College Football Week 2 Saturday Picks, Predictions, and Odds

The first week of the new college football season was incredibly exciting. Although there was only one “premier” game, we saw two underdogs of 20+ points by the college football betting odds win outright. Texas State scored its biggest win in school history by shocking Baylor in Waco, while Deion Sanders led Colorado past TCU in his debut with the Buffaloes. That has led to an enormous amount of action on the Buffs in Week 2, and Colorado has dropped from an 8.5-point underdog to a field goal favorite over rival Nebraska by the CFB betting line.

My Thursday and Saturday plays combined to go 3-3 ATS in Week 1. I was wrong about Florida’s ability to keep it close, but UConn and UCF both acquitted themselves well and covered the number in their games. That left me feeling good going into Saturday’s action, and I looked likely to have a winning week when Iowa only scored 24 points against Utah State in a game I nailed. However, Arkansas State was completely obliterated by Oklahoma, and Army lost outright as a double digit road favorite by the football betting line against lowly UL Monroe.

YTD Record: 3-3 ATS

College Football Week 1 Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook

Nebraska +3.5
Colorado -3.5
Total 59.5

I was planning to lay off this game, but the line has moved way too much after Week 1. Colorado is now a 3.5-point favorite against Nebraska in Week 2, and that’s just too much respect to give the Buffaloes after one game against a TCU team that clearly lost too many key players on defense. Nebraska has an amazing propensity to keep games within one score, and although the Cornhuskers are usually on the losing side of those games, this number is too good to pass up. Matt Rhule is a very good coach, and the Blackshirt defense looks to be strong once more.

Play: Nebraska +3.5

Texas A&M -4
Miami (FL) +4
Total 51.5

There are still plenty of naysayers when it comes to Texas A&M, but the Aggies are in much better shape than Miami as a program. The Hurricanes have disappointed on a nearly annual basis for the last two decades, while the Aggies at least have a national championship winning coach and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. While many pundits cringed when Bobby Petrino was hired to be the new playcaller, there’s no denying that he is one of the top offensive minds in the game, and we saw a lot of new wrinkles out of Texas A&M in the season opener. Connor Weigman threw for five touchdowns in a 52-10 throttling of New Mexico, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Aggies turn this into a laugher against Miami. The Hurricanes cruised to an easy victory in Week 1, but this team was blown out by two touchdowns or more four times last season.

Play: Texas A&M -4

Texas +7.5
Alabama -7.5
Total 54.5

It’s rare that I bet on two premier games in one week since the lines tend to be tighter for those tilts, but Texas and Miami are teams that are perennially overrated. The Longhorns have been “back” several times since 2009, but they have failed to win a conference title since that season, and they have only won 10+ games one time in the last 13 seasons. They struggled quite a bit against Rice in the first half of their opener, and now they face an Alabama team with something to prove. Pundits and the public alike are doubting the Crimson Tide for the first time in several years, and that’s the kind of thing Nick Saban loves.

Georgia might be the premier program in the SEC now, but Alabama is still a dynasty. They have won at least 10 games for 15 straight seasons, and they won at least 11 games in 14 of those seasons. Saban is 195-27 during his tenure at Alabama, and the Crimson Tide have only lost three regular season games against non-conference opponents. I would love to get Alabama laying seven flat, but the line might not get to that point.

Play: Alabama -7.5