Best early college football predictions, expert picks by Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica

“Bear Bets” are real wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is actually making.

College football season is right around the corner, with the first games kicking off in about two months.

While I have not made my usual number of college football bets at this point in the calendar, I have already thrown a few bucks down on a couple of early wagers.

Here are three of those bets you should consider.

Let’s dive into some of my early college football best bets for the 2023 season.

Georgia to win SEC (-105, bet $10 to win $19.52 total)

This seems like a no-brainer. Georgia is the best team in the SEC and will very likely be in the SEC Championship Game. That is unless Tennessee beats the Bulldogs and then doesn’t drop more than one other conference game or if you think UGA gets tripped up somewhere else. 

So assuming Georgia is in the SEC Championship Game, a game where the Dawgs will likely be favored, you have options. Simply let your -105 play out with the favorite, or you could buy some back on the underdog, plus the points or moneyline and win both bets. 

Either way, this wager should result in a nice holiday bonus for bettors. 

PICK: Georgia (-105) to win SEC

Oklahoma to win National Championship (+6000, bet $10 to win $610 total)

No, this does not mean I’m picking Oklahoma to win the national championship. What it does mean is that I’m trying to find a price in a highly volatile league where, just last season, we saw TCU reach the College Football Playoff National Championship

As bad as things were for OU last year, the Sooners were only non-competitive in games when quarterback Dillon Gabriel was hurt. OU’s five other losses, including the Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State, came by seven, three, three, three and three points. 

Also, another big point of consideration is that the Sooners don’t play Kansas State and Texas Tech in 2023 — two teams that have been thorns in OU’s side. The winner of the Big 12 will likely be in the College Football Playoff, and if it’s OU and you’re holding a +6000 ticket, you will likely be able to find a way to lock in a profit. 

PICK: Oklahoma (+6000) to win College Football Playoff

LSU Under 9.5 wins (-105, bet $10 to win $19.52 total)

This is probably a bit of a contrarian play, given the hype LSU has entering the season. But the Tigers had just a plus-16 scoring margin in SEC play last year and went 6-2 in league play. 

A glimpse at the 2023 schedule shows the Tigers have away games against Florida State (neutral site), Mississippi State and Ole Miss within the first month of the season. They also have a trip to Tuscaloosa and the finale with Texas A&M. So, yeah, a typical SEC slate. 

The Tigers have quite a bit coming back and added some impact transfers, but if the OL doesn’t perform better this year, it will not allow QB Jayden Daniels and the running game to do their thing. 

That could force the defense — which is adding a lot of new faces — to gel quickly, or else that September schedule could result in a loss or two. 

PICK: LSU (-105) Under 9.5 wins

Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, soccer, golf, tennis, MLB, NHL and horse racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.

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