2023 college football Championship Week spread picks, betting odds, trends: Top Vegas expert reveals picks

Games like the 2023 SEC Championship between No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Alabama (4 p.m. ET, CBS) will steal the headlines heading into the Championship Week college football schedule, but there are some thrilling conference championship games below the Power 5 level as well. No. 22 Tulane will meet SMU in the American Athletic Championship on Saturday afternoon, with the Green Wave entering the game as a one-loss team. Their lone setback came against SEC foe Ole Miss in early September, but they have responded with a 10-game winning streak. They are 4-point favorites against SMU in the latest Week 14 college football odds from SportsLine consensus.

Troy will face Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Championship in the same time slot on Saturday, with the Trojans listed as 6.5-point favorites in the Championship Week college football spreads. Which teams should you back with your 2023 Championship Week college football bets? Before locking in any Championship Week college football picks, be sure to see the college football betting guide from legendary Vegas handicapper Bruce Marshall.

For years Vegas-based Marshall was synonymous with The Gold Sheet, the famed sports betting newsletter. With a background in play-by-play work and sports information while in college, Marshall joined TGS in 1981 when hired by the legendary Mort Olshan and served as executive editor for many years. He now supplies his unique and colorful brand of football and basketball analysis to SportsLine members.

An in-demand guest on numerous sports talk radio and TV shows across the country, Bruce’s vast array of editorial work has been featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the New York Post and many other outlets. He has won various handicapping titles and also is working on several book projects.

Now, using his Tech Corner technique, Marshall has turned his attention to the latest college football odds for Week 14 and evaluated each matchup. Head here to see every pick.

Top college football predictions for Championship Week
One of the top college football picks Marshall is recommending for Week 14: He is backing No. 2 Michigan (-23) to cover against No. 16 Iowa in the 2023 Big Ten Championship Game. That matchup is at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Iowa only faced one ranked opponent this season, getting exposed in a 31-0 loss to then-No. 7 Penn State in September. Michigan beat the Nittany Lions by nine points in mid-November, and the Wolverines are coming off a win over then-No. 2 Ohio State last week. They have won nine games in blowout fashion this season, and Iowa’s struggling offense will have trouble keeping pace.

The Hawkeyes have not scored more than 22 points in a game since the end of September, finishing with just 15 points against Illinois two weeks ago and 13 points against Nebraska last week. They have leaned heavily on their defense to keep games close, going Under the total in seven straight games. Marshall expects another low-scoring game from the Hawkeyes on Saturday night, taking Michigan to cover in a contest that goes Under (35.5). See which other picks to make here.

How to make college football picks for Championship Week
Marshall has evaluated every other matchup and he’s backing a team on a 17-7 roll against the spread. Get betting analysis for each matchup at SportsLine.