Five College Football Betting Predictions for 2017

It would be hard for the 2017 college football season to have any more predictable — and wilder — finish than the 2016 campaign did. After all, we had a rematch in the national championship game from the year before, as Clemson met Alabama for the title for the second year in a row, but it was the Tigers who came out on top this time, coming back in dramatic fashion to win after a Jalen Hurts touchdown scamper had made it seem like the Crimson Tide were in the driver’s seat. However, other elements of that campaign — the collapse of Notre Dame and Michigan State, the firing of Charlie Strong at the University of Texas just two of them — made the whole sport seem topsy-turvy. With the departure of Bob Stoops after decades of success at Oklahoma, change is coming to the Big 12 as well. Here are some five college football betting prediction for the 2017 season we think you can expect to see as you start to plan your college football betting for the year.

Five College Football Betting Predictions for 2017

One reason why each Top 25 team will surpass expectations in 2017.https://t.co/NfkDXkBwcQ

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) June 13, 2017

Kansas State wins the Big 12

What with all of the hoopla surrounding Oklahoma, and with the dark drama swirling down at Baylor, Kansas State tends to fly low, under the radar. They don’t have the flashy offense that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have in the past, and they don’t have a giant ego marching up and down the sideline, like TCU does. However, they just win. Last season they put up nine wins despite having one of the youngest rosters in the nation, and a lot of books have their over/under for wins at 7 ½ for this coming year. Kansas State gets to play three of the top four other contenders in the Big 12 (OU, Oklahoma State, TCU and Baylor) at home, and this year there will be a Big 12 Championship game, so K-State just needs to crack the top two. I see the Wildcats making that game and then shocking their opponent to win the title.

Jalen Hurts will have to share time at quarterback at Alabama

You’re right — he was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. However, Tua Tagovailoa, an early enrollee quarterback, will see time at some point in the season, and he will work his way in to become a featured element of the Crimson Tide offense. If you watched any clips of Tide’s spring football sessions, you saw what Tagovailoa can do with both his arm and his legs. If you were concerned that the Alabama offense might suffer a bit a year after falling in the national championship game, you should know that no one reloads better than Nick Saban. Besides, the Crimosn Tide the top college football betting favorite to win the 2018 National Championship at +300. So, it’s hard to see something go wrong with this squad.

Derrius Guice will win the Heisman Trophy

Now that Leonard Fournette is gone to the NFL, Derrius Guice is no longer the understudy who comes onto the field when the big guy is hurt — he IS the big guy. Guice picked up 1,387 yards and scored 15 touchdowns last year in relief of Fournette, averaging a gaudy 7.6 yards per attempt. He pushed the Tigers to a 29-9 victory over Louisville, piling up 138 yards on the ground. Now that LSU will have a fresh offense (Matt Canada comes in as the new offensive coordinator). True, Alabama will have a plan to limit him when those two programs meet, but Alabama (while always loaded) doesn’t quite have the same fearsome defense, at least on paper, that they did last year.

Kevin Sumlin’s time runs out in College Station

Texas A&M started out with the highest of hopes last season, at one point climbing high to #4 in the College Football Playoff standings, but then the wheels came off, and the team tumbled to an 8-5 finish. Aggie donors don’t expect that kind of meltdown, but Sumlin’s teams have delivered them three years in a row. The departure of not one but two starting quarterbacks two off-seasons ago indicates that there is some dysfunction in that Aggie locker room, and it won’t surprise me to see Sumlin on the way out.

Northwestern pushes Wisconsin in the Big Ten West

Tailback Justin Jackson might be the best running back in the whole Big Ten, and the Wildcats also return nine starters on defense. Northwestern put together 10 wins in 2015, but then last year, they opened with losses to lowly Western Michigan and Illinois State. True, Northwestern did deliver wins over Michigan State and Iowa and almost knocked off Ohio State in Columbus, and they beat #23 Pitt in the Pinstripe Bowl. With quarterback Clayton Thorson (27 total touchdowns and over 3,000 yards of passing), and with a schedule that doesn’t have Michigan or Ohio State on it, this could be the Wildcats’ year.

Final College Football Betting Thoughts

There are many other teams that we can talk about, but we’re going to have much more to come in the following for all your college football betting need. Now’s the time to soak in all the information you can get before placing your bets. We might be over two months away from the start of season, but it’s never too late to get ready. Best of luck with your picks!