...
By Tyler EverettShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWelcome to the latest edition of the Newsweek Sports Betting newsletter, which you can start receiving in your inbox by subscribing here. Right now, here's what your free subscription entails:
- Weekly look at college basketball (every Monday evening)
- Weekly look at the NBA (every Tuesday evening)
- College football weekend preview (every Thursday evening)
- NFL weekend preview (every Friday morning)
- College Football ATS picks (every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET)
- NFL ATS picks (every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. ET)
This edition is available below, to subscribers only.
Subscribe to Newsweek Sports Betting 📩The 2025 college football regular season goes out with a bang today.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Michigan and No. 14 Vanderbilt vs. No. 19 Tennessee are the headliners in an already memorable Rivalry Week, which saw Texas upset Texas A&M last night.
The final weekend of the season is often the least predictable of them all, so be careful out there …
That being said, here's what I've got (all times ET):
- 1️⃣ Texas Tech (-23.5) vs. West Virginia -- 12 p.m. (ESPN)
- 2️⃣ Virginia Tech (+8.5) vs. Virginia -- 7 p.m. (ESPN)
- 3️⃣ Notre Dame (-32.5) vs. Stanford -- 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
1️⃣ No. 5 Texas Tech (-23.5) vs. West Virginia
- Kickoff: 12 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Pick: Texas Tech -23.5 (best odds: -110 at DK, FD)
The Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) clinched their date with BYU in the Big 12 title game last night when Arizona State lost to Arizona. Still, the No. 5 team in the country has plenty to play for as it seeks a first-round bye in the CFP.
Thanks to a dominant defense led by arguably the top D-line in the country, Texas Tech has been able to blow out each of its last four opponents, and I expect another romp today.
West Virginia (4-7, 2-6 Big 12) has been competitive the last four weeks with true freshman Scotty Fox Jr. under center, beating Houston and Colorado and pushing TCU and Arizona State in close losses. The Mountaineers haven't faced a defense like the one they'll see today, though, and David Bailey and Co. should shut down WVU and force Fox Jr. into at least a couple of turnovers.
Texas Tech's 10 wins this year include eight (!) by at least 24 points. That makes this team a great bet to not only win, but cover as the heavy road favorite.
2️⃣ Virginia Tech (+8.5) vs. No. 18 Virginia
- Kickoff: 7 p.m. (ESPN)
- Pick: Virginia Tech +8.5 (best odds: -110 at FanDuel)
Going chalk with all three picks would not only be no fun, but it probably wouldn't pan out.
There's no better example today of "team with nothing to lose facing archrival under immense pressure" than Virginia Tech (3-8, 2-5 ACC) vs. Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC).
Virginia clinches a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a win, but its chances at a CFP berth would disappear with a loss.
The Hokies fired head coach Brent Fry back in September, and they've since been one of the worst teams in the ACC, but they have had their moments. VT knocked off NC State in Raleigh and Cal at home, and it pushed Wake Forest in a 30-23 loss.
Virginia Tech has won four in a row in this rivalry, and since 2004, it owns a 19-1 record vs. UVA. That makes it hard to see Virginia winning this one going away, doesn't it?
The Cavaliers have needed fourth-quarter heroics several times this year. They've won three ACC games in overtime, and they lost to Wake Forest at home in early November.
While these teams don't exactly look evenly matched on paper, the history of this rivalry tells me that Virginia Tech will, at minimum, find a way to keep this game close.
3️⃣ Notre Dame (-32.5) vs. Stanford
- Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Pick: Notre Dame -32.5 (best odds: -108 at DraftKings)
There are no sure things in betting on college football, but in recent weeks, laying the points with Notre Dame (9-2) -- no matter how many -- sure has paid off.
The Irish have blown out Navy (49-10), Pitt (37-15) and Syracuse (70-7) the last three weeks, and Stanford (4-7, 3-5 ACC) might be the weakest squad the Irish have faced all year.
The Cardinal ended a three-game losing streak by beating Cal 31-10 at home last Saturday night, but that was largely due to 13 penalties for 123 yards and three turnovers by the Golden Bears.
Something tells me Notre Dame, which still needs to not only win, but win big, to secure a CFP berth, will not be nearly that sloppy this evening. The Irish boast arguably the best 1-2 punch in the country at running back, as Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price both average over 6 yards per carry.
Stanford won't have an answer for either Love or Price. I also expect a big night from QB CJ Carr, who has proven he can punish defenses for selling out to stop Notre Dame's dominant ground game.
On the other side of the football, the Notre Dame defense recently shut down two good offenses in wins over Navy and Pitt. And last week, the Irish forced three turnovers by Syracuse in a game they led 49-0 at halftime.
Stanford freshman quarterback Elijah Brown is making his third career start tonight. He was sacked nine times by North Carolina a couple weeks ago in his first start, and he completed just 10-of-20 passes for 123 yards in his team's win over Cal last Saturday.
Don't be surprised if the Irish -- who have already won three games this year by at least 39 points -- jump out to a big lead at halftime, then spend the second half salting the game away.
Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through any links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
BettingBetr Promo Code NEWSWEEK: Get $210 Bonus For CFB Rivalry Games, NFL Week 133 min read
BettingBetMGM Bonus Code NEWSWEEK1500: Claim $1,500 Bonus For CFB Rivalry Weekend3 min read
BettingFanDuel Promo Code: Get $150 Bonus For CFB Rivalry Games, NBA, NFL Week 133 min read
BettingBet365 Bonus Code WEEK365: Claim $150 Bonus For Ohio State vs. Michigan, CFB Games3 min read
BettingDraftKings Promo Code: Claim $200 Bonus For Ohio State vs. Michigan, CFB Games3 min read
BettingBet365 Missouri Bonus Code WEEK365: Get $365 Pre-Registration Bonus Black Friday3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsUS Halts All Asylum Claims After National Guard Shootings: What To Know4 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Ukraine Deal Turns an Arsonist Into a Fire Marshal5 min read
PoliticsState Department Expands Visa Pause to Afghan Passport Carriers3 min read
NewsDonald Trump Secures $75 Million Northwestern Deal: ‘Huge Win’4 min read
PoliticsWho Will Win Tennessee Special Election? What Polls Show 3 Days Out5 min read
NewsPolice to Accompany National Guard in DC After Fatal Shooting: Report4 min readTrending
New York8 Million Inflation Refund Checks Sent Out Ahead of Thanksgiving4 min read
WeatherWinter Storm Warning As 14 inches of Snow To Strike: ‘Delay All Travel’3 min read
AldiAldi Recall Update: Customers Told Discard Christmas Products ‘Immediately’3 min read
IllinoisProgram Giving $500 Monthly Checks to Americans Extended Into 20264 min read
WeatherWinter Storm Map Shows States Where ‘Widespread Heavy Snow’ Will Fall3 min readOpinion
OpinionRedefining Professional Degrees Will Hurt Everyday Americans | Opinion5 min read
OpinionAI Is Coming for Our Most Intimate Communications. Congress Must Act | Opinion5 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Thanksgiving Tragedies Edition3 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Anti-Thanksgiving Edition3 min read
OpinionHow to Remain Grounded and Thankful Amid the Chaos5 min read
