Beating the spread: Week 12 college football lines that missed

Which college football games did the Las Vegas sportsbooks miss by the most this past weekend? One game that, against all odds, missed this list was Texas A&M and South Carolina. The Gamecocks were 17.5-point underdogs against the No. 3 team in the country, but carried a 30-3 lead into halftime before blowing it in the second half and losing 31-30.

Nevada 55, San Jose State 10

This is a prime example of the unpredictability of Group of Five (or Six, depending on how you count them) games, even late in the season. Nevada was a 10-point underdog entering this one, but blew out San Jose State at home on Saturday afternoon. The Wolfpack had not won a game against an FBS opponent all season, and their lone win this year was back on Sept. 6. First-year head coach Jeff Choate gets his first Mountain West Conference win, and it was accomplished in dominating fashion.

Gametime odds: Nevada +10

Difference: 55 points

Northern Illinois 45, Massachusetts 3

UMASS FIELD GOAL FIREWORKS 🎇 pic.twitter.com/nVI9wP2El3
— College Football Campus Tour (@cfbcampustour) November 13, 2025

Northern Illinois has not been very good this year, but UMass has been atrocious. Bill Connelly’s SP+ ranking of every college football team in the country had the Minutemen ranked behind North Central (Ill.) College last week. North Central is a Division III school. This has not stopped UMass from investing in fireworks, however, which they proudly shot off after their only score last Wednesday. Many of us have fond memories of thrilling mid-week MACtion games from years past, but this will not be remembered as one of those games.

Gametime odds: Northern Illinois -10

Difference: 32 points

Texas State 41, Southern Miss 14

The Texas State Bobcats ended a five-game losing streak on Saturday against a Southern Miss team that came into the contest at 7-2, having already secured bowl eligibility. Despite the disparity in records, the betting public saw these two teams matching up pretty evenly coming into the game, considering Southern Miss was just a three-point favorite at home. Texas State erased that notion early on, taking a 27-0 lead into the half and cruising to a convincing win while keeping their own bowl dreams alive.

Gametime odds: Texas State +3

Difference: 30 points

BYU 44, TCU 13

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier (middle) threw for 296 yards and accounted for two touchdowns in Saturday's win over TCU. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The BYU Cougars bounced back from their first loss of the season by trouncing TCU in Provo Saturday night. The loss to Texas Tech in Week 11 placed BYU right on the edge of the College Football Playoffs, but this win over a TCU team that came in with a 6-3 record should give the Cougars some breathing room. The initial line for this game was set at 4.5 points, but the public bet it down to three points by kickoff, apparently expecting a tight game, even with BYU at home. The final outcome was far different, however, and BYU continues to control its destiny for the Big 12 Championship game.

Gametime odds: BYU -3

Difference: 28 points

James Madison 58, Appalachian State 10

James Madison celebrated its first appearance in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll this season by running all over Appalachian State, racking up over 300 yards in both rushing and passing in the process of scoring 58 points. The win, and subsequent boost in the rankings, now have the Dukes as potential College Football Playoff entrants if they finish as the highest ranked Non-Power Four conference champion by winning the Sun Belt.

Gametime odds: James Madison -21

Difference: 27 points

Old Dominion 33, Troy 0

Old Dominion had a chance to stop James Madison’s run back in Week 8, but the Monarchs have rolled to a three-game winning streak since that loss in mid-October and now sit at 7-3 on the season and a third place spot in the Sun Belt’s East Division. Both of these teams were 6-3 coming into a Thursday night showdown on ESPN, but Old Dominion raced out to a 20-0 halftime lead and tacked on two second half scores for good measure to secure a convincing victory over the Trojans.

Gametime odds: ODU -9.5

Difference: 23.5 points

Washington 49, Purdue 13

Washington Huskies running back Adam Mohammed (24) celebrated with a teammate after one of his three scores Saturday. — Washington Huskies running back Adam Mohammed (24) and wide receiver Omari Evans (5) celebrate after a touchdown scored by Mohammed during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Washington suffered a deflating loss to a previously-hapless Wisconsin team one week previous, but found a way to exorcise that demon by punishing a Purdue team that only has two wins this season. Purdue was coming off back-to-back games against No. 21 ranked Michigan and No. 1 ranked Ohio State, and just could not muster the stamina to counter Washington and running back Adam Mohammed, who scored three of the game’s first four touchdowns. Washington has UCLA next Saturday before a big showdown at home against No. 8 Oregon Thanksgiving weekend.

Gametime odds: Washington -14.5

Difference: 21.5 points

Georgia 35, Texas 10

Home field has traditionally been allotted a three-point advantage in betting lines, so Georgia going into Saturday’s showdown in Athens against visiting Texas as just a four-point favorite means these two teams were viewed pretty even by bettors. This game played out that way through three quarters, and then the Bulldogs blitzed Texas with three fourth quarter passing touchdowns by quarterback Gunner Stockton to put this game away. It was an important win for Georgia, especially with Alabama’s loss, and a devastating loss for a rebounding Longhorns squad.

Gametime odds: Georgia -4

Difference: 21 points

Gunner Stockton (14) threw three fourth quarter touchdowns to seal Georgia's victory over Texas on Saturday. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Game 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.