Conference championship week is finally upon us. This weekend will only feature one game that will have a significant impact on the College Football Playoff picture. TCU may need to win the Big 12 title game to qualify. That doesn’t mean the games will be any less exciting.
Regarding betting on the games, some will provide more value than others. Here’s a look at the best point spread picks for this weekend.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. Troy Trojans
Coastal Carolina vs. Troy Picks
Best Bet: Troy -7.5
This isn’t the Coastal Carolina team that cracked the AP top 25 and was one of the top offensive teams in the nation. Since quarterback Grayson McCall went down with a season-ending injury, Coastal Carolina has been a shell of itself. The Chanticleers, who weren’t great against the spread to begin with, are 0-2 since McCall was injured.
That includes a 40-point loss to James Madison, where Coastal Carolina was a 15-point underdog. Troy had a difficult time against last-place Arkansas State before pulling away in the second half last week. The Trojans are 9-3 against the spread this season and will find a way to win this one by double figures.
Kansas State Wildcats vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Kansas State vs. TCU Picks
Best Bet: TCU -2
The Wildcats have played well behind backup quarterback Will Howard. Howard initially took over for Adrian Martinez to help the Wildcats take a 28-10 first-half lead against TCU.
However, Kansas State didn’t score after halftime and TCU escaped with a 38-28 win. The Horned Frogs are 12-0 this season and in a position to make the CFP for the first time.
TCU has been good against the spread, compiling a 9-2-1 mark. Kansas State is similarly good against the spread, piling up an 8-3-1 mark.
This game will come down to if the Wildcats offense can put up points like they did in the first half of the first meeting. This should be a good one, but TCU will win a narrow contest to cap off a dream regular season.
Boise State Broncos vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
Boise State vs. Fresno State Picks
Best Bet: Boise State -5.5
The Broncos seemed to be in big trouble after starting the season 2-2. However, Boise State has won all eight of its Mountain West games to win its division and get back to the conference title game for the first time since 2020. The Broncos are 6-5-1 against the spread this season, but have covered two of their past three games as double-digit favorites.
Boise State beat Fresno State 40-20 earlier this season and it would be fair to expect a similar result.
Clemson Tigers at North Carolina Tar Heels
Clemson vs. North Carolina Picks
Best Bet: North Carolina +7.5
It’s hard to trust either one of these schools, which both folded under the weight of CFP pressure over the past few weeks. The Tar Heels offense is excellent, but Clemson may be able to keep them under wraps. The Tigers, however, blew up against South Carolina to end the regular season.
UNC will cover, but Clemson should win.
