NCAA Championship Week Betting

NCAA Conference Championship Week Betting

The following article contains information that is not representative of the opinions of CommRadio. It solely expresses the opinions of Ben Barker

We’re just one week away from the very first time we get to experience the expanded 12-team playoff format.

Before those games get underway, there are the all important conference championship games that need to be played to determine the final seeding.

Here are some picks I recommend making as you enjoy championship Saturday.

ACC Championship: Clemson vs. SMU (SMU: -2.5)

I really like SMU in this matchup. They have been white hot since their close loss to BYU back in Week 3.

Clemson didn’t have the strong end to the season they were hoping for. Going 3-2 in the last five games while losing to South Carolina and Louisville.

Meanwhile, SMU being undefeated in the ACC is a testament to their desire to win another in what is undoubtedly their biggest game yet.

I believe Kevin Jennings can lead this team to a win, and secure them a spot in the dance (as well as cover the spread).

Big Ten Championship: Penn State vs. Oregon (PSU: +3.5)

Oregon and Penn State will be clashing at Indianapolis for the Big Ten crown, and I’m taking the underdog this time.

This is Penn State’s first Big Ten championship appearance since winning it over Wisconsin back in 2016.

Oregon on the other hand, reached the championship game in their first season in the conference.

When looking at both of these teams' schedules, you can make the argument their toughest game all year was Ohio State. Even though Penn State lost that game, managing to win every other game proved to be important after the Buckeyes fell to Michigan.

Penn State has won several games this season where they needed to win, and in a huge game ahead, I believe they can cover this one to secure the playoff bye.

Mountain West Championship: UNLV vs. Boise State (Boise State: -4)

There’s one and only one player that comes to mind when I think of Boise State this year: Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty has been rocking and rolling since the very first snap of the college football season. He has racked up over 2,000 yards on the ground.

The Broncos are yet to lose a conference game this season, including UNLV back in late October.

Boise State is in prime position to get in the playoffs with a win here, and I don’t see the UNLV defense shutting down the top running back in college football.

SEC Championship: Georgia vs. Texas (Under 49.5 pts)

This is going to be a great matchup to watch on Saturday, but I don’t expect there to be a lot of scoring on either of these defensive units.

The Longhorns defense had the best stop rate in the entire nation. Stopping opponents 81.8% of the time.

Georgia hasn’t had that much success in stopping opponents, but they also have plenty of talent on their defensive side to create problems for Quinn Ewers and company.

Ewers and the Longhorns offense struggled mightily in their win against Texas A&M, and Georgia's offense couldn’t get going until late in the game vs. Georgia Tech.

Both teams have to figure something out on offense if they want their respective teams to win, but I don’t really expect that to happen Saturday.

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Ben Barker is a second-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, email bsb5566@psu.edu.