Here’s a look at the betting odds for a few of the biggest games in Week 12 of the 2016 college football regular season.
A chaotic Week 11 shook up the College Football Playoff picture, as five of the top 10 teams in the nation lost to underdogs. Week 12 could play out in a similar fashion with a number of marquee games on the schedule.
No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Washington all suffered their first loss of the season despite being favored by at least a touchdown. All three teams are still very much alive in the race to the top four, but the selection committee is going to have some difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks.
The biggest match-up of Week 12 will be in Morgantown, where Oklahoma and West Virginia will battle for first place in the Big 12. Washington State and Colorado will also face off in a game with Pac-12 title implications, while Louisville will visit Houston in a critical late-season nonconference match-up.
Based on last week’s results, no favorite is safe from the chaos. Here are the betting odds for the top five games in Week 12, via OddsShark.com.
No. 3 Louisville at Houston EVEN
While Houston may not be as good as its early-season ranking suggested, oddsmakers are still giving the Cougars plenty of respect in their match-up with Louisville.
A Thursday night road game against a good team could challenge any program in the nation. Still, Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals have won five in a row since the heartbreaking loss to Clemson and will be motivated by the fact that they need to win out to make the playoff.
Houston own an 8-2 record but hasn’t looked great in AAC play after a great showing in its nonconference schedule. While an even line is surprising given the form of the two teams, Tom Herman’s squad certainly has the ability to derail Louisville’s season.
No. 8 Oklahoma at No.10 West Virginia +2.5
Oklahoma will need to beware the home underdog in the most important game of the week in terms of the playoff picture. Morgantown will be absolutely rocking for a prime time game against a top 10 opponent with the Big 12 title potentially on the line.
At the same time, its fair to wonder just how good this West Virginia team really is. The Mountaineers lost by 17 to Oklahoma State, the only ranked team they have played so far, and squeaked by opponents like Kansas State and Texas earlier in conference play.
Following an ugly nonconference slate, Oklahoma has rolled to an 8-0 Big 12 record, although it has faced a pretty easy road schedule so far. It might just be best to stay away from this one.
No. 20 Washington State at No. 12 Colorado -6
Colorado is a solid home favorite in a match-up between the two most surprising teams in the Pac-12. Both teams are playing very well at the moment, so perhaps oddsmakers felt Washington State will be looking ahead to a huge Apple Cup that will almost certainly be for the Pac-12 North title no matter what happens on Saturday in Boulder.
Few teams in the nation could beat the Cougars if they continue their current form. After an 0-2 start to the season that included a loss to FCS Eastern Washington, the Cougars have rattled off eight straight wins in conference play, a feat no other Pac-12 squad can match.
Colorado is in first place in the South with a four-game win streak of its own, and has blown out every opponent its faced at home. While the Buffaloes played Michigan and USC tough, it is worth mentioning that they have not beaten a ranked team this year.
No. 21 Florida at No. 16 LSU -10.5
The Gators and Tigers are finally set to make up a game that was originally postponed by Hurricane Matthew. Oddsmakers are reflecting the current form of both teams, as its hard to see Florida’s offense doing much in Death Valley.
LSU is playing like the second-best team in the SEC since Ed Orgeron took over for Les Miles at the end of September. A 10-0 loss to Alabama knocked LSU out of the SEC West race, but the Tigers have soundly beaten every other opponent under Orgeron.
Florida remains in first place in the SEC East despite a blowout loss against Arkansas two weeks ago, although injuries are piling up in a hurry. Backup quarterback Austin Appleby will face a major challenge against the stout Tigers defense, as the double-digit spread shows.
No. 13 Oklahoma State at TCU -4.5
Nobody seems to be talking about the Cowboys, who will be in first place in the Big 12 with a win and Oklahoma loss on Saturday. Las Vegas doesn’t have much respect for Oklahoma State either, as a mediocre TCU team is surprisingly a significant favorite.
Since the controversial loss to Central Michigan, Oklahoma State has gone 7-1, including a win over West Virginia. While four of those wins are by a touchdown or less, such a run through the Big 12 is impressive no matter what.
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On the other side, TCU has been one of the most disappointing teams in the nation at 5-4. KaVontae Turpin is slowly getting healthier, which will help the offense, but the Horned Frogs defense figures to really struggle against the Cowboys on Saturday.