Tag: conference championship

Is heavily favored Liberty about to get planted by a double-digit underdog in the CUSA title game? Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-USA TODAY Sports

Conference championship weekend Preview, Prop and Picks

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The buffet of betting options overflows with main courses with only conference championship games on the menu this weekend.

With Oregon-Washington, Alabama-Georgia and Michigan-Iowa coming up, it’s easy to be distracted by the shiny draw of big names in big games.

But a matchup not many circled could prove a massive stage for one underdog ready to flex.

It’s the Conference USA championship game – No. 24 Liberty vs. New Mexico State – and you know you’ll look to have something to follow when the TV clicks on.

We have stats, news, quotes and betting predictions for our college football (betting) game of the week.

–Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET, Friday
–Television: CBS Sports Network
–Location: Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Va.
–Point Spread, Total: Liberty -10.5; 55.5 (DraftKings)

QUICK PICK

It’s a home game for Liberty, with 25,000-plus fans aiming to help the unbeaten Flames (12-0) roll past New Mexico State in Lynchburg, Va., Friday.

The Aggies (10-3) are not intimidated, however, and the venue won’t be a surprise. Liberty stopped New Mexico State 33-17 earlier this season at home.

Bettors who witnessed New Mexico State’s upset at Auburn two weeks ago know about the Aggies’ size and speed. This improving team could be eye-opening for Liberty, a double-digit favorite given the spotlight thanks to a place in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The trends are smiling on Aggies backers. New Mexico State has an 11-2 mark against the spread – 6-1 as the underdog – and following that loss to Liberty has covered 10 consecutive games.

Coming off a 20-17 win over Jacksonville State, in which New Mexico State put two early touchdowns on the board and then became somewhat disinterested, the Aggies have all the inspiration they need in an “us against the world” matchup.

Liberty could be conservative early, and New Mexico State would welcome a slower pace. The Aggies are 9-4 to the “under” this season.

The bet, a plus-money New Mexico State teaser parlay: Aggies +14.5 with the under 60.5 points (+124 at DraftKings).

THE NEWS

The Flames are trying to stay in play for the Group of 5 spot in the upper tier of bowls when the College Football Playoff committee reveals its final rankings Sunday.

“To say we’re 12-0, I would’ve said you’re crazy,” Liberty’s first-year coach Jamey Chadwell said. “But this team bought in to each other, and just what a tremendous season.”

The Aggies will arrive with an eight-game winning streak that includes a 31-10 handling of host Auburn on Nov. 18 and Saturday’s 20-17 home escape versus Jacksonville State. Ethan Albertson’s 52-yard field goal as time expired won it for New Mexico State.

Liberty trails only No. 22 Tulane among Group of 5 teams.

“I told them before the season started, you have an opportunity to make history (in the) FBS,” Chadwell said.

“Certain things haven’t happened here. For us to be 12-0, there’s not an FBS program that has ever won 12 games in a season in the state of Virginia.”

BONUS BET

It’s almost impossible to quantify the number of what-if scenarios that could be hatched if Alabama beats Georgia in the SEC title game.

That’s been a common discussion point among college football fans and media. No. 1 Georgia wants nothing to do with it.

Would the Bulldogs remain among the College Football Playoff top four when the committee reveals its rankings Sunday at noon ET? That would depend on several other outcomes.

The Bulldogs, unbeaten and improving, know their roles and have taken the elite coaching from Kirby Smart and his staff to heart.

Quarterback Carson Beck is on a nice upward trend in performance. He’s completing 72.4 percent of his attempts – which would easily break the school mark – for 3,495 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. His yardage total is fourth most in Bulldogs’ history.

No doubt, Tide QB Jalen Milroe has been exceptional, capping his run of success with a dart of a touchdown throw on fourth-and-goal from the Auburn 31-yard line to Isaiah Bond to win last Saturday’s Iron Bowl.

Our take? It was an incredibly lucky throw to beat a clearly inferior opponent.

The bet: Georgia -5.5.

THEY SAID IT

“Definitely, we have to embrace the challenge that’s ahead of us. They’re coming off of a (29)-game winning streak, so it’s definitely a challenge for the guys in the locker room.” — Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.

–Field Level Media

Sep 19, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; General view of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) in action against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Public behind Eagles, Bengals in early title game betting

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Early money on the conference championship games decidedly backs the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals.

BetMGM was first to report where public money landed on Monday, with the line in the AFC Championship Game sliding toward Cincinnati with the status of Chiefs quarterback and NFL MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes up in the air.

Kansas City knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday and hosts the Bengals this weekend in a repeat of the 2022 conference title game. Cincinnati has won the past three meetings with the Chiefs, including a 27-24 victory during the regular season.

More than 80 percent of the handle bet on the spread of the AFC Championship Game is on the Bengals +1. The line at BetMGM and DraftKings opened at Kansas City -2.

As of Monday, 85 percent of bets on the outright winner or money line was on the Bengals. BetMGM dropped the money line from +100 to -105 in the first five hours of wagering on the game.

Massive support for the Eagles, who play host to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, pushed the line from opening at -2 to -3.

Public money on Philadelphia includes 84 percent of the spread handle, and 75 percent of the BetMGM take on the total is on the under (45).

But money line wagers point to some support for the 49ers. Around 56 percent of money line bets back the 49ers (+125), but the total money line handle is 74 percent Philly.

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (31) and defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis (48) hoist the trophy after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alabama won 41-24. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA looks to relax conference title game restrictions

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA took a major step toward updating rules surrounding conference title games for the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), reports said Monday.

The NCAA Football Oversight Committed put forward new recommendations on April 28 that, among other things, would remove a longstanding requirement for conferences to be split into divisions in order to stage a championship game.

Conferences with 12 or more members are currently obliged to have two divisions that play a round-robin schedule during the regular season, with the division winners meeting in a conference title game. Conferences without divisions, such as the 10-team Big 12, must play a full round-robin.

The oversight committee voted to recommend removing the requirements altogether, which would give individual conferences more freedom to decide which teams will play in their conference championship game.

Some conferences are expected to eliminate divisions in favor of alternative scheduling formats. ESPN reported Monday that the ACC has discussed eliminating divisions as early as the 2023 football season.

The Division I Council will meet later this month to ratify the updated rules, with multiple media reports indicating that the recommendation is expected to pass.

–Field Level Media