The Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes didn’t only win their conference games on Saturday, they covered. Both teams are overcoming early season losses to climb back into the hunt for the College Football Playoffs. The Pac-12 hasn’t had a team in the CFP since the 2016-17 season.
The Ducks, who are No. 7, beat up on USC, 56-24. Oregon was a 3.5-point favorite, but the line opened at seven. The sharps came out, backing USC, and it dropped nearly four points.
Utah, meanwhile, had a much more difficult time. They were 3-point picks over Washington, and covered with just a two-point cushion. Utah is now 6-5 against the spread, including covering their last five games.
Oregon, Utah Headed for Pac-12 Clash
Oregon is atop the Pac-12 North, while Utah is leading the Pac-12 South. If the two teams win out, they will face each other in the conference championship game.
Utah might have the easier road to make that contest happen. The Utes were a 3-point pick over Washington on the road, and barely covered, 33-28. That should be the only test Utah faces. They have a bye next week, then face UCLA at home, Arizona on the road, and Colorado at home. Of those three teams, none have a winning overall record, and only UCLA is over .500 in the conference.
Oregon, who also has a bye this week, has the two Arizona schools, then hosts Oregon State at home.
Georgia Barely Covers
Georgia entered the game two spots below Florida in the latest AP poll, but was a 6.5-point favorite on the road. The Bulldogs saw a majority of the money from the sharps, while the public was backing Florida and taking the points.
The Gators were 4-0-1 against the spread, while Georgia was 2-3 in its last five. Florida missed covering by a half-point in the 24-17 loss.
Clemson, Notre Dame, Auburn Fail to Cover
The No. 4 Clemson Tigers were playing Wofford, but had to give away 47.5 points. The Tigers won 59-14, failing to cover their third game of the year. They did manage to make the over of 58 by themselves.
Auburn failed to cover only its second game of the year. The Tigers were playing Mississippi and were 17.5-point picks. The Rebels kept it close, however, before losing, 20-14.
The biggest scare of the day was Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were playing Virginia Tech, who nearly posted an upset. The Hokies were 17.5-point underdogs, and lost 21-20. The Irish are now 4-4 ATS.
No Need to Worry
Those taking the over on the Boston College-Syracuse game didn’t have to sweat long to cash. The over/under was set at 59, after opening at 61.5.
Even if you got in early on the over, the Eagles and Orange made you a winner before halftime when the score was 44-20.
Gamblers that coupled that bet by backing Boston College on the moneyline, made out as well. They were +140.
College Football Betting Stat of the Week
Nebraska is 1-8 ATS and 0-7 vs Power 5 opponents. The Cornhuskers were a four-point favorite against Purdue on Saturday. They lost to the Boilermakers, 37-21.
Bad Beat of the Week
SMU was a 6.5-point underdog against Memphis, and trailing by 14 points with less than three minutes remaining. Then, Mustangs quarterback Shane Buechele found James Proche for a two-yard score with 2:06 left.
They went for the two-point conversion and were successful, ruining Memphis backers, 54-48.