Week 12 of the 2025 college football season rolls on with Thursday and Friday action. Welcome to our CFB Best Bets as we break down CFB picks for this week’s games. Let’s focus on two matchups for our CFB predictions. Plus, check out more college football bets below. 

We’ll kick things off on Thursday night with a Sun Belt matchup between Troy and Old Dominion. Plus, Clemson takes on Louisville in an ACC Friday night showdown. All bets below are for one unit unless otherwise noted. All odds and lines are accurate as of this writing, but subject to change. Without further ado, let’s dive into our CFB Best Bets. 

 

 

 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Thursday, 11/13

Thursday’s Week 12 slate features just a single standalone game. Old Dominion is favored by 11.5 points at home over Troy, with a 52.5 over/under on BetMGM Sportsbook. Let’s break down this Sun Belt matchup to begin our CFB picks. 

Troy vs. Old Dominion Prediction: Thursday, November 13th

Both of these teams were off last weekend. Sometimes that favors the defense, and sometimes the offenses benefit from the bye. Let’s bank on the latter for this Sun Belt showdown. Count on the Troy and Old Dominion offenses combining to cash the over.

Troy was held to just 10 points and 187 total yards in its last game. Following the week off, though, the offense should bounce back. The Trojans scored at least 31 points in each of their 4 previous games. They’re also still averaging 32.2 PPG during conference play. 

Troy QB Tucker Kilcrease just had his worst game of the season, but he was playing well beforehand. The junior owns a 65.5% completion rate vs. Sun Belt opponents thus far, while accounting for 14 total touchdowns over the past 6 games. That includes an 8:3 TD:INT ratio in conference action. 

Kilcrease and the Troy offense can put up some points against an inconsistent Old Dominion defense. The Monarchs are giving up 29.0 PPG in conference action (88th in FBS). That includes 63 and 48 points allowed to James Madison and Marshall, respectively, over the past month. The defense also ranks 107th nationally in success rate. 

Meanwhile, Old Dominion should lead the way offensively in this game to anchor a higher-scoring contest. Dual-threat QB Colton Joseph is having a good season, averaging 316.8 total yards per game with 28 total TDs across 9 games thus far. Joseph leads a Monarchs passing attack that ranks 29th in the country in EPA/Pass, plus he leads the team in rushing. 

ODU is averaging 31.9 PPG this season, including 30.6 PPG in conference play. Troy’s defense has been mostly solid this year, but it’s also had trouble with offenses featuring dual-threat quarterbacks. The Trojans allowed 139 rush yards to Louisiana QB Lunch Winfield, 77 yards to Texas State’s Brad Jackson, and 72 to South Alabama’s Bishop Davenport. Those three teams averaged 29.3 PPG, and none are as balanced offensively as the Monarchs. 

So, in addition to the over, let’s also bank on Colton Joseph racking up rushing yards in this matchup. Joseph is averaging 67.6 rush yards in ODU’s 5 wins over FBS competition this year, with 60+ in each. That’s not even counting his 179 rushing yards vs. Indiana in the season-opening loss. Since the Monarchs are expected to win at home as double-digit favorites, Joseph should have a good rushing day. 

 

 


CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Friday, 11/14

Let’s now turn our attention to Friday night for our CFB best bets. No. 20 Louisville hosts Clemson in a primetime ACC matchup. The Cardinals are 2.5-point home favorites with a 51.5 over/under on bet365 Sportsbook. Time to dive into more CFB predictions. 

Clemson vs. Louisville Prediction: Friday, November 14th 

These teams come into this week’s matchup on opposite ends of the spectrum. Clemson entered the year with national title hopes but owns a disappointing 4-5 record, including 3-4 in conference play. Meanwhile, Louisville is 7-2 and still alive to win the ACC or reach the College Football Playoff. 

Louisville will be looking to bounce back after losing in overtime to Cal last week. It’s worth noting that the Cardinals’ only two losses this season have come in OT. Otherwise, they boast 5 double-digit victories and a pair of impressive road wins at Miami (FL) and Pitt. 

On the other side, Clemson’s sub-.500 records can be summed up fairly simply. The Tigers have struggled against the best teams they’ve faced while beating up on the easier opponents. Their ACC wins have come against Florida State, Boston College, and North Carolina – teams with a combined 3-13 conference record this year. 

Clemson’s 24-10 win last week over Florida State looks good on paper, but it still came against an underwhelming Seminoles team that’s also in the midst of a lost season. Before that, the Tigers lost at home to both SMU and Duke in back-to-back games.

Notably, Clemson is the underdog in this matchup. That’s because A) it doesn’t happen often, and B) it underperforms in the role. The Tigers have been underdogs just 7 times over the past 7 seasons combined. They’re 2-5 ATS in those games, including 1-4 ATS as road/neutral dogs. Plus, Dabo Swinney’s team has failed to cover in its last two underdog instances, losing to Georgia and Texas by a combined 35 points last year. 

In this matchup, Louisville’s top-tier defense can anchor the victory. The Cardinals rank 14th in the country in total yards allowed per game and are 9th nationally in EPA/Play defensively. They also rank 21st in defensive success rate while being strong against both the pass and run. 

It’s a tough road spot for the Clemson offense. Quarterback Cade Klubnik has been up and down all year, and he hasn’t faced many tough defenses in the ACC yet. The Tigers’ run game has also struggled to get going, ranking 112th in rushing yards per game and 119th in EPA/Rush. 

Meanwhile, Louisville can have success against Clemson’s inconsistent defense. Notably, in the Tigers’ 4 conference losses this season, the defense has given up an average of 414.8 total yards and 34.8 points per game. The unit may have good overall numbers, but it’s been subpar against better offenses. 

Louisville has also been shaky offensively at times, but it can lean on the run game here. The Cardinals are averaging 4.95 yards per carry in conference play (21st in FBS) while ranking 35th nationally in EPA/Rush. Isaac Brown (8.6 YPC) and Keyjuan Brown (6.9) form a dominant 1-2 punch in the backfield. Clemson’s defense is worse against the run and has struggled against better opposing rushing attacks. 

 

 


 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks for Thursday & Friday, Week 12

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