Rivalry Week rolls into the afternoon window with another set of excellent college football games.
In this window, Stuckey's backing a side in Washington-Oregon, Mike Calabrese is eyeing a long-shot parlay in Vanderbilt-Tennessee, and Doug Ziefel likes a prop for LSU-Oklahoma.
Read on for our college football picks and NCAAF best bets for the afternoon window on Saturday, Nov. 29.
College Football Picks, Best Bets for Saturday Afternoon
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from Saturday afternoon's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
 | Afternoon | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Oregon vs. Washington Pick
By Stuckey
Did I turn into a full-on Ducks believer following their victory over USC?
Absolutely not.
USC was missing its two most important defenders and still can't be trusted on the road. The Trojans also didn't help their own cause on special teams.
Look, Oregon is an excellent football team with a deep well of young talent that will be super dangerous next season.
I'm just not as high as the market on them in 2025.
They have crushed inferior teams due to their talent gap, but have looked rather pedestrian at times against the three upper-echelon teams they have played: USC, Indiana, and Iowa (and even against Wisconsin).
I grabbed the hook since I made this game under a touchdown, but also because of Oregon's injury situation.
The Ducks could still be severely shorthanded at wide receiver and are dealing with injuries at three key spots along the offensive line. We'll see who can give it a go, but they won't be at 100% on that side of the ball.
Washington has also dealt with a plethora of injuries all season, but the Huskies were able to rest almost everybody who had been ailing during back-to-back blowout wins over the past two weeks.
Oregon did not have that same luxury against the Trojans.
As of now, it looks like star running back Jonah Coleman (who should have plenty of success vs the Ducks) and star wide receiver Denzel Boston (along with his running mate Raiden Vines-Bright) will be good to go.
The offensive line also looks close to full strength (maybe except for center, with Hatchett still wearing a cast on his snapping hand). The essential pieces are John Mills and Carver Willis, who have missed five combined games this season, and the offense completely crumbled because the Huskies just don't have any offensive line depth.
That's one of the key differences right now between Washington and the upper echelon of the Big 10. However, when healthy (it also looks like star cornerback Tacario Davis should be good to go), this team can play with anybody, especially in Seattle, where the Huskies have a very underrated home-field advantage.
Purple Rain can keep this close and has a shot to pull off the upset, assuming their horrid special teams don't completely blow the game (which happened for Iowa and USC against Oregon).
Check out all of Stuckey's Week 14 Situational Spots here:
Pick: Washington +7 or Better
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Army vs. UTSA Pick
It seems like every year, UTSA starts slow, takes a few weeks to find its footing, and ends the season playing its best football.
The Roadrunners have won four of their past six games, only losing to North Texas and South Florida.
They have also once again been dominant at home.
UTSA is 4-1 straight up and against the spread inside the Alamodome this season. They are averaging 464.8 yards and 50.2 points per game at home this year, compared to just 370.2 yards and 21.6 points per game on the road.
Quarterback Owen McCown leads an offensive attack that can put up points in a hurry, throwing for 25 touchdowns on the season. Devin McCuin is his favorite target, and AJ Wilson is the Roadrunners' downfield threat.
UTSA has two explosive running backs in Robert Genry and Will Henderson III, each of whom is averaging over seven yards per carry and can take it to the house any time they touch the ball.
The UTSA defense has been much better than last year, especially where it matters most for this game – against the run.
The Roadrunners sit 26th nationally in Rush Success Rate allowed. North Texas and South Florida were able to torch them on the ground, but they have held everybody else in check. Against Rice, who runs a similar Triple Option scheme to the new Army offense, UTSA allowed just 269 total yards and 13 points.
At the same time, Army has taken a massive step back from last year.
The Knights lost quarterback Dewayne Coleman to injury, and Cale Hallums has been an effective rusher but can’t pass the ball. The Black Knights rank 81st nationally in Success Rate and are one of the least explosive teams in the country.
The Army defense has been terrible, ranking outside the top 100 this season. It's also awful against the pass — Army creates no pass rush and will allow McCown all day to pick this defense apart.
Check out Ianniello's full Week 14 Group of 5 Card here:
Pick: UTSA -8 or Better
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Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee Same-Game Parlay
One of my proudest moments as a content creator was dubbing the Big Bets on Campus Group of Five Deep Dive a “Pavia Podcast” in August of 2023.
