The world of college football betting can be a tumultuous one and it’s important for NCAA betting fans to arm themselves with as much information as possible in order to make the best future predictions. This includes staying up to date with new coaching hires, student transfers, and the upcoming recruiting class. On top of that it’s also crucial for college football betting fans to know ahead of time which games will help shape this upcoming season’s playoff race. Not all college football games are created equal, evident by the fact that some schools can go undefeated and not qualify for the playoffs. The ideal schedule has a mix of easy wins and tough opponents. The wins are important to get your team in the playoffs and playing against tough opponents validates the strength of your football team. In many ways the college football regular season is a way for schools to show off their strengths with the strongest schools getting invited to the playoffs. With that in mind let’s take a look at the two games which will play the biggest role in determining this season’s college football betting playoff lineup.
There is no question that the game pitting two ACC powerhouses against each other will be a determining factor for this year’s playoffs. On October 29th Heisman runner-up Deshaun Watson will lead his Clemson Tigers to take on their biggest threat in the ACC, Florida State. Watson showed exactly what he is capable of in last year’s National Championship game when he tore up the Alabama Crimson Tide defense for over 400 passing yards. This match will give Watson another opportunity to prove himself when he goes up against one of college football’s most athletic defense. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that whoever comes out on top will be the frontrunners to win the ACC and earn themselves a cozy playoff spot. Clemson is the favorite to win the ACC Championship game but not by much. Their +175 odds have only a slight lead above Florida State’s +225 betting odds.
That ACC matchup will be followed by perhaps an even bigger game that pits the two leading contenders in the SEC against each other. On November 5th the Alabama Crimson Tide will be facing off against LSU. Last time these teams faced each other the Tide had their way with arguably the NCAA’s best runningback, Leonard Fournette. Fournette is one of the favorites to take home the Heisman this year – behind Clemson’s Watson – but last year’s 31-yard performance against Alabama raises questions about how we will fare against this fearsome Crimson defense. Fournette will be playing with home field advantage this time around and college football betting fans will have to wait and see if it makes a difference. Alabama is the heavy favorite to win the SEC Championship game with +195 odds but LSU is close behind them with +410 odds. Alabama may have beaten LSU the last 5 times they faced each other, but with 18 returning starters LSU’s chances look better than ever.
