2021 NCAA Week 13 Picks

7:30 pm #9 Ole Miss at Mississippi State (-1 1/2, 62) - This is a fierce in-state rivalry which usually results in a hotly-contested game. Both teams are already bowl-eligible and looking to make their seasons memorable.

The Bulldogs are slight favorites only because they are at home. The Rebels have been knocking off SEC opponents with regularity, their defense really solidifying after their 31-20 loss to Auburn on October 30. They come off three straight wins.

Coin Flip: Mississippi State

Prediction: Rebels 31 Bulldogs 23

Friday, November 26

12:00 pm Boise State (-2 1/2, 44 1/2) at #21 San Diego State (CBS) - The Broncos have everything clicking with four straight victories and are beginning to look like the class of the conference. Their 40-14 win at Fresno State was impressive.

The game is huge for the 10-1 Aztecs, as their only loss is to Fresno State, so a loss here and a win by Fresno over San Jose State would cost SDSU a trip to the conference championship. Lots of pressure on the Aztecs.

Coin Flip: Boise State

Prediction: Broncos 27 Aztecs 21

1:30 pm #16 Iowa (-2, 41) at Nebraska - Nebraska will be without 4-year starter Adrian Martinez at QB, out with a shoulder injury. Redshirt freshman Logan Smothers will start for the Cornhuskers.

Even though Nebraska is probably the best 3-8 team in the country, they have too much to chew on to beat fellow corn-fed players from Iowa, which comes in with one of the toughest defenses in the country. Iowa doesn't score much, but they should put up more than Nebraska in a defensive struggle.

Coin Flip: Nebraska

Prediction: Hawkeyes 20 Cornhuskers 10

3:30 pm #4 Cincinnati (-14, 58 1/2) at East Carolina (ABC) - The Bearcats have an historic opportunity if they can win this game and defeat Houston in the AAC championship on December 4.

Currently spotted at #4 in the CFP Rankings, Cincinnati would be a rare non-Big 5 conference entrant into the championship playoffs. A win here is by no means a lock, as it is on the road and the Pirates have won four straight. Also, of their four losses, East Carolina has gone down by four or fewer in two games and in overtime to Houston.

Coin Flip: East Carolina

Prediction: Bearcats 35 Pirates 28

3:30 pm Missouri at #25 Arkansas (-14 1/2, 62 1/2) (CBS) - The Tigers have managed to achieve bowl eligibility with their 24-23 OT win over Florida last week, but faces an uphill climb against the Razorbacks on the road.

Arkansas comes off a masterful losing performance at Alabama, 42-35, in which they went toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide. The Razorbacks can really heat it up on both sides of the ball, but that spread just seems too big in this border clash.

Coin Flip: Arkansas

Prediction: Razorbacks 34 Tigers 27

4:00 pm Colorado at #19 Utah (-23 1/2, 52 1/2) (FOX) - At 4-7, the Colorado Buffaloes won't be going to a bowl game this season, but they can get a learning experience against the Utes, who have emerged as the class of the PAC-12 after drowning the Oregon Ducks, 38-7, last week.

8-3 Utah has to guard against a letdown after a monster performance, though that is not likely to be a problem. The Utes have won four straight, including a 44-24 romp over UCLA and a 52-7 beating of Stanford.

Coin Flip: Utah

Prediction: Utes 48 Buffaloes 13

7:00 pm North Carolina at #20 NC State (-6, 62 1/2) (ESPN) - Another solid rivalry game caps off Black Friday as the Tar Heels seek ACC respect and the Wolf Pack looks like a runner-up in the ACC Atlantic division. Either Clemson or Wake Forest will play Pittsburgh next week.

This figures to be a wide-open affair, though the Wolf Pack has the advantage of home field and an actual defense, which they'll need against the high-octane Tar Heels, who have scored 45 or more points on four separate occasions this season.

Coin Flip: NC State

Prediction: Wolf Pack 42 Tar Heels 30

Saturday, November 27

12:00 pm #2 Ohio State (-8 1/2, 64 1/2) at #5 Michigan (FOX) - This promises to be a good game for approximately the first 20 minutes. The Buckeyes have been absolutely plowing their opponents into the ground with a merciless offense and the defense has improved dramatically over the course of the season.

Michigan is a fine, upstanding team, but they are definitely not final four material.

Coin Flip: Ohio State

Prediction: Buckeyes 44 Wolverines 26

12:00 pm Texas Tech at #8 Baylor (-14 1/2, 52) - A win puts Baylor into the Big 12 championship, if Oklahoma State tops the Sooners later on Saturday. The Red Raiders are little more than a speed bump for Baylor, which has the second-best defense in the conference behind OKST.

Baylor is 6-0 at home, while Tech is just 2-2 on the road.

Coin Flip: Baylor

Prediction: Bears 38 Red Raiders 17

12:00 pm #18 Wake Forest (-4 1/2, 64) at Boston College - Wake Forest needs to win this game in order to advance to the conference championship game next week due to their loss to Clemson last week.

The Deacons haven't managed the toughest part of their schedule very well, losing both road games at Clemson and North Carolina.

Since BC QB Phil Jurkovec returned from injury, the Eagles are 2-1, the loss a 26-23 setback to Florida State. Playing with a virtual defense (instead of a real one) Wake Forest faces a real danger on the road.

Coin Flip: Boston College

Prediction: Eagles 34 Demon Deacons 31

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IdleGuy.com December 2024, Vol. 1 #11