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College Football

Championship Notes

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
15 minute read
Bet Now on the Championships!
Week 15 of the 2019 College Football season will be highlighted with 10 championship games.

The action starts Friday with the Pac-12 title game before finishing on Saturday with nine more championships.

Check out the matchups, odds and betting notes on all of the title games below.

(SU - Straight Up, ATS - Against the Spread)

Opening Odds per Circa Las Vegas

Pac 12 Championship

Utah (11-1 SU, 9-3 ATS) vs. Oregon (10-2 SU, 6-6 ATS)

Date: Friday, Dec. 6 (FOX, 8:00 p.m.)
Venue: Levi's Stadium
Location: Santa Clara, California
Pac-12 Betting History

Opening Odds: Utah -6.5, Total 50.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- Oregon and Utah didn’t meet in this year’s regular season, which was rare.

-- In the previous six consecutive years, Oregon has gone 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS against Utah.

-- However, the Utes captured a 32-25 win over the Ducks in the 2018 campaign. The ‘over’ has gone 5-1 during this span.

-- Utah has posted a 4-1 record both SU and ATS on the road, with the lone loss coming to USC (30-23) back in Week 4. Since that win, the Utes closed the season with eight straight wins and covers. -- Oregon went 3-2 both SU and ATS on the road, both losses coming by a combined nine points.

-- The Pac-12 North has gone 7-1 in the first eight Pac-12 title games, which includes Utah losing 10-3 to Washington last season. This was the only conference championship appearance for the Utes.

-- Oregon has earned two trips to the Pac-12 title game, the last visit in 2014. The Ducks have gone 2-0 both SU and ATS in those games and the offense scored 51 and 49 points.

-- The ‘over/under’ has gone 4-4 in the last eight title games but we haven’t seen back-to-back ‘under’ tickets and last year’s combined 13 points between the Utes and Huskies was an easy low side winner.

Preseason Future Odds to win the Pac-12

Utah 7/4
Oregon 13/4

MAC Championship

Miami (Ohio) (7-5 SU, 5-7 ATS) vs. Central Michigan (8-4 SU, 9-2-1 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (ESPN2, 12:00 p.m.)
Venue: Ford Field
Location: Detroit, Michigan
MAC Betting History

Opening Odds: Central Michigan -6, Total 53

Betting Notes and Trends

-- These teams haven't met since the 2017 regular season and Miami (Ohio) defeated Central Michigan 31-14 as short road underdogs (+1.5).

-- The Redhawks struggled away from home this season, going 2-5 both SU and ATS but three of the losses were non-conference setbacks and to some heavyweight contenders in Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State.

-- The Chippewas weren't much better, producing a 2-4 mark as visitors but they turned a profit (3-2-1 ATS) for bettors.

-- Central Michigan was one of the best 'over' teams in college football, going 9-3 to the high side. The offense averaged 32.8 PPG, ranked third in the MAC.

-- Saturday's matchup will be the 23rd MAC Championship.

-- Underdogs have covered three straight in the MAC title game and the 'over' has gone 2-1 in those contests.

-- Miami (Ohio) captured the MAC title twice, winning in 2010 and 2003.

-- Central Michigan has made three appearances in the MAC Championship and the school has gone 3-0, winning every game by double digits. For bettors, the Chippewas went 2-1 ATS in those games while the 'under' produced a 3-0 mark.

Preseason Future Odds to win the MAC

Miami-Ohio 20/1
Central Michigan 80/1

Sun Belt Championship

Louisiana-Lafayette (9-2 SU, 9-2 ATS) at Applachian State (11-1 SU, 8-4 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (ESPN, 12:00 p.m.)
Venue: Kidd Brewer Stadium
Location: Boone, North Carolina

Opening Odds: Appalachian State -6, Total 56.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- This is the second-ever Sun Belt championship game as Appalachian State downed Louisiana-Lafayette, 30-19 last December in Boone. However, the Ragin' Cajuns covered as hefty 17.5-point underdogs.

-- Appalachian State defeated ULL earlier this season in Lafayette, 17-7 as 1.5-point road underdogs to improve to 7-0 against the Cajuns since joining the Sun Belt in 2014.

-- ULL has won five consecutive games since losing to the Mountaineers in October, while covering four times in this span.

-- The Cajuns have covered in their two opportunities as an underdog this season, including in a 20-point road victory at Ohio as three-point 'dogs.

-- Three of the four ATS losses for App State this season came when laying 23 points or more, while the Mountaineers put together a 3-3 ATS mark at home.

-- From a totals standpoint, App State began the season on a 3-1 'over' run before cashing the 'under' in six of the final eight games.

Preseason Future Odds to win the Big 12

Appalachian State 5/7
Louisiana-Lafayette 10/1

Big 12 Championship

Baylor (11-1 SU, 8-4 ATS) vs. Oklahoma (11-1 SU, 5-7 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (ABC, 12:00 p.m.)
Venue: AT&T Stadium
Location: Arlington, Texas
Big 12 Betting History

Opening Odds: Oklahoma -10, Total 63.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- The Big 12 title game has been all about Oklahoma, who has captured both championships since the conference rebooted the event.

