It’s hard to believe but the college football regular season wraps up for most programs this week. And Week 13 is a Grand Finale, with some huge rivalry games on the sportsbook online betting board. Not only are these games fueled by bad blood but many have bowl and College Football Playoff implications. 

 

We take a look at the matchups and odds for the biggest weekend in NCAA football betting

 

The Iron Bowl is always entertaining, no matter the stakes. However, the 2017 edition of this SEC rivalry has a spot in the SEC title game on the line – as well as the inside track in the CFP standings. Auburn is a home underdog to Alabama, having won four in a row since losing to LSU in mid-October. The Tigers boast the 10th best defense in the country and allow just 16.6 points per game. Those numbers are even slimmer when Auburn is at home.

 

Alabama is one of the few teams that rank higher than Auburn on the defensive food chain, topping the nation in yards allowed and points against. The Crimson Tide have almost as much power on offense, scoring 41.4 points per contest. Alabama must do a better job of protecting QB Jalen Hurts against an aggressive Auburn pass rush. Hurts will likely be on the run most snaps and will have to make throws on the move, facing a Tigers defense that sits tied for 14th with 32 total sacks on the year. The road team has covered the past two Iron Bowl while also playing Under the total. 

 

This classic Big Ten rivalry doesn’t carry as much weight as previous meetings, with Michigan outside of the CFP picture and Ohio State trying to secure a spot in the Final Four. The Wolverines would love to play spoiler to the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes but haven’t had much success – at least against the spread – versus OSU in recent years. Michigan is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games versus Ohio State and is just 7-3 ATS in their previous 10 meetings overall.

 

The Buckeyes have shown that they can turn it on for big conference games. They dropped Penn State 39-38 in a remarkable comeback in late October and thumped Michigan State 48-3 three weeks ago. Ohio State is giving up just under 20 points per game and has a high-powered offensive attack, putting up nearly 45 points an outing. The Wolverines have held their own defensively, but just don’t have the horses on offense to compete if this rivalry turns into a shootout.

 

This season finale actually takes place on Friday with the Thanksgiving holiday weekend stretching out the schedule. The Hurricanes are so close to the College Football Playoff they can taste it and must be careful not to lookahead to a potential ACC title game showdown with Clemson when they visit Pitt as sizable favorites. Miami has yet to lose but has been far from a good bet, covering the spread in just two of its past six games. The Canes boast one of the more balanced games in the country, ranking 15th in points allowed (17.7 ppg) and 34th in points for (33.7 ppg)

 

The Panthers don’t have much to play for beyond throwing a wrench in the Hurricanes’ plans. With only four wins heading into this game, Pitt is not bowl eligible following a narrow loss to Virginia Tech last time out. That could set up the Panthers for a massive letdown spot Friday night. Miami has dominated at the sportsbook in this series, covering in five of its last six meeting with the Panthers. The road team is also 6-1 ATS in the last seven clashes between these ACC foes.