Week 13 of the 2025 college football season is here and our VSiN team is attacking it relentlessly. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out the Week 13 CFB Betting Hub for write-ups and picks from all of our talented analysts. However, I’d love for you to keep reading for my college football best bets and predictions for this exciting Week 13 slate. I’ll probably add some picks as lines move and more information comes out later in the week — and on game day. If I do, I’ll put them on the VSiN Pro Picks page. Don’t miss out on those.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for college football best bets from all of our analysts
Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins – 4:00 pm ET
Since Mike Locksley became the head coach of Maryland, the Terrapins are 4-10 against the spread as underdogs of 10.5 to 21 points. In that same span, they’re also 0-26 straight-up and 9-17 ATS when facing teams that outscore opponents by at least 10.0 points per game. This Maryland team has also fallen apart recently. The Terps were 4-0 to start the season, but they have lost six in a row entering this week. They have also lost each of their last three games by double figures.
This matchup presents some real problems for Maryland. Malik Washington is a very talented quarterback, but his game has gone off the rails since a hot start to the year. The freshman’s TD-INT ratio over the last four games is 3-5, plus he completed less than 55% of his passes in all four. Well, things might not get any easier this week. Michigan is 12th in the nation in scoring defense (17.7) and 14th in EPA per play allowed (-0.137). The Wolverines are also top-20 in both Dropback EPA per play allowed (-0.182) and Rush EPA per play allowed (-0.077). There just might not be many ways this Terrapins offense can hurt this defense, especially with some of the talented defensive backs in the secondary.
Michigan’s offense should also have a nice night. The Wolverines have an elite offensive line, spearheading the nation’s eighth-ranked rushing offense in Rush EPA per play (+0.140). Meanwhile, Maryland is just 90th in Rush EPA per play allowed (0.024). The Wolverines should be able to pick up big gains on early downs, setting up manageable situations on key downs. Also, if the running game is working, Bryce Underwood’s big arm becomes a bigger threat to the Terrapins defense.
Bet: Michigan -13.5 (-110)
Illinois Fighting Illini at Wisconsin Badgers – 7:30 pm ET
Wisconsin’s 31-7 loss to Indiana last week was a bit more competitive than the score suggests. The Badgers defense looked solid for a good portion of the game, but they eventually cracked because of a lack of offense. Any unit will struggle if stuck on the field for a long time — and constantly in bad field position. But the Badgers have still covered in three consecutive games, things are a little more positive surrounding Luke Fickell since the upset of Washington, and this is a matchup in which there should be some hope in the locker room.
Illinois is just 5-6-1 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points under Bret Bielema. The team is also just 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS under Bielema in games with totals between 35.5 and 42 points. And realistically, it is hard to win by more than a touchdown in low-scoring games. That’s why I pounced on this at 8.5 on Monday, and I’d still play it down to 7.5.
I just think that Wisconsin’s improved defense, led by a standout linebacker group, will keep the Illinois running game in check. And while Luke Altmyer is a solid quarterback, he’s no Fernando Mendoza. I don’t see him shredding a decent Badgers secondary.
We’ll just have to hope that Wisconsin can generate some offense in this one. Things haven’t been pretty on this side of the ball all year. However, this will be Carter Smith’s third start for the Badgers. The freshman should be a little more comfortable running the operation, and his rushing ability should be a factor in this one.
This is also a game in which Steve Makinen’s projections call for a 22 to 17.4 win for Illinois. That’s only a 4.6 margin of victory, meaning there’s some value in taking the points with Wisconsin.
Bet: Wisconsin +8.5 (-110 – 1.5 units) & Wisconsin ML (+260 – 0.5 units)
Added Plays
Akron +3.5 (-125 – 1.5 units) vs. Bowling Green
PARLAY: Central Michigan ML vs. Kent State & Buffalo Alt +10.5 vs. Miami OH (-154 – 1.5 units)
Louisiana +3.5 (-139 – 2 units) & Louisiana ML (+120) vs. Arkansas State
PARLAY: Texas ML vs. Arkansas & Cincinnati Alt +8.5 vs. BYU (-133 – 1.5 units)
Stanford +3.5 (-120) vs. California
Check the Pro Picks page for any additional plays, or come back here right before kick-off to see if I added something on the game you’re interested in.
