Week 14 College Football Friday Night Picks Today, Best Bets
Grant White
Host · Writer
The final week of the college football regular season concludes with a smattering of Friday games. The action starts early, but there are three late games to dig our teeth into. We’ve sifted through the odds to come up with the best plays to make on Week 14’s Friday night schedule.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Spread: Nebraska +3.5 (-110) | Iowa -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Nebraska +136 | Iowa -164
Total: OVER 39.5 (-114) | UNDER 39.5 (-106)
Credit to Matt Rhule for turning the Nebraska Cornhuskers around. For years, the Cornhuskers had become the laughingstock of the college football landscape. But after becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016, Nebraska is finally pointed in the right direction. They can put a stamp on a successful 2024 campaign with an upset over the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 14.
There’s still work to be done, but the Cornhuskers are taking steps toward their former glory. Nebraska has re-established itself as a defensive powerhouse, ranking in the top 30 in total and scoring defense. So far this season, they’ve held FBS opponents to an average of 22.2 points and 332.2 yards per game. That feat looks even more impressive when we factor in their challenging schedule. The Cornhuskers have taken on some of the pre-eminent powers in the Big Ten, holding their own against some top contenders.
Iowa has enjoyed a similarly successful campaign. Like their Week 14 counterparts, the Hawkeyes have built their success on solid defensive play, putting together the 22nd-best total and 19th-best scoring defense. Moreover, they’ve improved their standing in the latter stages of the campaign. Iowa has held its past three opponents to an average of 302.0 yards and 14.3 points.
This game has all the makings of a classic Big Ten defensive slugfest. Neither team possesses the offense to pull away, and this game will likely be won and lost in the trenches. We’re betting that Nebraska keeps this Week 14 tilt within a field goal.
Recommended Play: Nebraska +3.5
2024 Group of 5 Power Rankings | Week 14 of College Football Season
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Georgia Bulldogs
Spread: Georgia Tech +19.5 (-110) | Georgia -19.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Georgia Tech +810 | Georgia -1450
Total: OVER 51.5 (-105) | UNDER 51.5 (-115)
At one point earlier in the season, the Georgia Bulldogs looked like they might miss out on this year’s playoffs. Georgia had barely gotten by the Kentucky Wildcats before suffering a loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. While they’ve re-established themselves as National Championship contenders, some of the Bulldogs’ luster has worn off this year. They could have difficulty containing a dynamic Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offense on Friday night.
Timeshare quarterbacks Haynes King, and Aaron Philo have led the Yellow Jackets to some notable offensive performances this year. Georgia Tech famously kicked off the Florida State Seminoles decline with a Week 0 victory while besting the fourth-ranked Miami Hurricanes at the start of the month. They’ve gotten through the first 13 weeks of the season with a 7-4 record, including four wins over their past six contests.
The eighth-ranked Bulldogs have re-asserted themselves as playoff contenders, albeit in an unconvincing fashion. Georgia has stumbled to a 3-8 record against the spread, failing to cover the number in three of its past four. More concerningly, they haven’t covered as a double-digit favorite since a Week 1 win over the Clemson Tigers, going 0-6 over the past 12 weeks.
Bettors have been underestimating the Yellow Jackets all season. Conversely, Georgia’s reputation is the driving factor in its betting odds, but its on-field product has suffered. The Bulldogs will leave with the win, but we don’t expect them to cover -19.5 against a feisty Georgia Tech side.
Recommended Play: Georgia Tech +19.5
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Utah Utes vs UCF Knights
Spread: Utah +9.5 (-110) | UCF -9.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Utah +255 | UCF -320
Total: OVER 45.5 (-115) | UNDER 45.5 (-105)
The Utah Utes and UCF Knights wonder what this season could have been. They are part of the small group of Big 12 programs not contending for a spot in the championship game in Week 14. Still, neither team can afford another loss if they hope to sustain their recruiting power in the upcoming transfer window. The betting line might not reflect it, but this game will be more tightly contested than most people expect.
The Utes have dropped seven in a row but haven’t given up on the 2024 campaign. Utah hung tight against the Iowa State Cyclones last week, covering the +6.5 spread in a 31-28 loss. That was their fourth one-possession loss over their previous five contests and their second ATS win over the past three weeks.
Unfortunately for Knights fans, UCF is trending in the opposite direction. Despite being favored in three of their past four, the Knights have only one victory for their efforts. That underwhelming trend looks even worse when we point the lens further back. UCF has one win over its last eight games despite being favored in six of those contests. As expected, that’s yielded an unimpressive 2-5 record against the spread, including 1-5 as the favorites.
UCF’s perceived superiority is being substantially overestimated. The Knights consistently fall on their own swords, and that’s unlikely to change against a Utah team that has dialed up the intensity with its most recent performances. We’re predicting both of those trends will hold constant, with Utah covering as +9.5 underdogs.
Recommended Play: Utah +9.5
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