Ole Miss heads out on the road to Arkansas for a key clash in the SEC. That game is one of our three best bets of the week.
Ole Miss heads out on the road to Arkansas for a key clash in the SEC. That game is one of our three best bets of the week.
The SEC moves into Week 12 with the top teams trying to avoid upsets and make sure they stay on course to reach the College Football Playoff. Will we see an unexpected plot twist which will shake up the season? Will we get an out-of-nowhere development which will make everyone reconsider the playoff math and the various paths for contending playoff teams? All eyes are on the SEC and how it carries itself to the finish line.
Odds: Ole Miss -2.5
The Ole Miss Rebels will not win the SEC West. LSU clinched the championship of the division last week and will face Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 3 in Atlanta. The SEC race is over, but the races for College Football Playoff spots and other prizes are still going on. The thing Ole Miss is trying to chase down is a spot in a New Year’s Six bowl game. If the 8-2 Rebels can win their next two games to finish 10-2, and LSU loses to fall to 9-3, Ole Miss might still have a chance to get a premium bowl bid. The Rebels got that bowl bid last year by reaching the Sugar Bowl. They would love to go back, but they are going to need some help.
If they don’t beat Arkansas, however, they’re done regardless of other events around the country. Expect Ole Miss to play a focused game against an injured Arkansas team which has profoundly struggled this season.
Odds: Georgia -22.5
This is a game which seemed likely to be a very big deal in September. Kentucky got off to a great start this season, winning at Florida in Week 2 and entering the top 10 of the national rankings. However, Kentucky has been hit by injuries and has not played very well in recent weeks. The Wildcats just got humiliated by losing at home to Vanderbilt as a 17-point favorite.
The loss to VU was a crusher for Kentucky, because it enabled Vanderbilt to snap a 26-game SEC losing streak which dated back to 2019. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis has struggled along with his teammates. The Kentucky defense, normally the backbone of this team, has not performed at an especially high level.
Nothing is going right for Kentucky, which means a Georgia team which is unbeaten and intent on defending its national championship should have very few problems taking care of business in this game. It's a big number, according to the latest NCAAF odds, but lay the points.
Odds: Tennessee -21.5
The Tennessee Volunteers are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. If LSU loses to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game in just over two weeks, the table would be set for the Vols to make the College Football Playoff. This is true because Ohio State and Michigan will play each other.
The loser of that game is not likely to finish ahead of Tennessee in the playoff standings … but all of this assumes Tennessee stays the course. The Vols are playing a road night game in the SEC. It should be manageable, but it could get tricky. Expect the Vols to win, but expect South Carolina to put up a good fight.