College Football Picks Week 12: Best Favorites to Bet Before Odds Change

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been one of the most frustrating teams to bet on throughout the 2023 college football season.

OK State reeled off five straight wins, a run capped by a Bedlam victory over the Oklahoma Sooners two weeks ago.

Mike Gundy's team proceeded to score just three points last week in a 42-point defeat to the UCF Knights.

OK State's lackluster showing gave bettors little reason to trust it, but Week 12 presents the perfect opportunity for the Cowboys to regain your trust.

The Houston Cougars struggled to find their footing in the Big 12 and they may be outclassed by Ollie Gordan and Co. on Saturday.

Trusting favorites could be the best strategy to bet the majority of Saturday's Big 12 games. The West Virginia Mountaineers and Kansas State Wildcats can also be trusted with mismatches in their favor.

No. 23 Oklahoma State (-6.5) at Houston

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 11: Ollie Gordon II #0 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys runs the ball against Walter Yates III #27 of the UCF Knights in the first half of a game at FBC Mortgage Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

For the latest lines on these games, go to DraftKings.

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Oklahoma State can only go up after hitting the rock bottom of its season in the 45-3 loss to UCF.

The Cowboys should be able to recover on Saturday against a Houston defense that experienced its share of troubles in Big 12 play.

Houston allowed over 30 points in four of its five conference defeats, and that trend could continue against an angry OK State offense.

The Cougars allow 164.7 rushing yards per game, which is a bad sign for their upset hopes on Saturday against Ollie Gordon.

Gordon has 1,250 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns this season. He had six straight games with 100 yards and a score ended in the Week 11 defeat.

Gordon could run angry against the Houston defense and put OK State back in a winning position that it has been in for most of the last two months.

Cincinnati at West Virginia (-6.5)

Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 04: West Virginia Mountaineers Running Back Jahiem White (22) runs with the ball during the second half of the College Football Game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 4, 2023, at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

West Virginia is also in need of a bounce-back win on Saturday.

The Mountaineers were walloped by the Oklahoma Sooners, who earned their own victory on the rebound, in a game in which they conceded 59 points.

West Virginia played solid defensive football all season and it should get back to those ways against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Cincinnati carries the worst record in the Big 12 at 1-6 and it has struggled in a majority of its conference contests.

The Bearcats suffered three of their four defeats by double digits against teams that have been in the Big 12 for a long time. The only close result versus a Big 12 stalwart came against the Baylor Bears, who are in the bottom half of the league standings with Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is finishing up a down year for the program after Luke Fickell departed for the Wisconsin Badgers. It is the perfect opponent for West Virginia to take out some frustration on and produce a double-digit bounce-back win.

No. 21 Kansas State (-9.5) at No. 25 Kansas

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

MANHATTAN, KS - NOVEMBER 11: Running back DJ Giddens #31 of the Kansas State Wildcats runs down field with the ball past defensive lineman Cooper Lanz #97 of the Baylor Bears in the first half at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)

Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, FS1

The Sunflower State showdown between the Kansas State Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks could be one-sided in favor of the higher-ranked team.

Kansas State won its last three games in emphatic fashion. It scored over 40 points and held its opponents to a combined 28 points.

The K-State defense could produce another strong performance against a Kansas offense that is dealing with quarterback injuries.

Kansas' starter Jalon Daniels has been out for most of the season and backup Jason Bean suffered an injury in last week's defeat to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Bean has been practicing this week, as head coach Lance Leipold said he is optimistic the backup will play, per Sports Radio 810.

However, Bean may not be at 100 percent and that will hurt what Kansas can do against a K-State defense that is playing as well as any unit in the country right now.

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