Week 13 of the 2024 College Football offers the penultimate week of conference play. The SEC is wide open. And spots in each of the Power 5 FBS conference games will likely remain up for grabs. The schedule features a Big Ten, College Football Playoff Ranking Top 12 showdown between Indiana and Ohio State. The loser of that game will be watching the Big Ten title game on TV.

Bettors will be taking a deep look at college football odds with serious interest. College football betting sites have posted lines for dozens of games this week.

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There are no other top-10 matchups on the schedule this week. This means oddsmakers will be trying to balance potentially large point spreads with teams who need to produce lopsided wins in the case of potential tiebreakers in determining conference title game foes. And you can expect at least one upset among the nation’s best teams this week. 

Where may that be? We’ll try to find out. 

Opportunities abound all week and weekend on sports betting apps. For instance, BetMGM, FanDuel and ESPN BET have posted a healthy slate of futures concerning the college football playoff and season awards. 

Take a look at our favorite college football picks for Week 13 of the 2024 season. Any team rankings are from the latest AP Top 25 Poll.

College Football Week 13 Best Bets To Back Today

Thursday, November 21
NC State at Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Buzz: The Yellow Jackets (6-4, 4-3 ACC) are always a tough out at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Ask the Miami Hurricanes. Tech’s only home was to to Notre Dame. Tech is bowl eligible. The Wolfpack are on the verge of a postseason bid. NC State (5-5, 2-4 ACC) has not won or lost more than 2 straight games this season. The question remains which version of the ‘Pack will show up on a Thursday night. Both teams are coming off the bye. Both to Notre Dame. Tech beat Duke, while the Devils topped the Wolfpack. NC State is just 2-7-1 ATS. ESPN Analytics gives Georgia Tech a 76.5% chance of winning. And Tech’s average margin of winning is 16.7 points.

Best Bet: Georgia Tech -9 (-110) at DraftKings

Saturday, November 23
Ole Miss at Florida, 12 p.m. (ABC)

Buzz: The Lane Train pulls into Gainesville on a high after upending Georgia at home and the bye. Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC)) keeps its minuscule SEC title game hopes alive if it can beat Florida and Mississippi State. The Rebels have a 35.5-pont average winning margin. The 5-5 and 3-4 Gators stunned LSU at home Saturday. A healthy D.J. Langway changes everything. Florida's win keeps Billy Napier from having report for work at Lowe's in Butler Plaza. UF needs one more win to be be bowl eligible. ESPN Analytics gives Ole Miss an 77.8% chance of winning. The Gators are becoming stubbornly nasty in the Swamp. UF's defense should be able to pressure Jaxson Dart enough to limit his numbers. And keep this one within the numbers. 
Best Bet: Florida +11.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Indiana at Ohio State, 12 p.m. (FOX)

Buzz: The Hoosiers have run the table thus far in 2024. In addition to their 10-0, 7-0 in the Big Ten start, Indiana is 8-2 ATS. IU did not cover a 12-point line in a 20-15 home win against Michigan. That was IU's first legit Big Ten opponent in an otherwise soft-sided conference schedule. Indiana enters The Horseshoe in Columbus off the bye. Ohio State is No. 2 in the CFB Playoff Rankings. The Bucks (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) failed to cover 5 times this season. They rolled through Northwestern at Wrigley Field but failed to cover on the 28.5-point line Saturday. ESPN Analytics gives Ohio State an 73.2% chance of winning. The number is a bit of a discount at just 2 scores. Ohio State has allowed just 9.25 points in its past 4 games. Indiana hasn't come close to facing a team like Ohio State in a place like Columbus. Style points matter as the regular season comes to a close.

Best Bet: Ohio State -11 (-110) at DraftKings

Kentucky at Texas, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

Buzz: Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) is the top SEC team in the College Football Rankings. Texas is No. 1 in the conference after beating - but failing to cover against - Arkansas. But Texas sputtered against the Razorbacks in that 20-10 win. Texas plays Texas A&M next week. That winner may face Georgia in the SEC title game. Here, the issue of the College Football Playoff Ranking comes into play when looking the spread. Kentucky (4-6, 1-6 SEC) is no longer considered a quality SEC opponent. Thus, anything short of a decisive win here by Texas will be seen as another blemish by the committee. Texas (6-4 ATS) has covered in 4 of 5 games when giving 20 or more points.

Best Bet: Texas -21 (-110) at DraftKings

Penn State at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. (CBS) 

Buzz: Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) is currently the odd team out in the College Football Playoff Rankings when it comes to the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are 4^th overall, but Oregon and Ohio State remain No. 1 and 2. Penn State loses any tiebreaker. Thus, the Lions will most likely settle for a home playoff game in the snow and cold of Happy Valley. To do that, PSU needs a convincing win over Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) to impress the committee. Give the points here, especially with the number at below 2 TDs. Especially with Indiana playing Ohio State. The Lions have won all 3 road BIG games this season, ESPN Analytics gives Penn State a 75.1% chance of winning.  

