What ten college football games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into Week 3? Here you go. Enjoy.
Week 3 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
– Week 3 Schedule, Times, Lines, Previews
– CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
– Week 3 College Final Thoughts, Betting Advice
– Week 3 Expert Picks & Predictions: College
– Week 2 Expert Picks & Predictions: NFL
Results So Far ATS: 6-7
Click on each game for the game preview and fearless prediction.
As we said last week, please … be kind.
Normally there are at least 50 FBS games to choose from at this time of year, and this week we have 16 after a few cancellations. This season we – along with everyone else – are flying a bit blind when it comes to teams just starting their seasons, so …
Whatever. No excuses.
The ten lines that appear to be a wee bit favorable are …
10. Wake Forest at NC State
LINE: NC State -1
ATS PICK: NC State
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
It’s not the big primetime ACC game – that’s Miami at Louisville – but it’s one of the few late games on a smallish Saturday night. Wake Forest rolled in last year’s game 44-10, but NC State should have a far stronger defense, a much more effective offense, and it’s far more experienced. 2009 was the last time the Wolfpack lost a season-opener at home.
– Week 3 College Final Thoughts, Betting Advice
9. Houston at Baylor
LINE: Baylor -4
ATS PICK: Baylor
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
This is just pure, unadulterated snobbery, even if the Big 12 hasn’t exactly shown up large so far.
Houston has been prepping for this game for the last year – at least it spent most of last season tuning up for 2020 – and Baylor has a new head coach in Dave Aranda, a whole slew of new defensive parts, and just enough question marks to be concerning.
However, you’re getting the Power Five program only giving away four points at home, and while that didn’t exactly matter last weekend against the Sun Belt, there are still enough good parts from last year’s Baylor team to open up with a win.
– Week 2 Expert Picks & Predictions: NFL
8. SMU at North Texas
LINE: SMU -14
ATS PICK: SMU
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Texas State was able to hang around with SMU in the opener to cover in a way-too-close 31-24 game, and North Texas went ballistic on a Houston Baptist team that gave Texas Tech a nightmare of a time.
The over on the 68 is the better play, but get ready for SMU to be a whole lot sharper than it was against the Bobcats with the passing game able to pull away late.
Over the last nine meetings between the two, North Texas is 5-4 +14 – with a few outright wins – but SMU won by 22 last year and should have the firepower to pull away late this time around.
– Week 3 Schedule, Times, Lines, Previews
7. Duke at Notre Dame
LINE: Notre Dame -25.5
ATS PICK: Notre Dame
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Let’s Try This Again, Part 1.
More like, You Owe Us For Last Week.
Notre Dame was sluggish against Duke – it didn’t cover the 20 in a 27-13 win – but the USF defense isn’t nearly as strong as what the Blue Devils brought, and the Irish offense should be a bit sharper.
And that’s one of the other themes/beliefs throughout all of this. In this weirdest of offseasons, it’s going to take a bit for some of these teams to get their legs and their timing. Expect Notre Dame to get both of those back against a USF team that will have to run to keep this close, and won’t.
6. Tulsa at Oklahoma State
LINE: Oklahoma State -23
ATS PICK: Oklahoma State
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
This is a pick assuming that Oklahoma State really is just that good this year.
Tulsa really does have the experience, the offensive pop, and the upside to make this a bit of a battle, but if Oklahoma State is okay from the start, it has the talent and firepower to be a real, live contender for the Big 12 Championship and potentially the CFP.
I’s a bit concerning that the Cowboys only won by 19 last year – and again, this Tulsa team is better – but for what it’s worth, the OSU program blew past the 23 in the previous three games.
NEXT: Top 5 Picks Against The Spread, Week 3
5. UCF at Georgia Tech
LINE: UCF -7.5
ATS PICK: UCF
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
It’s not like Georgia Tech did anything amazing in the 16-13 win over Florida State in last week’s opener.
The passing game actually worked like a normal attack for the first time in what seems like forever for the program, and the run defense was solid against an FSU offensive front that hasn’t been right for years.
There were a whole lot of penalties and two turnovers, but Florida State was … bad.
UCF hasn’t played yet, it had a slew of players opt-out, and Georgia Tech really might be better.
Hope for the line to come down a wee bit from the 7.5, but UCF really should be the stronger, better, more explosive team.