I had followed Diego Pavia’s ragtag career from its humble roots at Volcano Vista High School, where he was a three-sport star.
In an alternate universe, he could have been a wrestler in the Big Ten. Instead, he chose to climb the college football mountain.
As a scrappy dual-threat signal-caller, he won a JUCO national title at New Mexico Military Institute.
He stayed in the Land of Enchantment and willed NMSU to a Quick Lane Bowl victory before he gained gambling notoriety in 2023 when his Aggies went 11-4 ATS with an outright win at Auburn.
One more rung up the ladder brought him to Vanderbilt. Turning the Commodores into a tough out would have cemented his status as a cult hero, but he was never one to settle.
He upset No. 1 Alabama and led the 'Dores to a seven-win season, the program’s highest win total in 11 years. This season, he’s built on that momentum, leading them into the top 10 before losing a shootout with Texas.
Now, here Pavia sits with an opportunity to sneak Vandy into the CFP and book himself a ticket to New York for the Heisman presentation.
He’s been an incredible heater statistically lately, too boot. He has accounted for 1,429 total yards and 14 touchdowns in the past three games.
In his career, he has had five multi-touchdown games on the ground. He has thrown for 275 or more in five games this season, including the last three in a row. And he’s averaging over 60 yards per game on the ground this fall.
If you’re looking for a comp against this Tennessee defense, try Arkansas’ Taylen Green. The Hogs’ QB1 ran for 63 yards and a score on the ground. Oklahoma's John Mateer found similar success (80 rushing yards, TD).
As for the passing, Tennessee got bombed by Georgia and Kentucky earlier this season, allowing 634 passing yards and eight total touchdowns to Gunner Stockton and Cutter Boley. If they can have their way with the Vols’ secondary, Pavia can work his magic in Neyland Stadium.
Check out all of Calabrese's Rivalry Week Exotics here:
Pick: Diego For Heisman Parlay (+1275, FanDuel)
- Vanderbilt ML (+126)
- Diego Pavia 2+ TDs (+310)
- Diego Pavia 50+ Rushing Yards (-114)
- Diego Pavia 275+ Passing Yards (-104)
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LSU vs. Oklahoma Pick
By Doug Ziefel
Prior to an injury, John Mateer's Heisman hype was palpable in large part due to his rushing ability as a signal caller.
Mateer is not only a dynamic rusher but the top ball carrier in the Sooners' offense. Mateer has averaged 12.2 rush attempts per game this season, exceeding this mark in five of 10 games.
Last week, we saw Mateer carry the ball 18 times in a tough victory against Missouri.
LSU's run defense is stout, but the Sooners' winning formula is clear: Mateer needs to run the ball.
Pick: John Mateer Over 11.5 Rush Attempts
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Troy vs. Southern Miss Pick
This game triggered one of our Action PRO betting systems, powered by Evan Abrams.
In both regular season and postseason college football, home favorites in conference play who have performed poorly against the spread in recent games are often overvalued.
A string of ATS losses signals that market expectations have consistently outpaced on-field results, yet public perception and home-field bias can still inflate the line.
Conference opponents, familiar with schemes and tendencies, are well-positioned to exploit these weaknesses.
This creates an environment where fading the struggling home favorite offers consistent value.
You may be tempted to back Braylon Braxton and the Golden Eagles, who hold a 5-2 Sun Belt record and can clinch the Sun Belt championship game with a win on Saturday.
But Troy is also 5-2 in league play and can do the same.
But Southern Miss hasn't been playing as well recently, losing back-to-back games against South Alabama and Texas State — the latter by a disgusting 41-14 score.
Troy has had its struggles this season, but it pieced together a solid 31-19 win over Georgia State last week behind a strong performance from quarterback Goose Crowder (27-for-43, 340 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs).
Teams that fit the system this season are 14-7-2 ATS, a 67% win rate generating a 25% ROI.
Want more Action PRO systems? Get an Action PRO subscription today via our Black Friday sale:
Pick: Troy +6.5 or Better
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Collin Wilson's Full Action App Card
Need more picks for Saturday's action? It's always wise to see what our guy Collin Wilson is betting on!
Additionally, if you haven't already, make sure to download the Action Network App to track all your bets and follow your favorite experts.
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