College Football Odds Week 11: Picks, Spread Predictions for Top 25 Games
On Saturday, No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama will face off in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The last time the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the AP poll went head-to-head? That was 2011, when the Tigers were also No. 1 and the Crimson Tide were also No. 2.
Coincidentally, that LSU-Alabama matchup also took place at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tigers won that game—one of the most memorable in recent memory—9-6 in overtime.
There should be a lot more offense this time, as LSU and Alabama have both scored a lot of points this season. The Crimson Tide rank second in the nation with 48.6 points per game, while the Tigers are fourth at 46.8 points per game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
While LSU-Alabama is the clear top game of the Week 11, there are some other exciting contests taking place Saturday. Here's a look at the full slate, along with odds, predictions and more.
Week 11 Schedule and Odds
Saturday, Nov. 9
Maryland at No. 3 Ohio State (-43.5) (noon, Fox)
No. 5 Penn State (-7) at No. 13 Minnesota (noon, ABC)
Vanderbilt at No. 10 Florida (-26) (noon, ESPN)
No. 11 Baylor (-2) at TCU (noon, FS1)
East Carolina at No. 23 SMU (-22) (noon, ESPNU)
No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama (-6.5) (3:30 p.m., CBS)
No. 20 Kansas State at Texas (-7) (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
No. 22 Wake Forest (-2.5) at Virginia Tech (3:30 p.m., ACC Network)
UConn at No. 17 Cincinnati (-35) (3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
No. 18 Iowa at No. 16 Wisconsin (-9.5) (4 p.m., Fox)
Missouri at No. 6 Georgia (-16.5) (7 p.m., ESPN)
No. 4 Clemson (-31.5) at N.C. State (7:30 p.m., ABC)
No. 15 Notre Dame (-8) at Duke (7:30 p.m., ACC Network)
Iowa State at No. 9 Oklahoma (-14.5) (8 p.m., Fox)
Wyoming at No. 21 Boise State (-12.5) (10:15 p.m., ESPN)
Nevada at No. 24 San Diego State (-17) (10:30 p.m., ESPN2)
All times ET. Predicted winners against the spread in bold.
Top 3 Games to Watch
No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama
There's a lot at stake in this game between the top two teams in the country. The winner will likely finish first in the SEC West and earn a spot in the conference's championship game—which it will be favored to win over the SEC East champion—and it could also take over the top spot in proceeding College Football Playoff rankings.
For Alabama, it may need a win to avoid missing the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide don't have many impressive wins during their 8-0 start, so they need to prove themselves with a victory over their SEC rival.
Meanwhile, LSU could still lose this game and make the College Football Playoff. The Tigers already have quality wins over Florida and Auburn during their 8-0 start, so if their only loss comes against Alabama, they would still have an impressive resume.
As for betting, take the Tigers with the extra 6.5 points. Even if they don't notch a road win, this is going to be a close game that is decided late.
No. 5 Penn State at No. 13 Minnesota
The Big Ten also has a matchup between two undefeated teams in Week 11.
Penn State already owns strong victories over a pair of ranked Big Ten rivals, Iowa and Michigan, but it has a challenging November schedule. Not only do the Nittany Lions play Minnesota, but they also face Ohio State, the top-ranked team from the conference, later in November.
But first, Penn State has to get through Minnesota, which has also started the season 8-0. However, the Golden Gophers' most difficult games are still to come, as they also have remaining matchups against Iowa and Wisconsin.
Although both of these teams are unbeaten, Penn State is the better of the two, and it will prove that Saturday. Expect the Nittany Lions to take control in the second half and win by more than seven points, so bet on them in this matchup.
No. 18 Iowa at No. 16 Wisconsin
This game won't have College Football Playoff implications, but it should still be an exciting game between two of the better teams in the Big Ten.
Iowa and Wisconsin are both 6-2, although they have gotten there in different ways. Both of the Hawkeyes' losses came against ranked Big Ten rivals, as they fell to Michigan and Penn State in consecutive weeks in early October. Meanwhile, the Badgers opened the season with six straight wins before losing to Illinois and Ohio State in their past two games.
While neither of these teams will be in the College Football Playoff consideration, both will be looking for strong finishes to their seasons to get into a top bowl game.
As for this head-to-head matchup, bet on the Hawkeyes to cover the 9.5-point spread. It's likely that the Badgers will notch the win, but it won't be by more than one possession.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