And, oh yeah, it’s UCF. There’s going to be a wee bit of a chip on its shoulder.
NEXT: Appalachian State at Marshall
4. Appalachian State at Marshall
LINE: Appalachian State -5
ATS PICK: Appalachian State
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
The line has been at -4.5 for almost the whole week, and then it went up to five. If you like Appalachian State, you shouldn’t care all that much about the extra half a point.
File this under the Needed A Tune-Up Week category.
Appalachian State was fine in the 35-20 win over Charlotte, but it needed 14 fourth quarter points to finally pull away. The passing game wasn’t quite clicking, the three turnovers proved costly, and the team wasn’t close to looking as efficient and good as it has over the last few years.
However, it did shut down 49er QB Chris Reynolds – picking him off twice in an 11-of-30 game – and beat him up a bit.
Marshall and QB Grant Wells were air-tight in the 59-0 win over Eastern Kentucky to start the year, but that was a few weeks ago, and the Colonels aren’t the Mountaineers.
Marshall really might be just that good, and if it is, tip your cap and chalk it up to a 2020 season that’s not following any set norms. However …
Have you seen the Sun Belt so far this year? Appalachian State is the best team in the conference.
Now, with that, we end our run of picking seven straight favorites in a year when the unpredictably crazy keeps happening. That changes now …
NEXT: Syracuse at Pitt
3. Syracuse at Pitt
LINE: Pitt -21.5
ATS PICK: Syracuse
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Let’s Try This Again, Part 2.
More like, You Owe Us For Last Week, Part 2, and throw in the concept that some teams just needed a week to start playing football again.
There was absolutely no excuse for Syracuse to not cover the 23.5 last week against North Carolina.
The Tar Heels didn’t play all that well, the cover was easily there for the taking several times, but Syracuse missed on a whole slew of easy opportunities in the 31-9 loss.
All-star PK Andrew Szmyt missed a normally automatic field goal, Tommy DeVito only completed 13-of-31 passes – air-mailing too many open targets and misfiring on a few sure touchdowns – and the offensive line was non-existent in pass protection.
That last part is the biggest concern – Pitt might have the nation’s best pass rush as the season goes on.
But the Panthers won’t take target practice like they did in the 55-0 win over Austin Peay, and the Orange should be just good enough to take come up with a few big plays to keep this from being a rout.
And again, Syracuse. You owe us.
NEXT: Boston College at Duke
2. Boston College at Duke
LINE: Duke -6
ATS PICK: Boston College
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Forget the virus issues and all of the other ways to analyze college football games at the moment, and let’s just play this one straight.
Boston College should be good enough to beat Duke outright, much less need the six points we’re being given.
It’s a new era with a new head coach, but Jeff Hafley has his quarterback in Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec, and most importantly for this, the Eagle lines are good enough to potentially take over the game.
Give Duke credit for keeping it close against Notre Dame in a 27-13 loss, but the offense didn’t have enough of a running game, QB Chase Brice was just okay, and there were too many times the attack stalled out.
But the Duke defense is good, and the program has a game under its belt while BC is starting cold. If this doesn’t work out, chalk it up to that, but again, in normal times, the Eagles would be a far easier call as the underdog.
NEXT: Liberty at WKU
1. Liberty at WKU
LINE: WKU -14
ATS PICK: Liberty
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
WKU has a good enough team to potentially win the Conference USA title, and it wasn’t awful against Louisville in last week’s loss, but the program has only scored more than 24 points 13 times in the last 36 games against FBS teams. It got past the 24-point mark just three times over the last 13 games going back to last year’s FBS opener at FIU.
Liberty is coming in without a first game to use as a tune-up, but it has a whole lot of good parts in place to be fine right out of the gate.
The running game should be fantastic, Hugh Freeze is still an SEC-caliber head coach, and there’s enough experience across the board to to stay focused and in the game even though it’s the opener.
But again, this is really more about a WKU team that’s not going to blow the doors off with its offense. At best, it’s still likely going to hang around the high 20s – it only scores more than 30 three times last season.
Liberty should be good enough to score two touchdowns and at least flirt with the 20s.
Week 3 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
– Week 3 Schedule, Times, Lines, Previews
– CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
– Week 3 College Final Thoughts, Betting Advice
– Week 3 Expert Picks & Predictions: College
– Week 2 Expert Picks & Predictions: NFL
