Week 12 NCAAF Picks: Arizona State Tops ATS Best Bets

But we’ve done some work for you, putting together three games that we think are going to go well for the underdog against the spread (ATS). Check out our college football picks and then get your wagers down before the games kick off.

Top 3 College Football ATS Picks to Bet in Week 12

1. Arizona State Keeps Rolling vs Kansas State

A big-time matchup in the Big 12 this weekend has the Arizona State Sun Devils (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) taking on the host Kansas State Wildcats (7-2, 4-2). These are two of the four teams currently tied for third in the conference standings behind unbeaten BYU (6-0) and 5-1 Colorado.

The Sun Devils have been on a roll, winning two straight and four of five, with their only loss in that stretch coming on Oct. 19 vs Cincinnati when starting quarterback Sam Leavitt was sidelined with an injury. Leavitt has been back for the last two games, throwing three touchdowns in each as Arizona State has beaten Oklahoma State and UCF.

Week 1⃣1⃣ #Big12FB Newcomer of the Week presented by @totinos

Sam Leavitt | @ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/1vms1I5JGm

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 11, 2024

A big question for the Sun Devils is the status of running back Cam Skattebo, who missed last week’s win over UCF. The senior has a shoulder injury and wanted to play against the Knights, but the coaching staff held him out. Skattebo has rushed for 1,001 yards this season, including 153 and a touchdown in the win over Oklahoma State. Check NCAAF news for updates on him.

Kansas State is coming off a bye week following its loss at Houston on Nov. 2, blowing a nine-point fourth-quarter lead. Even when winning, the Wildcats haven’t always been dominant, topping Kansas by just two points the prior week and Colorado by three on Oct. 12.

Despite that, the college football lines have Kansas State as a nine-point favorite over Arizona State this weekend. That number is much too high as the Sun Devils will at least keep this close, if not pull out the outright win.

Bet on Arizona State (+9) vs Kansas State

2. Pittsburgh Gets Bounce-Back Performance vs Clemson

The race for the two spots in the ACC Championship Game is all of a sudden wide open after Miami’s upset loss last weekend. SMU is atop the standings in the league, but the Clemson Tigers are now sitting in second with a 6-1 mark in ACC play, a half-game ahead of the Hurricanes at 5-1.

Hoping to make some movement up are the Pittsburgh Panthers, who are one of two teams with two losses in conference play. The problem is, Pittsburgh’s two losses have both come in its last two games, which means some major improvement is needed with the Tigers coming to town for a Saturday contest.

The Panthers’ chances will be greatly improved against the Tigers if quarterback Eli Holstein is able to go. The redshirt freshman was knocked out of the game against Virginia after a hard hit that was deemed targeting. Coach Pat Narduzzi said after the game that Holstein seemed okay and has indicated that he is anticipating Holstein being able to play against Clemson.

Holstein has passed for 2,174 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, so if he can go, it will be a big boost for Pittsburgh’s chances of covering the NCAA football spread.

Clemson bounced back from its first conference loss of the season against Louisville with a win over Virginia Tech last weekend on the road. Coach Dabo Swinney’s team hasn’t looked as dominant as it was earlier in the season, which is why the 10-point line in this one is a little surprising.

Assuming Holstein is ready to go, we like the Panthers to play this one tighter than the college football predictions. Pittsburgh needs to turn things around, and it does just that on Saturday.

Bet on Pittsburgh (+10) vs Clemson

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3. Rutgers Knocks Off Maryland on the Road

There was a time earlier this season when the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Maryland Terrapins were thought to be contenders for a top-half finish in the expanded Big Ten. But things have gone a little wrong for both teams, who are looking for a couple more wins to become bowl-eligible.

Rutgers got out to a 4-0 start to the season before dropping four in a row. The Scarlet Knights snapped that losing skid last week with a win at home against Minnesota, and now one more victory will allow Rutgers (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) to be bowl bound.

The biggest surprise of last week’s win was the fact that leading rusher Kyle Monangai didn’t participate in the victory. The senior, who is known for his hard-nosed running, has rushed for 931 yards and 10 touchdowns this season but was knocked out of the team’s loss to USC with an injury. Monangai decided to sit out the Minnesota contest after playing through injuries for a few games already this season, and his status for this week is uncertain.

The Rutgers defense came up big against Minnesota, holding the Golden Gophers to 19 points after the Scarlet Knights’ previous three opponents had all scored at least 35 points. If that kind of effort can be found against Maryland, a second straight win is very possible.

The Terrapins (4-5, 1-5) have lost two in a row and four of their last five. Yet they are listed as six-point favorites in this one. We don’t see a Maryland win of at least six points happening this weekend, so you should bet online on the Scarlet Knights when getting the points.

Bet on Rutgers (+6) vs Maryland

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.

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