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ESPN staff
Can you believe Week 13 is here and Thanksgiving is already just a few days away? We have some big rivalry games this week for an appetizer before the full spread takes shape next weekend. Stay here for picks, betting tips, analysis and highlights and to avoid the forced conversation you’ll have with your family in the coming week.
Jump to: Top 25 games
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2:33
Scott Van Pelt looks to get over .500 on the season with his Week 13 winners of the college football regular season.
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Can you make the right late-game decisions? If you’ve ever screamed “GO FOR IT!” at your TV on fourth-and-1 or shaken your head as your school decided not to go for two, this is your chance to test your instincts and see what the percentages say are the best bets.
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Top 25 games
In order of game time, with College Football Playoff rankings; lines courtesy Caesars Sportsbook.
No. 8 Penn State at No. 2 Ohio State
Time: Noon ET
How to watch: Fox
Line: Ohio State -18.5
And our best line: This will mark the 10th time in the AP poll era that the teams are meeting with both ranked in the top 10. The higher-ranked team has won eight of the previous nine meetings, with the lone exception coming in 2017, when No. 6 Ohio State beat No. 2 Penn State.
Western Carolina at No. 5 Alabama
Time: Noon ET
How to watch: ESPN and ESPN App
Line: N/A
And our best line: Alabama has won 90 consecutive games against teams unranked in the AP poll, the longest such streak in the poll’s history. It’s also 65 more games than the next-longest active streak (Clemson, 25).
No. 10 Minnesota at Northwestern
Time: Noon ET
How to watch: ABC and ESPN App
Line: Minnesota -13.5
And our best line: Minnesota clinches the Big Ten West with a win at Northwestern and a Wisconsin loss against Purdue. If they both win, the Golden Gophers will play the Badgers next weekend for the Big Ten West crown.
Samford at No. 15 Auburn
Time: Noon ET
How to watch: SEC Network and ESPN App
Line: N/A
And our best line: This is the fifth time Samford has played an opponent ranked in the AP poll; the Bulldogs lost the previous four by an average of 40 points per game. Their closest loss was by 24 points against No. 16 Auburn in 2014.
Illinois at No. 17 Iowa
Time: Noon ET
How to watch: Big Ten Network
Line: Iowa -15.5
And our best line: Illinois is seeking to reach seven wins for the first time since 2011. With a victory, the Fighting Illini will have their most wins through 11 games since 2007, when they started the season 8-3 and eventually went to the Rose Bowl.
No. 21 Oklahoma State at West Virginia
Time: Noon ET
How to watch: ESPN2 and ESPN App
Line: Oklahoma State -6
And our best line: Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard has a rushing touchdown in 12 straight games dating back to last season. That is tied for the second-longest streak in Big 12 history. Only Missouri’s Corby Jones had a longer streak (14 games in 1997-98).
Kansas at No. 22 Iowa State
Time: Noon ET
How to watch: FSN
Line: Iowa State -24.5
And our best line: The Cyclones are bowl-eligible for the third straight season. It’s only the second time in school history Iowa State will appear in bowl games in three consecutive seasons. The only other time it happened was 2000-02.
Boston College at No. 16 Notre Dame
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: NBC
Line: Notre Dame -20
And our best line: Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book has thrown for at least four touchdowns passes in each of his past two games. If he throws four touchdown passes Saturday, he would become the first player in Notre Dame history to have four passing touchdowns in three straight games.
Texas State at No. 24 Appalachian State
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPN+ and ESPN App
Line: Appalachian State -29
And our best line: Appalachian State is 9-1 for the first time since 2010, when the Mountaineers were still FCS members and in the Southern Conference; it has not been 10-1 since 2006, when it won the FCS national championship. The Mountaineers are seeking their second consecutive 10-win season and fourth such season since joining FBS in 2014.
