College Football Picks Week 14: Best Favorites to Bet Before Odds Change

The Tulane Green Wave possess one of the biggest advantages of conference championship weekend.

The 22nd-ranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings hosts the American Athletic Conference Championship Game and gets to face a backup quarterback.

SMU Mustangs quarterback Preston Stone was ruled out for the season earlier this week with a leg injury he suffered against the Navy Midshipmen.

Tulane's defense, which was likely going to give Stone a tough time, could feast on Saturday and that could lead to an easy cover of the 3.5-point spread.

The Group of Five title games probably have the most trustworthy favorites because of home-field advantage.

The Troy Trojans will be at home to face the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Sun Belt Championship Game.

Both teams enter Saturday's contest on five-game winning streaks, but Troy holds advantage because of its home field and defense.

For the latest lines on these games, go to DraftKings.

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ABC

Tulane holds an advantage over SMU in almost every category.

Michael Pratt is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the FBS. He will go up against SMU backup Kevin Jennings.

Jennings barely played last week against Navy because Stone's injury occurred in the second half.

Stone, who threw for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns, will be sorely missed by the SMU offense.

Tulane's defense should capitalize on Stone's absence by pressuring Jennings with every opportunity it gets.

The Green Wave might have already been a tough matchup for the high-scoring SMU offense because they allowed 24 points in the last two weeks and held three of their last four opponents to 16 points or less.

SMU eclipsed the 30-point mark in each of its 10 wins this season, but it only put up 28 combined points in its two defeats to the Oklahoma Sooners and TCU Horned Frogs.

Two higher-level defenses shut down the Mustangs with Stone on the field, so just imagine what the best defense in the AAC can do against a backup quarterback.

Tulane is 5-1 at home this season with its only loss coming to the Ole Miss Rebels. The Green Wave earned four of their five home victories by at least seven points.

A similar score line will allow Tulane to not just win and cover, but also secure the Group of Five berth in the New Years' Six.

Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN

Troy will not face a backup quarterback, but it does have a similar home-field advantage as Tulane.

The Trojans are 5-1 at home with four of those victories coming by at least seven points, including their last three victories in Alabama.

Troy won in dominant fashion away from home as well, and it has had to do that a lot in the second half of the season. It played four of its last six games on the road.

Troy's defense held five of its six last foes under 20 points, which is a bad sign for Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers come into the Sun Belt Championship Game on a five-game winning streak, but they have had some defensive holes during that run.

App State gave up over 20 points in three of those five victories, and it has two teams under 20 points across its eight victories.

Three of its four losses also occurred on the road, but it is worth noting App State won its last road game in overtime against the James Madison Dukes.

App State may not get close to overtime if the Troy defense has its way, and if that is the case, the Trojans will walk away with their second straight Sun Belt title.

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