College football picks: USC, Pittsburgh among five underdogs that can pull off Week 13 upsets
From clashes with playoff hopefuls to rivalry battles between fringe bowl teams, Week 13 has some intriguing college football underdogs
With just two full weeks to go during the 2025 college football regular season, there aren't many chances left for underdogs to pull off big upsets. That doesn't mean favorites will roll in Week 13, however, as we've highlighted five underdogs to keep an eye on this weekend. If you're interested in college football betting on underdogs, check out our five underdog picks for Week 13 before you make any bets of your own. All spreads and money line odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
NC State (+5.5, +180) vs. Florida State
This is a Friday night clash to help kick off the weekend, and it's an awfully intriguing one despite both sides being .500. Florida State has faltered after a hot start and is now scrambling just to make a bowl game. NC State is very tough at home and knocked off both Georgia Tech and Virginia in Raleigh this year. A win for either team clinches a both berth, but FSU is in a lookahead spot ahead of a heated rivalry matchup with Florida, who has been a bit frisky of late even if the record doesn't reflect that. The Wolfpack can score a lot of points and this feels like the wrong team is favored.
No. 16 USC (+10, +310) at No. 6 Oregon
When it comes to College Football Playoff implications, this is probably the game of the week. Oregon will almost certainly get in the CFP with two or fewer losses and with two games to go, the Ducks are 9-1. USC, meanwhile, enters this clash at 8-2 and faces a struggling UCLA team next week. It's not much of an exaggeration to say the winner here effectively punches a ticket into the playoff. USC has an elite offense, which can keep the Trojans in any game. Oregon has beat up on bad teams with blowout wins but has played some closer games of late, such as at Iowa and against Wisconsin. The Ducks absolutely should be favored but the Trojans have the ability to make this awfully uncomfortable for the home crowd in Eugene, especially with their season effectively on the line.
Pittsburgh (+2.5, +114) at No. 15 Georgia Tech
Who wants to win the ACC? With two weeks left, four teams have one loss in conference play, and that number will go down to at least three after this clash between Pitt and Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have recovered from a tough loss to NC State, while Pitt is coming off a blowout loss to Notre Dame. The Panthers have lost three games this year, but only one -- Louisville -- was in ACC play. The Panthers' offense, outside of the loss to the Irish, has been rolling of late while Georgia Tech has played a high wire act plenty of times this year with four one-score wins. The Panthers can make life scary for Georgia Tech and shake up the ACC race on Saturday.
North Carolina (+7, +205) vs. Duke
Yes, it's easy to poke fun at North Carolina in Bill Belichick's first year running the show, but the Tar Heels have quietly played better football over the last month or so and can clinch a bowl berth by winning their next two games. Duke, meanwhile, is struggling at the wrong time, having lost two in a row. It's strange to see a Belichick-led team with its back against the wall, but that's the case here. This could be a sneaky fun matchup and with it in Chapel Hill, back the home side in this rivalry clash.
Florida (+4, +170) vs. Tennessee
The Gators have not won since dismissing Billy Napier, but they have been awfully feisty. Florida lost by four to Georgia on Nov. 1 and then by 10 at Ole Miss last week. Strangely enough, the Gators' biggest loss since Napier was fired was a blowout loss to Kentucky. The Gators have been frisky against ranked foes and archrivals, and Tennessee is 7-3 entering this week. The Vols are the better team but after suffering a third loss two weeks ago, their CFP hopes may be done. This could be a spot for Florida to take advantage of a team that isn't too motivated right now.