-- The Sooners covered in both 2017 and 2018 and the ‘under’ connected in both contests.

-- Including the recent victories, Oklahoma has appeared in ten title games and it has produced an 8-2 record.

-- This will be Baylor’s first appearance to the Big 12 title game.

-- The two schools met recently in Week 12 and Oklahoma rallied from a 31-10 halftime deficit to defeat Baylor 34-31. The Sooners failed to cover as 10 ½-point road favorites.

-- Including this win, Oklahoma has won five straight against Baylor while going 3-2 ATS.

-- That setback was the only loss of the season for the Bears, who went a perfect 5-0 outside of Waco.

-- Oklahoma produced a 5-1 road mark but it burned bettors with a 2-4 ATS record in those games.

Preseason Future Odds to win the Big 12

Baylor 20/1
Oklahoma 4/7

Conference USA Championship

UAB (9-3 SU, 7-5 ATS) at Florida Atlantic (9-3 SU, 8-4 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (CBSSN, 1:30 p.m.)
Venue: FAU Stadium
Location: Boca Raton, Florida
C-USA Betting History

Opening Odds: Florida Atlantic -7, Total 48.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- UAB will be looking to become just the third CUSA school to win back-to-back title games. The Blazers defeated Middle Tennessee 27-25 last season as 1 ½-point road underdogs, which was the school’s first championship.

-- Prior to that win, the home team in this title game had won six straight and 10 of the previous 13 championships.

-- Florida Atlantic has been designated as the host for this championship and it went 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS at home this season.

-- Two of the losses for the Owls came against quality non-conference opponents in Ohio State (45-21) and Central Florida (48-14). Fun fact – FAU was just one of three schools to cover against the Buckeyes this season.

-- Alabama-Birmingham had a lot of success at home (6-0) than on the road (3-3) and the offense was the main factor. In three wins, UAB averaged 30 PPG while the unit mustered up 7.3 PPG in their losses.

-- The UAB defense was ranked first in CUSA in scoring and 18th nationally, allowing just 18.5 points per game. That effort

-- Florida Atlantic and UAB haven’t met since the 2014 regular season and the Blazers captured a 31-28 decision over the Owls.

-- We certainly have different faces on these squads but this series has been known to see points and that’s helped the ‘over’ cash in the last six encounters between the pair.

Preseason Future Odds to win the CUSA

Florida Atlantic 9/2
UAB 8/1

American Athletic Championship

Cincinnati (10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS) at Memphis (11-1 SU, 7-4-1 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Venue: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
AAC Betting History

Opening Odds: Memphis -10, Total 58.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- This will be the fifth postseason title game for the American Athletic Conference and we’ve seen the host go 3-1 in the first four matchups.

-- Memphis has reached the final each of the last two seasons but it came up short twice in losses to Central Florida from Orlando.

-- Cincinnati will be making its first appearance in the championship.

-- These teams just met last Friday on Nov. 29 and Memphis captured a 34-24 win over Cincinnati but it failed to cover as 14-point home favorites. The victory designated the Tigers as hosts for this week’s game.

-- Including that win, the Tigers have won four straight games in this series. They’ve gone 2-2 ATS while the ‘under’ has produced a 3-1 mark during this span.

-- Memphis is just one of 10 FBS schools to win 11 or more games in the regular season. The Tigers were perfect at home, going 6-0 SU and 3-2-1 ATS.

-- The Tigers watched the ‘over’ go 8-4 but they closed the season with back-to-back ‘under’ tickets.

-- Cincinnati was also perfect at home (6-0) and a respectable 4-2 on the road. The aforementioned loss to the Tigers was one of the road setbacks and the other came in Week 2 to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, a 42-0 decision.

-- The Bearcats were one of the best ‘under’ teams in the nation, producing a 9-3 mark to the low side. All three of the ‘over’ tickets occurred outside Cincinnati.

Preseason Future Odds to win the AAC

Cincinnati 4/1
Memphis 3/1

SEC Championship

Georgia (11-1 SU, 7-5 ATS) vs. LSU (12-0 SU, 7-4-1 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (CBS, 4:00 p.m.)
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
SEC Betting History

Opening Odds: LSU -6, Total 56.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- The Bulldogs and Tigers are meeting in the SEC championship for the first time since 2011. LSU routed Georgia, 42-10 as 12.5-point favorites as that was the last time the Tigers played for and won the SEC Championship.

-- Georgia is playing for the SEC title for the third consecutive season. The Bulldogs last won in 2017 in a 28-7 blowout of Auburn, while falling short against Alabama last season, 35-28 as 11.5-point underdogs.

-- UGA allowed 20 points or fewer in all 12 games this season, while cashing the 'under' nine times. Georgia is currently on a 4-1 ATS run, including wins away from Athens against Florida and Auburn.

-- LSU is one of three undefeated teams remaining in the country (Ohio State and Clemson), as the Tigers produced at least 42 points in 10 games. 

-- The Tigers posted a 7-4-1 ATS mark as all four ATS defeats came as a double-digit favorite.

