College Football Week 13 Preview and Picks for Top 25 Teams

The college football Week 13 games ahead of Thanksgiving and the biggest rivarly weekend is both meaningful for many teams and a letdown for others. Last Saturday's big Week 12 card provided more big game betting in Top 25 CFP rankings including Oklahoma's upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 23-21 and Georgia's 35-10 SEC win over Texas to eliminate the preseason favorite Longhorns from CFP contention.

We hit the Sooners as an opinion, but missed a Pitt Panthers pick in losing to Notre Dame. But a steamrolling victory and bonus pick in non-top 25 action with James Madison's 58-10 win as a -21 point favorite shows there is often more value and opportunities for profit and payouts in the less marquee matchups. The Sun Belt leaders JMU Dukes (9-1) will not make the CFP as the Group of Five automatic entry, which will likely go to the American Conference champion - North Texas, Tulane or Navy. 

The challenge for informed handicappers at this point in the season is analyzing and deciding how to weigh recent returns and recency bias with the larger yearlong sample while evaluating meaningful stats, motivation, injuries and letdown/lookahead spots in situational handicapping.

But Fairways Forecast provides these Top 25 matchups, odds, analysis, picks and opinions for interest and entertainment as the most watched and wagered games each week in college football.

Top 25 Games and Week 13 Odds

Betting lines and college football odds from BetOnline and top online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. Current point spread on favorites, plus game totals and updated as of Thursday, Nov. 20. All times ET. Top 25 matchups in bold.

Sat., Nov. 22

- No. 1 Ohio State (-31.5 to -32.5 Sat) vs Rutgers, 54.5 | 12 pm | FOX
- No. 2 Indiana | Bye 
- No. 3 Texas A&M (-54.5) vs Samford, 59.5 | 12 pm | SECN
- No. 4 Georgia (-43.5) vs Charlotte, 53.5 | 12:45 pm | SECN
- No. 5 Texas Tech | Bye 
- No. 6 Mississippi | Bye
- No. 7 Oregon (-10) vs No. 15 USC, 59.5 | 3:30 pm | CBS 
- No. 8 Oklahoma (-7.5 to -5.5 Sat) vs No. 22 Missouri, 42 | 12 pm | ABC
- No. 9 Notre Dame (-35) vs Syracuse, 50.5 | 3:30 pm | NBC
- No. 10 Alabama (-50.5) vs Eastern Illionis, 57.5 | 2 pm | SECN
- No. 11 BYU (-2.5) at Cincinnati, 55 | 8 pm | FOX
- No. 12 Utah (-17.5) vs Kansas State, | 4 pm | ESPN2
- No. 13 Miami (-17.5) at Virginia Tech, 49 | 12 pm | ESPN
- No. 14 Vanderbilt (-9.5) vs Kentucky, 53 | 3:30 pm | ESPN
- No. 16 Georgia Tech (-3 vs Pittsburgh, 62 | 7 pm | 
- No. 17 Texas (-9) vs Arkansas, 57.5 | 3:30 pm | ABC
- No. 18 Michigan (-14) at Maryland, 46.5 | 7 pm | Big Ten
- No. 19 Virginia | Bye
- No. 20 Tennessee (-4) at Florida, 57 | 7:30 pm | ABC
- No. 21 Illinois (-7.5) at Wisconsin, 42 | 7:30 pm | Big Ten
- No. 23 Houston (pk) vs TCU, 55 | 7 pm | FOX
- No. 24 Tulane (-9) at Temple, 55.5 | 3:45 pm | ESPNU 
- No. 25 Arizona State (-7) at Colorado, 48.5 | 8 pm | ESPN2 

Other notable games Week 13 

Teams in bold have 5 wins and playing to become bowl eligible 

- Louisville at SMU (-2.5), 52
- Kansas at Iowa State (-3.5), 55.5
- Minnesota at Northwestern (-3.5), 40.5
- Baylor at Arizona (-7), 62
- Duke (-7) at North Carolina, 51.5
- East Carolina (-2.5) at UTSA, 62
- Nebraska at Penn State (-8), 44.5
- Cal (-3) at Stanford, 47
- Washington (-10.5) at UCLA, 51.5
- Utah State at Fresno State (-2.5), 51 

SEC Dominance And Late Season Games

The Southeastern Conference has 5 teams ranked in the top-10 of this week's third edition of the College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings. The top-5 SEC teams remain in the College Football Playoff chase with Texas A&M and Georgia favored to make the SEC Championship Game just ahead of Alabama and then Ole Miss. Oklahoma remains in the CFP chase, and plays ranked Missouri this week. Ole Miss has a true bye week ahead of big rivalry game vs. Mississippi State over Thanksgiving. Georgia, Alabama and A&M are greater than 40-point favorites this week against week non-conference opponents. 