Texas A&M at No. 4 Georgia
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: CBS
Line: Georgia -13
And our best line: Georgia enters the week with a 39% chance to reach the College Football Playoff, the fifth-best of any team, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor. That number would jump to 44% with a victory over Texas A&M and 85% if the Bulldogs win out.
No. 13 Michigan at Indiana
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPN and ESPN App
Line: Michigan -9.5
And our best line: Michigan has won 23 consecutive games against Indiana, the most consecutive victories over a single opponent in school history. The most recent time the Hoosiers beat the Wolverines, coach Jim Harbaugh was a rookie quarterback in the NFL (1987).
Texas at No. 14 Baylor
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: Fox Sports 1
Line: Baylor -6
And our best line: With a win, Baylor will clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game. The Bears, who have lost four straight against Texas, have never appeared in a Big 12 title game.
UCLA at No. 23 USC
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: ABC and ESPN App
Line: USC -13.5
And our best line: UCLA must win its final two games to become bowl-eligible. The Bruins missed a bowl game last season and haven’t missed a bowl in consecutive seasons since 1989 and 1990. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI), UCLA has an 11% chance to reach six wins this season.
No. 25 SMU at Navy
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: CBS Sports Network
Line: Navy -3.5
And our best line: SMU is 1-8 in its past nine meetings against Navy, but won last season’s matchup. The Mustangs haven’t won consecutive games against Navy since a three-game stretch spanning 1963-93.
Purdue at No. 12 Wisconsin
Time: 4 p.m. ET
How to watch: Fox
Line: Wisconsin -24.5
And our best line: Wisconsin has won 13 straight games against Purdue, the longest winning streak in this series. The Boilermakers most recently beat the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in 2003, when both teams were ranked in the AP top 15.
No. 18 Memphis at South Florida
Time: 4 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPNU and ESPN App
Line: Memphis -14.5
And our best line: Memphis has a 61% chance to win the American Athletic Conference West division entering Saturday, according to FPI. With a victory, the Tigers’ chances of winning the division improve to 72%; a loss would drop Memphis’ chances of making the AAC championship game to 21%.
Arkansas at No. 1 LSU
Time: 7 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPN and ESPN App
Line: LSU -42.5
And our best line: LSU QB Joe Burrow‘s favorite targets this season have been Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, who are both averaging over 100 receiving yards per game. They are currently on pace to become the first pair of teammates in SEC history to each average 100 receiving yards in a season. If Jefferson gets a receiving touchdown Saturday, he and Chase would become the second pair of SEC teammates to each have at least 12 receiving touchdowns in the same season.
Temple at No. 19 Cincinnati
Time: 7 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPN2 and ESPN App
Line: Cincinnati -10
And our best line: Cincinnati can clinch the AAC East with a win. The Bearcats have never played in the AAC title game, which began with the 2015 season. The last time Cincinnati won the AAC was 2014, when it was co-champions with UCF and Memphis.
No. 6 Oregon at Arizona State
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: ABC and ESPN App
Line: Oregon -14
And our best line: The Ducks currently have a 29% chance to reach the College Football Playoff, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, sixth-best in FBS. A win doesn’t do much for the Ducks’ chances, but a loss would be catastrophic.
TCU at No. 9 Oklahoma
Time: 8 p.m. ET
How to watch: Fox
Line: Oklahoma -18
And our best line: Oklahoma clinches a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a victory against TCU or an Oklahoma State loss at West Virginia. According to FPI, there’s a 91% chance the Sooners clinch a championship game berth this week.
No. 7 Utah at Arizona
Time: 10 p.m. ET
How to watch: Fox Sports 1
Line: Utah -22.5
And our best line: Utah is allowing 11.3 points per game, fourth-fewest in FBS. The Utes have held five opponents under 10 points this season, their most in a season since 1978.
No. 20 Boise State at Utah State
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: CBS Sports Network
Line: Boise State -9
And our best line: With a victory, Boise State will clinch the Mountain West Mountain Division and host the winner of Saturday’s San Diego State-Hawai’i matchup in the conference title game Dec. 7.