Best Bet: Penn State -12 (-110) at DraftKings

Colorado at Kansas, 3:30 p.m. (FOX)

Buzz: Coach Prime and the Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) are stampeding through the Big 12 this season. Their only Big 12 loss was to then No. 18 Kansas State, 31-28. The tandem of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter doubled-up Utah +1 on Saturday in a 49-24 game where Colorado scored 3 TDS in the final quarter. That's the no-so secret weapon the Colorado brings to the plains of Kansas. The Buffs (8-2 ATS) are as quick and fast and strong in Minute No. 59 as they are in Minute No. 1. KU (4-6, 3-4 Big 12) upset BYU Saturday 17-13. The hope of the Jayhawks is to keep this a close, low-scoring game. That win over BYU pushed this number into very favorable territory. ESPN Analytics gives Colorado a 54.4% chance to win. 

Best Bet: Colorado -2.5 (-110) at DraftKings

BYU at Arizona State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Buzz: Bettors knew something was curious when the Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) were just 3-point favorites at home against Kansas. Those suspicions proved prescient as the Jayhawks pulled off the outright 17-13 upset. This number moved 2.5 points after that loss. A week earlier, BYU escaped with a 1-point win over Utah. BYU has a shot at the college playoff as the Big 12 champion. Otherwise, the Cougars will be on the outside looking in come playoff time. BYU has covered in all 4 games as an underdog and is 7-3 ATS. The Sun Devils are 8-2 ATS. Arizona State (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) are another big-time positive surprise in the expanded Big 12 for fans and bettors. They're in the hunt for a New Year's Adjacent Bowl. ASU has missed one cover in its past 6 games and beat Kansas State 24-14 outright as 7.5-point underdogs Saturday. ESPN Analytics gives ASU a 55.8% chance to win. This game will be close. Take the points here. 

Best Bet: ASU +3.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Alabama at Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

Buzz: Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC)) served notice to the SEC and College Playoff Ranking committee with a dominant 42-13 at LSU in Week 11. The Tide rose to No. 7 in the playoff poll, but they're one of 6 teams with a chance for 2 spots in the SEC title game. Thus, they’ll need to hold serve in the rankings. And win decisively. All 4 wheels have fallen off the Sooner Schooner this season. OU (5-5, 1-5 SEC) has lost 4 straight in the SEC. It is coming off the bye here. Neither team is especially impressive on the line. But the Tide is coming in at the right time for Alabama. Brent Venables is coaching for his future in Norman. He got the proverbial “kiss of death” public expression of support from the OU’s president. Never a good sign. ESPN Analytics gives Alabama an 81.6% chance to win. 

Best Bet: Alabama -13.5 (-120) at bet365

Texas A&M at Auburn, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) 

Buzz: Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) joins 5 other SEC teams with a legitimate shot at the conference title game. Remember, there are no more divisions. The SEC championship could well come down to a second or third tiebreaker. Contenders (the Aggies are 5-1 in conference) need to stack points against conference foes. The Aggies were 15th in the most recent poll, on the outside looking in with Georgia. The Dawgs did their job Saturday against Tennessee. The Aggies have no room for error, or close calls against sub-par SEC teams. Look for turnovers deciding this one. Auburn is -10 this season, while Texas A&M is +6. That's enough in a game like this. Texas A&M's 38-3 win over New Mexico State Saturday was the perfect get-right opportunity after a loss at South Carolina. Auburn (4-6, 1-5 SEC) beat UL Monroe 48-14. QB Payton Thorne was fully healthy for that one. ESPN Analytics gives Texas A&M a 58.1% chance to win. 

Best Bet: Texas A&M -4.5 (-110) at DraftKings

USC at UCLA, 10:30 p.m. (NBC)

Buzz: This game is an answer to the most surprising trivia question in the new and expanded Big Ten: “What is the shortest road trip between stadiums in the Big Ten?” The Rose Bowl and LA Coliseum are just 12.21 miles apart. This time, the Bruins (4-6, 3-5 Big Ten) and Trojans (5-5, 3-5 Big Ten) play at one of the most picturesque settings in the Big Ten: the Rose Bowl. Both teams are 6-4 on the line. USC (-6.5) beat Nebraska outright 28-20. The Bruins lost 31-19 despite being 4.5-point favorites at Washington. They've been underdogs in every game since Week 1. Take the points here. UCLA has covered in every game this season when it has gotten at least 5 points. ESPN Analytics gives Southern Cal a 74% chance to win. 

Best Bet: UCLA +6.5 (-110) at DraftKings