College Football Rivalry Week Betting and Analysis – Best Bets for Week 13 of CFB & More
College Football Rivalry Week has arrived, and it is hard to believe that the 2023 season has already made it this far along. With chaos surely on the horizon, and many College Football Playoff consequences in the balance as we prepare for the Conference Championships next weekend, this upcoming betting slate is looking to be an incredible one. There are plenty of games that offer a plethora of unique betting angles, and in this week’s edition of the Writer’s Picks, the analysis and best bets will be provided to you by Rick and Andy.
It has been a consistent and profitable College Football betting season for Rick (@RickHHSports) as he holds a record of 17-12 heading into Week 13. The 58.6% win percentage has yielded readers a profit of 3.75 units as well, and he will look to add to it as we prep for Christmas shopping in the coming weeks. Andy (@AndyHHSports) has not been featured as often in the Happy Hour Sports Writer’s Picks for College Football, but when featured has had a 5-2 record this season, good for 2.9 units in the green.
As exciting as Rivalry Week is in College Football, the Conference Championships are approaching next weekend as is Bowl Season. We will look to expand on this series of all of our writers contributing to their favorite plays during December and beyond, so make sure to stay tuned with our College Football content over the coming weeks! Now, without further ado, let’s jump into the College Football Rivalry Week Betting action!
Ole Miss vs Mississippi State – 2023 Egg Bowl Betting Analysis and Best Bets
Ole Miss -10
Total: 54.5
The casual football fan always looks forward to NFL football on Thanksgiving, but the diehard college football fan and SEC fan alike know that the Egg Bowl could always bring much more entertainment than the Lions and Cowboys historically do on the fourth Thursday of November. This year Ole Miss heads into Starkville to kick off Rivalry Week, and are ten-point favorites against their in-state rival. I like Ole Miss to win and cover here against their rivals, as the Rebels have looked solid on the road when not playing Alabama or Georgia, and match up well against the Bulldogs.
Jaxson Dart should have no trouble finding his receivers in this one, as Mississippi State ranks 131st in opponent completion percentage at just over 70%. Judkins and Dart both will look to get the run game going against a Bulldogs side that is allowing 140 rushing yards a game to FBS teams this season. The pass defense in Starkville also concerns me as they’re allowing 214.5 yards per game in the air, while also letting up 27.5 points per game.
It is no secret that this Ole Miss side can put up points, and really only struggled to do so against elite defenses this season. Lane Kiffin and company have also been strong on the road, taking down Tulane early on in the season in New Orleans, and hanging 28 points on Auburn away from home too. I expect a lot of the same in this one, despite the nature of the rivalry and the emotions tied to this game. It has been a rough season for Mississippi State fans across the board, and Ole Miss still feels they have a lot to prove after their only losses have come against the SEC’s best. Give me the Rebels here in a Thanksgiving blowout, and hopefully, the NFL games make up for the one-sided start to college football Rivalry Week.
Andy’s Best Bet: Ole Miss -10 (-110)
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Texas Tech vs Texas Betting Preview – Friday, November 24, 2023
Texas -14
Total: 52.5
The Texas Longhorns would be firmly in the CFP picture alongside the loser in the Big Ten and potentially a one-loss Oregon and Washington had they not lost Quinn Ewers for a few games and now running back Jonathon Brooks for the season. This team goes forgotten about because of the past decade of mediocre Big 12 football, but this Texas team is anything but.
With wins on the road at Alabama and Kansas at home supplemented by wins without Quinn Ewers against Kansas State and on the road to TCU, this team continues to figure out ways to win. The Red River Rivalry was as promised, and they didn’t win the matchup but with a win against Texas Tech and domination in the Championship game, they’ll have more than made their claim for a place in the Playoffs.
If they’re able to dominate on Friday evening, it’ll start with their elite defense. Averaging just 18 points allowed per matchup, they rank among the best in the country against opponents and it’s largely to their opportunistic and elite defense inside the red zone. They allow an above-average 336.6 yards per game, but it’s their turnovers that have buoyed them and they face the Red Raiders who rank 112th in turnover differential.
Expect an aggressive defense and an offense that looks to impress the voters with an electrifying performance against a mediocre defense that’s been playing well as of late. With the likely additions of WR Xavier Worthy and RG DJ Campbell back this week, Texas will make sure they are clicking on all cylinders before a massive championship game against either team from Oklahoma.
Rick’s Play: Texas -14 (-105)
Clemson vs South Carolina – Palmetto Bowl Betting Preview and Analysis – Saturday 7:30 PM EST
Clemson -7.5
Total: 51.5
If you set a spread for this game heading into the season, it probably wouldn’t be incredibly far off from this number, but likely somewhere between 10 and 14. Clemson has had an atrocious year by their standards, but there has been hope over the last four weeks. After a 4-4 start the media was ready to crucify Dabo for his lack of using the transfer portal. Should he be utilizing it and not dying on the hill of not leveraging it? Sure, but that wasn’t the sole reason for their struggles.
Implementing a brand new, young coordinator to an already struggling offense devoid of the top-end talent they’ve had in years past out wide, they’ve struggled through the air in many games. Their issue has largely come to turnovers and red zone offense, as they rank 119th in Red Zone success, scoring on just 72.7% of red zone possessions and touchdowns on just 56.4% of their possessions.
The Gamecocks rank 23rd in turnover differential, so despite their offensive line and running game being well below average, they take care of the ball and force opponents to drive the entire field to score on them. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, that happens far too often and is a reason I’ll be backing Clemson in the matchup. The game is in Williams Brice and former President Donald Trump will be in attendance, so while the Tigers are having a down year, Dabo most certainly will use every opportunity to develop his young core and the players will be locked in.
Give me an improving Clemson to put an emphatic stamp on a subpar season to set the stage for a huge 2024 season. I’ll take Clemson on the spread and for their team total to go over.
Rick’s Plays: Clemson -7.5 (-110) & Clemson TT o29.5 (-115)
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