Week 14 of the college football season is unlike most slates during the regular season, and because of that the best handicappers should be very mindful of what’s going on with the teams they’re wagering on. If you’re betting on the college football odds in Week 14, keep these motivating angles in mind.
Bowl eligibility
Six wins will get your name thrown in the hat for a bowl game. You may or may not get the call, but picking up win No. 6 means a postseason appearance, a nice chunk of change for the program, and a final showcase for your players and coaches.
There are 14 football teams out there with five wins on the year heading into the final game of the season – and they’re not all smaller or mid-level schools either. Usual football contenders like Michigan State, Nebraska, TCU, and Mississippi State are all feeling the pinch to become bowl eligible this weekend. Keep that added motivation in mind when capping these five-win clubs.
Rivalry games
The Week 14 schedule is reserved for the most heated of school rivalries, with historic matchups like the Iron Bowl, Bedlam, and “The Game” between Michigan and Ohio State. Those high-profile meetings have been circled on the calendar since the spring and even though they may not look competitive on paper, programs know they can salvage a so-so year by knocking off their rival school.
College football betting trends can be a little wishy-washy when it comes to factoring those into your handicapping, but these rivalry game trends do tend to hold more weight – especially if the coaches involved have remained there for some time and systems have stayed unchanged. An underdog at the sportsbook can have some big teeth with added motivation to play spoiler to their opponents’ plans in Week 14.
Coaching carousel
Whether good or bad, coaches on the move can find themselves unfocused in the final game of the season. Sub .500 teams could be mailing in one last effort after a long losing season, and those coaches on the hot seat could be more worried about updating their resumes then getting this final win.
On the flip side, coaches with winning records – especially those that have impressed at smaller schools – are popping up on the radars of power programs looking for their next leader. Rumors of coaching hiring and firing swirl mightily in Week 14, and that can those coaches focused on the future.
Florida State’s empty chair is a perfect example of this, with names like Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, Memphis’ Mike Norvell, and Penn State’s James Franklin all rumored to be in the mix for the head coaching job in Tallahassee.
