by Searching for deals is an integral part of Black Friday, especially in the United States, and with a sizable list of college football games starting Rivalry Week a day early, there might be some value to be found in tips and predictions from our CBS Sports experts. Week 13 wastes no time getting started. Six teams in the College Football Playoff rankings will see action, with a top 25 showdown going to be a big contributor to how some of the postseason will play out.
In this matchup, No. 19 Tulane visits No. 24 Cincinnati with a berth in the AAC championship game — and stands on the line as the top-rated team in the Group of Five in the CFP rankings. While the loser isn’t completely eliminated from the conference race, it will take some help to create a rematch opportunity given the tight AAC standings.
Elsewhere, the battle line rivalry reignites as Arkansas visits Missouri in the first of two SEC on CBS Games of the Week. No. 23 Texas will be looking to end its stop-and-start status in the CFP rankings when it hosts Baylor. And Florida State No. 16 will look to prove that its late-season rise to prominence is no fluke as it welcomes state nemesis Florida in one of college football’s most hotly contested rivalries.
Be sure to stay tuned to CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the opening kick on. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best Black Friday games in week 13.
Odds on Caesars Sportsbook | All times Easter
State of Utah in the state of Boise
noon | cbs, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — The oddsmakers have Utah State as a sizeable 17-point underdog. That’s a big number, and I don’t feel comfortable taking sides. However, this feels more like a low-scoring game. Both teams have strong running backs up front, and perhaps more importantly, this game kicks off at 10 a.m. local time on a Friday. It’s easy to imagine that both offenses would start slowly given the circumstances. Prognosis: Below 51.5 – Austin Nivison
Baylor at No. 23 Texas
noon | ESPN, fuboTV (Try it for free) — Oddsmakers have overvalued Texas all year despite a four-loss season, and that trend continues in the Finals. The Longhorns have beaten only one team by more than 8.5 points since the Red River Showdown: Kansas. Baylor is more than willing to take on the athletes from Texas and even play on the streets in Austin. Forecast: Baylor +8.5 – Shehan Jeyarajah
#19 Tulane at #24 Cincinnati
noon | ABC, fuboTV (Try it for free) — The Green Wave and Bearcats will face off at Nippert Stadium in the biggest AAC game of the year. The winner of that game will host next week’s conference championship game and the loser will need to drop some dominoes to win a rematch. Tulane got back on track with a 59-24 win over SMU last week, during which it bowled for 310 yards and grabbed five touchdowns on the ground. Cincinnati has led their defense to three straight wins, including a 23-3 win over Temple last week in which they conceded just 202 total yards, kept the Owls at 3.67 yards per game and forced four turnovers. Look for the Bearcats’ defenses to win in a hell of a fight. Prediction: Cincinnati -2 – Barrett Hallee
Arkansas near Missouri
Featured Game | Missouri Tigers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
3:30 p.m. | cbs, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Of the 14 combined SEC games these two have played, nine of them have been played under that score. With Missouri ranked 7th in possession nationwide and Arkansas ranked 8th on fast offense, there could be some long periods of clock bleeding in this matchup. While Missouri’s red zone defense is terrible, Arkansas ranks only 86th nationally in red zone offense. It could be a busy day for the kickers. Prognosis: Below 55.5 -David Cobb
Florida in the state of Florida No. 16
Featured Game | Florida State Seminoles vs. Florida Gators
7:30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try it for free) — It’s an interesting aspect of the Florida-Florida state rivalry that, although the series is heated, results have rarely been close in recent years. Since 2007, only two games between the Gators and the Seminoles have been decided by single digits. I think we’ll get another double-digit win here on Friday, this time in favor of the home side. Forecast: State of Florida -9.5 – Chip Patterson
What college football picks can you hit with confidence in Week 13, and which top 25 teams will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the range – all from a proven computer model that has brought in nearly $3,000 in profits over the last 6+ seasons – and find out.
