College Football Week 14 Odds: Alabama, Michigan State, Clemson Betting Chalk

The Alabama Crimson Tide are among the favorites on the opening betting odds at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark for this week's conference championship matchups, with College Football Playoff berths on the line in at least three of the contests.

The sportsbooks opened the Crimson Tide as heavy 17-point favorites against Florida for the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, with Alabama a lock for a College Football Playoff berth with a victory. Heading into the week, only one school is all but assured of a berth in the College Football Playoff, and that's the Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners.

The Gators are just 1-8 against the spread in their last nine games against the Crimson Tide, according to the Odds Shark College Football Database, while Alabama is riding a four-game ATS winning streak. The Crimson Tide have also won nine games in a row straight up heading into Saturday, with their lone loss to the Mississippi Rebels coming back on September 19.

While Florida has virtually no chance of making the College Football Playoff regardless of Saturday's results, the Big Ten and ACC title games both include a pair of contenders for the coveted postseason berths.

For the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, the Michigan State Spartans opened as a four-point favorite against the Iowa Hawkeyes, despite the fact that Iowa turned in a perfect 12-0 SU regular season. The Hawkeyes are 9-3 ATS in their last dozen games against the Spartans, while Michigan State has picked up the SU win in 24 of its last 26 games against conference foes.

And for the ACC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, the Clemson Tigers opened as 6.5-point favorites against the North Carolina Tar Heels. North Carolina is just 1-5 SU in its last six games against favored Clemson, while bettors have watched the Tigers go 0-4 ATS in their last four contests heading into Saturday's title matchup.

Michigan State, Iowa, Clemson and North Carolina are still contenders for College Football Playoff berths, with wins on Saturday their potential ticket to the postseason. The Stanford Cardinal, who have an outside shot at a College Football Playoff berth depending on Saturday's results, opened as four-point favorites against the Southern Cal Trojans for the Pac-12 Championship Game at Levi's Stadium.

Elsewhere, Houston opened as a seven-point favorite against Temple with those schools meeting in the AAC Championship Game, and San Diego State opened as a 3.5-point favorite against Air Force in the Mountain West Championship Game.

Western Kentucky will take on Southern Miss in the Conference USA Championship Game on Saturday, with the Hilltoppers opening as 7.5-point favorites for the matchup. And Bowling Green opened as an eight-point favorite against Northern Illinois for the MAC Championship Game at Ford Field; that game is set for Friday.