College Football Week 3 Line Move Plays

We have written about the Colorado Buffaloes so much over the first three weeks of the college football season that we are going to give them a pass in this article. Although Colorado is currently as much as a 24-point favorite by the college football betting odds at some outlets after opening as a 20-point favorite, it’s time to spread the love and right on other programs. The three games below have all seen line movement of at least three points while reaching or crossing a key number along the way.

College Football Week 3 Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

This isn’t a high-profile showdown between two non-conference Power Five foes, but there has been a lot of action on Rutgers and the Under in this game over the course of the week. Rutgers opened as a four-point favorite by the football betting line, and the over/under was originally 39.5, so we have an interesting situation in which there is money on the favorite and the under and that is negatively correlated.

Greg Schiano is trying to lead Rutgers to its first winning season since it joined the Big Ten in 2014. Schiano was the coach that put Rutgers on the map, and he is the all-time winningest coach in program history. It took him four years to build up the program last time before taking it to unprecedented heights, and he is currently in his fourth season since returning to the school to take over for Chris Ash.

The Scarlet Knights looked strong in wins over Northwestern and Temple in the first two weeks, outscoring those two teams by a combined margin of 60-14. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech looks to be flailing as it’s becoming clear that Brent Pry isn’t the answer in Blacksburg. Grant Wells continues to struggle with his accuracy and is extremely prone to throwing interceptions, and that’s not a good thing against a Rutgers defense that is currently ranked in the top ten nationally in yards per play allowed.

Play: Under 37

Scott Satterfield and the Cincinnati Bearcats are looking to go unbeaten in non-conference action before starting Big 12 play. However, it appears as if some sharp bettors believe that the Bearcats should be on upset alert as this line has fallen from Cincinnati -17 to Cincinnati -14. Additionally, the total has dropped from 47.5 to 45.5 per the CFB betting odds.

Cincinnati amassed 371 total yards on the road against Pittsburgh last week to upset the Panthers as a touchdown underdog. It’s clear that this is a one-dimensional team though. Florida transfer Emory Jones is the starting quarterback, and he completed 18 of 26 passes for just 125 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Jones has never really developed as a passer even though this is his sixth year in college football.

Miami (OH) was dismantled by Miami (FL) in its season opener, but the Redhawks might have a very good passing attack under Brett Gabbert. The younger brother of former first-round pick Blaine Gabbert averaged over 25 yards per completion last week against Massachusetts. Gage Larvadain had a career day with eight receptions for 273 yards and three touchdowns, and he could be in line for a big game against a Cincinnati defense that isn’t as strong as it was two years ago.

Play: Miami (OH) +14

There has been a ton of line movement with this game as money has poured in on BYU and the Under. The total originally opened at 52 and has fallen five points over the course of the week. Arkansas was originally an 11-point favorite by the football wagering odds, but that has dropped to eight points and could get down to -7 by kickoff on Saturday night in Fayetteville.

K.J. Jefferson has been instrumental to Arkansas’ success the last two seasons, but he hasn’t been that productive through the first two games of the 2022 campaign. Jefferson has thrown for just 382 yards through two games and has carried the ball 18 times for 59 yards.

Meanwhile, BYU is 2-0 with wins over Southern Utah and Sam Houston State. Southern Utah is an FCS team and Sam Houston State recently moved up to the FBS, so those haven’t been the toughest opponents. People are excited about Kedon Slovis, but this is his third team in three years, and he is chasing the success he had as a freshman at USC. The BYU love appears to be somewhat unwarranted, and I would love to bet on Arkansas at -7.

Play: Arkansas -8