First to Forde: Best Picks Against the Spread for College Football Week 14

Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde and Iain MacMillan have been in a friendly competition this entire college football season, racing to be the first to correctly hit on 40 against-the-spread picks. Forde has had the lead all season long, and after both competitors went 3-2 in Week 13, Forde is now just seven wins away from winning it all. If he can go a combined 7-3 across rivalry week and conference championship week, it'll be good enough for the win.

Meanwhile, the best MacMillan can hope for is to force the competition in the first week of bowl season. He can't afford another losing week if he wants to complete the comeback.

Let's take a look at their five spread picks for Week 14.

Pat's Week 14 Picks

Georgia -13.5 vs. Georgia Tech (via DraftKings)

The Yellow Jackets don’t submit easily, but their defense has collapsed. And the Bulldogs have been playing at a very high level the last few weeks.

Virginia Tech +9.5 vs. Virginia (via FanDuel)

The Cavaliers have played six one-score games this season, winning four, and it feels like they’ll need to survive one more close call to get to Charlotte.

Iowa -6.5 vs. Nebraska (via Caesars)

The Cornhuskers are struggling since the loss of Dylan Raiola, and the Hawkeyes' defense will contain Emmett Johnson. Give Iowa a special teams TD and a safety and call it a day.

Pittsburgh +7 vs. Miami (via DraftKings)

Cold-weather game for a warm-weather favorite. Both teams have something to play for. Take the home ‘dog.

Wake Forest +1.5 at Duke (via DraftKings)

Demon Deacons have played very well down the stretch, and Duke played its biggest rivalry game last week.

Iain's Week 14 Picks

Texas A&M -2.5 vs. Texas (via BetMGM)

I'm still not a believer in Texas, despite its big win against Arkansas last week. Arch Manning and the Longhorns may have been able to move the ball against the Razorbacks' defense, but now they have to face one of the best secondaries in the country. The Aggies rank 17th in opponent dropback EPA, third in opponent dropback success rate, and 27th in opponent yards per pass attempt (6.3). That's a nightmare situation for Manning.

Arizona -2 vs. Arizona State (via Caesars)

The Arizona Wildcats may be one of the more underrated teams in the country. They rank 16th in the country in adjusted net EPA per play. By comparison, Arizona State ranks 38th in that metric. I think the Wildcats will be able to run the ball with plenty of success against a Sun Devils defense that ranks 72nd in opponent rush EPA.

Washington +7 vs. Oregon (via DraftKings)

I believe Oregon will win this game, but I'm going to take the points with this underrated Washington team. The Huskies enter this week ranking 15th in the country in net adjusted EPA per play and fifth in net success rate, which is better than Oregon, which comes in at seventh in that stat. The Huskies' offense has been strong this season, ranking 12th in adjusted EPA per play and fifth in success rate. They have the ability, especially with this game on their home field, to put up enough points to hang with the Ducks.

UNC +7.5 vs. NC State (via DraftKings)

UNC got off to a terrible start to its season, but the Tar Heels have been quietly competitive in the second half of the season. Overall, they're 70th in net adjusted EPA per play while NC State ranks 78th. It's also worth noting that while both teams are pass-first offenses, NC State's defense gives up 8.4 yards per pass attempt while UNC gives up just 6.7. The Tar Heels are live in this game.

Notre Dame -32.5 vs. Stanford (via DraftKings)

Don't be afraid of this big spread. This is truly a game between one of the best teams in the country and one of the worst. Just look at net adjusted EPA per play, where Notre Dame ranks 20th, and Stanford ranks 129th out of 136 teams. Notre Dame has made a habit all season of beating up on inferior teams, and the Cardinal are worse than the Orange, whom Notre Dame beat by 63 points last week. I'll lay the points with the Fighting Irish on Saturday night.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $300 in bonus bets instantly +3 months of NBA League Pass.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.