-- LSU crushed Georgia in its last matchup in 2018 in Baton Rouge, 36-16 as seven-point underdogs. Heisman Trophy front-runner Joe Burrow rushed for two touchdowns in the win, while Georgia QB Jake Fromm was intercepted twice.

-- In four of five games played away from Baton Rouge, LSU yielded at least 37 points, while the 'over' went 4-1.

Preseason Future Odds to win the SEC

LSU 8/1
Georgia 5/2

Mountain West Championship

Hawaii (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS) at Boise State (11-1 SU, 7-5 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (ESPN, 7:45 p.m.)
Venue: Albertsons Stadium
Location: Boise, Idaho
MWC Betting History

Opening Odds: Boise State -16.5, Total 63.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- This is the seventh installment of the Mountain West championship as Boise State is making its fourth appearance in this game. Meanwhile, Hawaii is playing for its MWC title.

-- The Broncos have captured the MWC championship twice and are playing in their third consecutive conference title game. Boise State edged Fresno State, 17-14 in 2017, but the Broncos fell to the Bulldogs in overtime last season, 19-16.

-- The underdog has covered in each of the past five MWC title games, while the last four affairs have been decided by exactly three points. 

-- Boise State's only loss came out of conference to BYU as seven-point road favorites in a 28-25 defeat in October. The Broncos put together an 8-0 SU and 4-3-1 ATS mark within conference action.

-- Hawaii is riding a four-game winning streak after losing three of four games, while the Rainbow Warriors have yielded 52 points in three defeats this season.

-- Boise State knocked off Hawaii, 59-37 as 13-point home favorites in October. The Broncos have won seven consecutive meetings, while covering each of the past six.

-- The Broncos are 15-2 SU and 10-7 ATS in their last 17 games on the famed "Blue Turf" in Boise, while not losing a home game this season.

-- Hawaii posted a 3-2 SU/ATS record on the road this season, but only one victory came against a team owning a winning record (Nevada). 

Preseason Future Odds to win the MWC

Boise State 5/6
Hawaii 14/1

ACC Championship

Clemson (12-0 SU, 9-3 ATS) vs. Virginia (9-3 SU, 6-5-1 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)
Venue: Bank of America Stadium
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
ACC Betting History

Opening Odds: Clemson -29, Total 54.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- This will be the fifth consecutive appearance for Clemson in the ACC title game.

-- The Tigers have gone 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS and the school is averaging 41.8 PPG in those victories.

-- Including those wins, the Atlantic Division has won eight straight and is 9-5 overall in the ACC Championship.

-- This will be the first title game appearance for the Virginia Cavaliers.

-- Clemson and Virginia haven’t met since the 2013 regular season and the Tigers blasted the Cavaliers 59-10 as 17 ½-point road favorites.

-- The Tigers produced a 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS mark on the road this season. The close call came in Week 5 when Clemson barely beat North Carolina 21-20 as 27 ½-point road favorites.

-- Since that game, Clemson closed the season with 6-1 ATS record.

-- The Tigers own the best scoring defense (9.7 PPG) in the country and that’s helped the ‘under’ go 7-5.

-- Virginia closed the season with four straight wins and three of them came at home. The ‘over’ closed on a 4-0 run behind a red-hot offense averaging 41.3 PPG.

-- All three losses by the Cavaliers this season have come on the road and the offense only averaged 16.7 PPG.

Preseason Future Odds to win the ACC

Clemson 1/5
Virginia 16/1

Big 10 Championship

Ohio State (12-0 SU, 9-3 ATS) vs. Wisconsin (10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 (FOX, 8:00 p.m.)
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Big Ten Betting History

Opening Odds: Ohio State -16, Total 53.5

Betting Notes and Trends

-- This has been a one-sided series with Ohio State winning seven straight and nine of the last 10 meetings against Wisconsin.

-- The Buckeyes have covered eight of the 10 games and that includes this year’s 38-7 win on Oct. 26 as 14 ½-point home favorites.

-- During this span, the pair met in two Big Ten championships and Ohio State posted a 59-0 win in 2014 before a 27-21 victory in the 2017 title game.

-- The Buckeyes have made four appearances in the Big Ten title game and they’ve gone 3-1 both SU and ATS. Ohio State is the only school with three conference titles.

-- The Badgers captured the first two Big Ten titles in 2011 and 2012 but they’ve gone 0-3 both SU and ATS in their last three appearances.

-- Favorites have won and covered the last two championships but underdogs own a 5-2-1 ATS mark in the first eight Big Ten title games. The ‘over’ has gone 6-2.

-- The Buckeyes stepped out of Columbus five times this season and they produced a 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS mark while the ‘over’ went 4-1.

-- Wisconsin went 3-2 both SU and ATS on the road, one loss coming to the Buckeyes and the other setback was a stunning 24-23 loss at Illinois as 30 ½-point favorites.

Preseason Future Odds to win the Big 10

Ohio State 2/1
Wisconsin (12/1)

Preseason Future Odds provided by the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas (9/1/19)



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