakers established them as home underdogs for the second consecutive week.

That's probably fine with a team that just knocked off the Ohio State Buckeyes last Saturday as 7.5-point underdogs in front of the home faithful.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are 0-3 straight-up away from home this season, bringing in a 0-5 ATS mark as a road favorite into this Big Ten Conference affair.

Smart money figures the Boilermakers (+3) can strike again.

California Golden Bears

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The California Golden Bears will be seeking revenge from last year's 48-14 loss to the Stanford Cardinal as 6.5-point home underdogs.

Stanford is coming in off its first loss of the season and likely won't be making a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Smart money figures that the Cardinal will lack motivation in covering nearly a three-touchdown spread.

It's interesting that the oddsmakers sent out this number below the key number of 21, but sharp players were drawn to the underdog anyways.

The Golden Bears are 7-1 ATS as a road underdog of 10.5 or more points.