Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Clemson at Cal, Northwestern at No. 5 Indiana, MLB and more
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Find best bets and props for the biggest games in sports on Friday from the SportsLine Projection Model and top CBS Sports experts
• 5 min read
Insomniacs, night shift workers and college football fans in Australia, rejoice.
Friday night's marquee matchup between the Clemson Tigers and the Cal Bears is set to kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET, which means the above segment of fans won't have to make any special accommodations to catch this ACC contest. However, college football fans on the East Coast may need a triple espresso in order to stay up for the late-night clash.
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But the game is worth staying up for. The Tigers (2-1) are a program teetering on the edge. They're just two years removed from a 10-win season and College Football Playoff appearance, but coach Dabo Swinney's roster construction decisions have the team trending toward another middling finish in the ACC.
Meanwhile, the Bears (2-1) have an NFL-caliber quarterback in the highly touted Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, and first-year coach Tosh Lupoi has generated excitement around the program based on his strong start on the recruiting trail.
Clemson is a 1.5-point spread betting favorite over Cal.
While Tigers vs. Bears is the marquee attraction on Friday, there are other sports betting options that include a partial college football schedule and a 17-game MLB slate. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the best sports betting apps, for Friday, Sept. 25. All times Eastern.
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College football best bets, where to watch
Navy at UAB
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Birmingham, Ala. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Navy -6.5
Give the Midshipmen credit. They know who they are, and they don't diverge from it. What they are is a football team that runs, runs, runs the ball. This season, Navy ranks second in the country in rushing offense (376.0 yards per game). Over the last 13 seasons, the Midshipmen have ranked outside of the top nine in rushing offense just twice. That does not bode well for UAB, which ranks 124th in the country in rushing defense (192.0) and gave up 225 and 201 rushing yards to Louisiana and Louisiana-Monroe over the last two games, respectively. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every college football game 10,000 times, says Navy has a 50% chance to cover and assigns a "C" grade to Navy -6.5.
Northwestern at No. 5 Indiana
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Bloomington, Ind. | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Northwestern +20
Despite a sluggish first half last week against Western Kentucky, the reigning national champions continue to roll, ranking second in the country in scoring defense (5.3 points per game) and sixth in scoring offense (48.3). To be fair, the Hoosiers (3-0) have yet to play anyone with a pulse so little stock can be put in those numbers. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (2-0), whose preseason win total at sportsbooks was 5.5, are off to a fast start with wins over South Dakota State and Colorado. They have capitalized on opponents' turnovers (five) while committing only one of their own. The SportsLine Projection Model says Northwestern has a 55% chance to cover and gives a "B" grade to Wildcats +20.
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Clemson at Cal
Time: 10:30 p.m. | Location: Berkeley, Calif. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Under 51.5 (-118) | Expert: Cal +1.5 -120 (Mike Tierney)
Though the Tigers are coming off a 28-20 victory against North Carolina, the Tar Heels had all the momentum in that game until a lengthy weather delay gave Clemson new life. With an offensive line struggling so far this season, the Tigers rank 128th in the country in total offense (297.7 yards per game). "Freshman QB Tait Reynolds makes his first road start -- and second overall -- in a short week and with a crazy-late kickoff at 10:30," Tierney told SportsLine. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 50.2% chance the teams combine for 51 points or fewer and assigns a strong "A" grade to Under 51.5.
MLB best bets, where to watch
Pirates at Tigers
Time: 6:40 p.m. | Location: Detroit | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Tigers +1.5 (-190) | Expert: Jackson Jobe Over 5.5 total pitcher strikeouts +124 (Prop Bet Guy)
Two teams getting ready for the offseason square off when Detroit and Pittsburgh open a three-game series at Comerica Park. The Tigers' Jackson Jobe (2-3, 3.98 ERA) has pitched well in September, going 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA and 24 strikeouts against just four walks. Prop Bet Guy notes the Pirates have been strikeout-prone against righties all season, whiffing at a 23% rate. "Jackson Jobe has tightened up his curveball (essentially from a knuckle curve to your standard curve), which has led to a bump in his called plus swinging strike metrics," Prop Bet Guy told SportsLine. The SportsLine Projection Model says that Detroit has a 64% chance to cover and gives a "B" grade to the Tigers +1.5 on the run line.
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Looking ahead
College football: No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida
Time: 3:30 p.m. Saturday | Location: Gainesville, Fla. | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Model: Under 58.5 | Expert: Florida -3 (David Bearman)
Sportsbooks seem to think this is a trap game for the Rebels. Coming off a highly emotional victory over LSU and former coach Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss (3-0) now hits the road to face a dangerous Gators team in the Swamp. Behind arguably the nation's top running back, Jadan Baugh, Florida (3-0) ranks second in the country in scoring offense (54.0 points per game) and third in total offense (544.3 yards per game). "This is only the fifth time since 1978 that a top-five team is an underdog to a team not ranked in the top 20," Bearman told SportsLine. "The lower-ranked favorite is 4-0 ATS." The SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 67.8% chance the teams combine for 58 points or fewer and assigns a strong "A" grade to Under 58.5.
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