College Football Picks Against the Spread for Conference Championships

• Check out our College Football picks against the spread for conference championships
• We went 3-0 with our CFB ATS picks for rivalry week, including Michigan vs Ohio State
• Below, see my analysis for my top two picks for championship weekend

Coming off a perfect 3-0 weekend in our college football spread predictions, we’re looking to maintain momentum with two picks for conference championships on Saturday.

My college football against the spread picks focus on two matchups where the betting market seems to be overreacting. Georgia finds themselves in the rare underdog role despite dominating the first meeting with Texas, while SMU is getting disrespected against a struggling Clemson program.

Here are my CFB against the spread picks for conference championship weekend.

Conference Championship CFB ATS Picks

All odds current as of December 5th at ESPN Bet. Visit our recommended college football betting apps for more championship week odds and predictions.

Here is some analysis and reasoning for my two college football against the spread picks for conference championships.

Georgia vs Texas Odds

Pick #1: Georgia +2.5 (vs Texas)

I’m beginning my college football picks against the spread with the underdog Bulldogs against the Longhorns. Despite beating Texas 30-15 during the regular season, Georgia is an underdog in the rematch.

Power rankings imply Texas deserves to be favored against Georgia in the SEC Championship, but I’m not about to bet against Kirby Smart in this spot. Georgia is 6-2-1 against the spread in their last nine games as an underdog and has the defense to cause Texas problems.

GEORGIA. TEXAS.

THE REMATCH FOR A TITLE. 🏆#SECChampionship pic.twitter.com/xpIiXZ65Rk

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) December 1, 2024

In the first meeting, the Georgia defensive line was the big story, dominating the line of scrimmage and sacking Quinn Ewers five times. While Texas has improved since this meeting, I don’t see the battle in the trenches playing out significantly different.

Furthermore, Carson Beck has been less turnover-prone lately after throwing three picks in the first meeting. He’s showing improvement with nearly 300 yards and 2+ touchdowns in his last three games. I’m bullish on the chemistry he’s building with Dominic Lovett, who has hauled in three TD passes in the last two weeks.

It’s very hard to beat a team twice in college football, but don’t forget what Washington did to Oregon last season. This game is played in Georgia’s backyard in Atlanta, and Kirby has been here too many times before to bet against the Dogs on Saturday.

Clemson vs SMU Odds

Pick #2: SMU -2 (vs Clemson)

Another addition to my Week 15 college football picks against the spread is SMU -2 against Clemson in the ACC championship. Yes, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are a bigger national brand, but SMU is favored in this game for good reason.

The Mustangs have been nothing short of dominant in their debut ACC season, going 11-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in conference play. Their only loss came in Week 2 on a narrow three-point defeat to BYU, a team that narrowly missed out on making the Big 12 Title game.

SMU should be in the College Football Playoff regardless of the result of the ACC Championship game on Saturday.

They’re 11-1.

They’re one of two teams (Oregon) to go unbeaten in P4 conference play this year.

Their only loss is to 10-2 BYU by 3 points.

They have 6 wins over… pic.twitter.com/gjt4qdC3Kx

— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) December 2, 2024

I’m putting my faith in an SMU offense that has torched the ACC all season. Rhett Lashlee’s team has scored 30 or more points in eight of their last nine games, with the only exception being a 28-27 win over Duke in which they turned the ball over six times.

I’m not sleeping on SMU’s defense, either, as the Mustangs rank sixth nationally in rushing yards allowed per carry (2.9). They are also eighth in pass success rate and 14th in quarterback rating allowed. Look for SMU to get pressure on Cade Klubnik, who has been sacked 10 times in the past four games.

The Tigers only made the ACC title game this year because Miami slipped up against Syracuse. In three games against top competition (Georgia, Louisville, South Carolina), Clemson couldn’t manage a win. Most notably, the Tigers haven’t surpassed 24 points against an FBS team since October.

Brady’s 2024 CFB ATS Picks Record: 27-18 (Last Week: 3-0)

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