Patrick Everson
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
College football Week 15 odds serve up a big rematch via the SEC Championship Game. It’s Georgia vs. Texas, with an automatic bid and a bye in the College Football Playoff on the line.
The Bulldogs already have a win over the Longhorns this season, and an impressive one at that. Georgia went to Austin and posted a 30-15 triumph in Week 8.
It’s worth noting that the Dawgs have two national titles in the past three years — but Kirby Smart’s troops are underdogs on Saturday.
“It’s a pseudo-home game for Georgia in Atlanta. But that’s not fazing people. The public doesn’t believe in this Georgia team,” Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said.
Bookmakers and sharp bettors offer their insights on Georgia vs. Texas odds and more, in the Week 15 college football betting nuggets.
SEC Showdown
Texas is 11-1 straight up (SU) and 7-5 against the spread (ATS) this season, and the Longhorns are No. 2 in the CFP rankings. Georgia is 10-2 SU and No. 5 in the rankings.
But the Bulldogs are a dismal 3-9 ATS, among the worst spread-covering records in the nation.
That helps explain why the Longhorns are short favorites this week. Caesars Sports opened Texas -1 and got to -3 within just a few hours on Sunday. The line has spent most of the first half of the week at -2.5.
“We’re seeing a lot of Longhorns action at this point,” Feazel said Wednesday evening, noting bettors aren’t impressed with Georgia needing eight overtimes to complete a rally and beat Georgia Tech 44-42 last week.
However, both teams have motivation for Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET kickoff.
“This is a Texas team going for revenge. But Georgia doesn’t want a first-year SEC team to win the championship,” Feazel said.
CFB Week 15 Best Bets: Georgia vs. Texas, Clemson vs. SMU
College Football Rocks On FOX
You might not think much of the Mountain West Conference. But this year, with the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, the Mountain West is absolutely a factor.
In fact, if Boise State (11-1 SU/6-5-1 ATS) beats UNLV (10-2 SU/7-5 ATS) in the conference title game, the Broncos could be ranked high enough to get a first-round bye in the CFP. But first comes a rematch against a UNLV team that, should it pull the modest road upset, would likely punch its ticket to the CFP.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET Friday on FOX, and the underdog Rebels are getting interest.
“Boise State has underperformed from what it did early in the season. They’ve been less explosive,” Feazel said. “We’ve seen a steady stream of UNLV money, both sharp and recreational.”
Caesars opened Boise State -5 and stood at -4 on Wednesday night. Back in Week 9, Boise State was a 4-point road favorite vs. UNLV and pulled out a 29-24 victory. This time, the Broncos are at home, but the point spread isn’t any larger.
However, the Rebels have to contain Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty, which no one has really done this season. Jeanty has rushed for a whopping 2,288 yards and 28 touchdowns, while averaging 7.7 yards a carry.
Alabama & Texas in Joel Klatt’s final CFP bracket
On-Campus Sharp Side
College football betting expert Paul Stone felt strongly last week that South Carolina would cover — and perhaps win outright — as a 2.5-point underdog at Clemson. That all happened, with the Gamecocks notching a 17-14 victory.
On conference championship weekend, Stone is going against Dabo Swinney’s Tigers once again.
Saturday’s ACC title game in Charlotte, N.C., pits first-year league member SMU (11-1 SU/8-4 ATS) against Clemson (9-3 SU/5-6 ATS). After Clemson opened as a 3-point favorite at one Las Vegas sportsbook late Saturday night, the betting market quickly demonstrated its collective taste for the other side.
By Sunday morning, SMU was the favorite, and as of Wednesday night, the Mustangs were -2.5 for Saturday’s 8 p.m. ET kickoff. Stone likes SMU to win the game and cover the number.
The Mustangs have won nine in a row since promoting Kevin Jennings to starting quarterback. That move came after SMU’s 18-15 Week 2 home loss to BYU.
“Going back to late last season, Kevin Jennings is now 10-1 straight up as SMU’s starting quarterback,” Stone said, “He’s a dual-threat guy who can improvise, and he just seems to have that ‘it’ factor.
“The Mustangs have won their last nine games by an average of almost 20 points per game, covering the spread in seven of those. They’re playing with great confidence and purpose, and I think they beat Clemson by more than a field goal.”
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas
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