CFB Parlay: Conference Championship Best Bets

Conference Championship Week has arrived and will have implications for the College Football Playoff bracket. The SEC Championship will play a part in the Playoff discussion, and the Big 10 Championship spotlights the top two-ranked teams in the nation.

YouBet.com is excited to get the postseason started and will recommend the following three best bet selections in a Conference Championship parlay, all lines courtesy of BetMGM, and times listed as Eastern Standard Time.

CFB Conference Championship Parlay (+574): North Texas -2.5 - Alabama +2.5 - Under 48.5 (Indiana-Ohio St.)

North Texas vs Tulane, New Orleans, Friday, 8 p.m.

AAC match-up between high-powered ranked teams, #24 North Texas (11-1) and #20 Tulane (10-2), and both have had their coaches hired by other programs (Oklahoma St. and Florida) since the last game. Run defense will be key to the outcome. Tulane’s pass defense is stout and is eligible to frustrate North Texas (UNT), which put up a lot of passing yards earlier in the season, but the Mean Green’s rushing attack behind emerging freshman star Caleb Hawkins (16 TDS last four games) will give them trouble. Tulane struggled to stop the run during a three-game stretch late in the season, surrendering 104 total points to UTSA, Memphis, and FAU before finishing with a pair of overmatched foes, and UNT will have too much offense for the Green Wave. 

Pick: North Texas -2.5

Georgia vs Alabama, Atlanta, Saturday, 4 p.m.

Georgia relies upon an outstanding defense, going 4-1 in one-score games despite uneven offensive performances, and they’re so well-coached. But the lack of offensive production last week, with Gunner Stockton completing 11 of 21 passes for 70 yards and the Bulldogs gaining only 260 total yards against Georgia Tech’s low-rated defense (83rd in total defense and 75th in pass defense), is concerning. Bama struggled to run the ball for a period, sustaining their lone loss over the last 13 weeks in a close 23-21 setback to Oklahoma in mid-November, but they’ve improved down the stretch (158 rushing yards at Auburn last week) and held Stockton to 130 passing yards when winning at Georgia earlier in the season. The Tide owns a big edge at quarterback and knows how to beat Georgia, winning seven of the last eight meetings, and nobody will be surprised to see this game settled by less than a field goal.

Pick: Alabama +2.5

Indiana vs Ohio St., Indianapolis, Saturday, 8 p.m.

Ohio St. played arguably the softest schedule in Big 10 history, facing two teams ranked presently in the top 25, Texas in Week 1 and Michigan in Week 14, and piled up meaningless offensive statistics against inferior competition in between. The Buckeyes are top-notch defensively, better than anyone except possibly Georgia, but they averaged 20.7 points vs legitimate rivals (both home games), and this isn’t the same prolific attack from last year. Hoosiers improved defensively this year and are battle-tested, holding Oregon to 267 total yards in a double-digit road win. Their fourth-ranked run defense (holding opponents to 82.9 rushing yards) will look to keep the Buckeyes behind the chains. Expect a low-scoring game.

Pick: Under 48.5