This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
It's conference championship week, baby. We made it. The College Football Playoffs committee provided their penultimate rankings earlier this week, and it's a doozy of a year. Currently, the top-4 teams are Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and USC, with Ohio State and Alabama on the outside looking in.
Which four teams will play in the College Football Playoffs will be decided by the outcomes of this weekend's conference championship games. With plenty to play for, let's break down three of the best bets ahead of this weekend.
Best Bets For College Football Conference Championships
USC -3 (-105) vs. Utah
Count me among the believers in USC, and I love that they currently find themselves in position for the College Football Playoffs. It's a true "win and you're in" game for them, with the Heisman Trophy favorite under center in Caleb Williams.
Utah beat USC once this year, 43-42, handing them their only loss of the season. Beating a great team twice is a tall order, and there are trends to support backing USC to cover in this matchup in the Coliseum. USC is 5-2 ATS at home this year, with Utah a paltry 2-4 ATS on the road. I'm riding USC to handle their business and clinch their spot in the College Football Playoffs.
LSU +17.5 (-110) @ Georgia
Georgia is the No. 1 team in the country, and for good reason. Their offense is great, but their defense is absolutely elite. While they average 38.7 points scored per game, good for 9th best, their defense holds opponents to only 12.4 points per game. Their defense ranks top-six in opponent points per play, yards per game, third-down conversion percentage, red zone scoring, yards per rush, rush attempts per game, rushing yards per game… they're ridiculous.
LSU has a big win on their resume this year with an overtime victory over Alabama, but we also saw them get steamrolled by Tennessee and lose to unranked Texas A&M last week. Their offense doesn't have the talent to overthrow this Georgia defense, and I'm banking on the Dogs to win this easily.
UNC +7.5 (-105) vs. Clemson
So far, I've been very chalky. This is the opposite of chalk. UNC has been going through some growing pains this year, but they are an organization on the rise with quarterback Drake Maye and his 35 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions at the helm. The offense can put up points. That won't be the problem. The Tar Heels have scored less than 24 points only once this season and has scored 32 or more eight times. They rank 9th in the country in yards per pass, and their 323.4 passing yards per game ranks 6th. It'll be up to their defense to keep it close.
UNC is 3-0 against the spread as underdogs this year. Clemson has struggled against good offenses, losing to Notre Dame and getting upset last week by South Carolina, while escaping by less than one score against Syracuse, Florida State, and Wake Forest. I don't trust Clemson. I trust UNC. I'll take the Tar Heels to cover, and if you really want to get spicy, I like them at +255 on the moneyline as well.
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