NCAA Football Week 13 Top 25 Picks

Check back Friday for more picks and opinions with additional game analysis, stats and information you can bet on. 

USC at Oregon - Opinion: USC

A huge game in the Pac 12, ur, Big Ten as Southern Cal (8-2) tackles Oregon (9-1) with both teams 6-1 in conference play. The odds are heavily against either team playing in the Big Ten Championship Game with both No. 1 Ohio State (10-0) and Indiana (11-0) undefeated. But both the Trojans and Ducks are live for the 12-team College Football Playoff with USC needing to beat the Oregon to stay in contention. Oregon (-310) is a heavy favorite to make the 12-team College Football Playoff, according to CFP odds at BetOnline, while USC (+310) can move up sharply with a win or be eliminated from the CFP chase if they lose. The stat profiles of the USC and Oregon are strong with both the Trojans (38.2 ppg) and Ducks (36.8) among the highest-scoring offenses in the country with USC (489 ypg) the top power conference offense in yards per game and Oregon  (472) also top 10. Both teams rank top-2 in the country in yards per play offense at 7.3 and 7.2 are feature winning profiles of powerful, balanced offenses. The Ducks top defense is allowing just 13.8 points per game (USC 21.7) and 234 yards per game at 3.9 yards per play, both No. 2 in the country behind Ohio State (USC 344/5.4). But the point spread is an equalizer, and Indiana went into Eugene in Sept. and beat Oregon as +8.5 'Dog. The Ducks are dealing with more injuries now, and while I'm aware Oregon is outgaining opponents by more than 200 yards per game at home, the Trojans have the firepower to keep it competitive or back door as needed.

Missouri at Oklahoma - Opinion: Oklahoma 

Missouri's strong early season start and stats have been met with less production and efficiency against strong teams on their schedule. Oklahoma clearly qualifies as a top team, and the Sooners top defense allowing just 16 points per game, 292 yards per game including 78 rushing yards per game also ranks No. 2 in the nation in expected points added per rush defense. That will provide problems for Tigers freshman QB Matt Zollers, who is 15-for-37 with 189 passing yards in two starts since taking over for the injured starting quarterback. Sooners were outgained by a 2/1 margin last week in victory over Oklahoma, and also +3 in the turnover column. The Sooners defense can create more turnovers this week with plenty to play for back home in Norman. 

Rutgers at Ohio State - Opinion: Rutgers

Is there motivation for a margin win? No, and #1 Buckeyes off easy margin win versus UCLA (and others), and Ohio State has huge rivarly redemption game at Michigan next week. Rutgers (5-5) off a bye and situation supports Scarlet Knights. 

Non-Top 25 Picks

2-0 last two weeks adding bonus non-Top 25 picks on Hawaii (+6.5) in a 38-10 win and James Madison (-21) steamrolling to a 58-10 victory. Two more picks this week. 

Baylor (+7) at Arizona 
Hawaii (+3) at UNLV

Opinions

Nebraska (+8.5) at Penn State - former Top 25 teams
Colorado State at Boise State (-16.5) 

The Baylor Bears were steamrolled by Utah last week 55-28 allowing 380 rushing yards in defeat. Baylor (5-5) is just 2-8 ATS this disappointing season, but the Bears would have been favored in this matchup at the start of the season. A pass-heavy potent offense can keep pace and pass Arizona (7-3), who should score their share against the Bears deficient defense in another higher scoring finish and Opinion over the total. 

A Friday night feature in Las Vegas during Formula One race weekend on the Las Vegas Strip. Hawaii (7-3) is going bowling along with UNLV (8-2), and the Rebels explosive balanced offense is among the most efficient in college football this season averaging 451 yards per game and 36.4 points per game (Hawaii 414 and 31.3). But the Rebels defense is very deficient allowing 437 yards per game and 31 points per game (Hawaii 362/26). The Rebels pass defense should get gouged by the Rainbow Warriors top-5 passing attack hitting at 308 passing yards per game. UNLV won in overtime last week for their third win this season by 3 points - while getting outgained in two of those versus conference opponents and allowing Air Force 600+ yards offense on this field in a thrilling last minute drive and TD for a 51-48 Rebels win. UNLV's two losses including one at home saw them also allow New Mexico and Boise State rack up 530+ yards offense and 40, 56 points in defeat. Rivalry game on deck UNLV at Nevada. 

More college football updates as available ahead of next week's big rivalry games. 

You can bet on it. 

FairwayJay is a proven sports handicapper and loves college football. He's been handicapping and betting college football for more than two decades and is recognized as one of the sports industry's most insightful analysts. He chips in additional sports betting coverage and reporting on industry news and events. Follow FairwayJay here at OSGA.com and on X  @FairwayJay for more sports and betting insights.