The slate of college football games for Saturday, September 29th, grants online sports bettors ample opportunity to lay some action on intriguing matchups that will impact the CFP National Championship picture.
Three significant matchups from the top ranks of the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 Conferences will produce winners that will find themselves thrust to the front of the AP Top 25 rankings as well as the odds for CFP betting.
What’s also intriguing is that outside of the Clemson Tigers, all NCAAF programs involved in these three contests are not normally involved in College Football Playoffs discussions, regardless of how deep we are into the season.
Kentucky Wildcats (#7) @ Ole Miss Rebels (#14)
- Point Spread: Wildcats +7.0, Rebels -7.0
- Moneyline: Wildcats +220, Rebels -270
- Over/Under: 54.0
Up first at noon is a clash of two undefeated SEC schools that are looking to place the first blemish on the other’s record. The Ole Miss Rebels are favored to win by a touchdown at college football betting sites, suggesting the Wildcats’ SEC Title hopes will diminish following this weekend’s game.
Ole Miss has yet to play a game in the SEC, reeling off their four wins against out-of-conference opponents. Kentucky, on the other hand, is 1-0 in the SEC, handily beating the Florida Gators in Gainesville’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium by a score of 26-16.
Is Kentucky’s status as a basketball school negatively impacting their probability of success at online sportsbooks? We think so, and expect the Wildcats to at least cover against the Rebels this weekend.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (#9) @ Baylor Bears (#16)
- Point Spread: Cowboys +2.0, Bears -2.0
- Moneyline: Cowboys +110, Bears -130
- Over/Under: 56.5
College football betting lines for the Cowboys vs. Bears are implying a close contest as Oklahoma State is favored to win by 2 points and continue their quest for a Big 12 Championship.
The game is set for a 3:30 PM kickoff in Waco, Texas’ McClane Stadium. If the Baylor Bears drop a home game to the Cowboys, they can cancel any plans of winning the conference and earning a top-four seed in the CFP bracket.
Oklahoma State, however, can begin to think seriously about winning the Big 12 with a victory this Saturday, as the only remaining programs of note on their schedule are the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners, who they don’t play until late October and early November.
NC State Wolfpack (#10) @ Clemson Tigers (#5)
- Point Spread: NC State +6.5, Clemson -6.5
- Moneyline: NC State +215, Clemson -260
- Over/Under: 42.0
Topping off the evening is an ACC battle that will reward the winner with a clear path toward a conference title. The Clemson Tigers took a step back last season as they did not earn a trip to the playoffs, but they are looking to reestablish themselves as front runners after last week’s win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The only ranked opponent on the Tigers’ remaining schedule is the Florida State Seminoles, who are currently holding the number 23 spot in the AP Top 25.
Clemson likely has enough credit in the minds of the CFP Selection Committee to easily make the final four if they finish the season undefeated with an ACC Championship trophy in hand. The current odds at online football sportsbooks place Clemson fourth overall in the nation, but their moneyline will fall closer to even if they hand the Wolfpack their first loss this weekend.
We say that because the time to bet on the Clemson Tigers to win the NCAAF National Championship may be right now, as their odds will payout at a higher volume before the results of Saturday’s game are known.
College Football Betting Odds: Bovada Sportsbook