2018 NCAA Football Week 3 Over/Under Picks

Unless you’re watching a college football game in the SEC (and primarily the SEC West), a track meet can break out just about every week. The emphasis is on speed and offense, which means that every week we see games where teams combine to score 70 or 80 points fairly regularly. This is why over/under totals for most college games tend to skew higher than games in the NFL, where the defenses are faster and can hold spread offenses in check. When you’re watching a game, even when it’s out of hand, paying attention to the point total can add suspense to an otherwise dreary matchup. Check out our NCAA Football Week 3 betting suggestions for some of the most exploitable point totals from this weekend’s action.

2018 NCAA Football Week 3 Over/Under Picks

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Oklahoma at Iowa State (12:00pm ET) (55)

Will the Sooners be able to run the Cyclones out of their own stadium? Ames is a tough place to play on the road, and the Cyclones have given the Sooners fits in recent years. So I don’t see this as a rout — and I also don’t see the Cyclones keeping up with OU in a track meet. So give me the under.

Florida State at Syracuse (12:00pm ET) (68)

This is a pretty high point total. However, Syracuse has been scoring in bunches, averaging 58 points per contest, and Florida State hasn’t shown much of a penchant for defense. I think the Seminoles can get some scoring done against this Orange defense, but I also see a track meet break out. I’ll take the over.

LSU at Auburn (3:30pm ET) (44.5)

This will be a classic grinder of a game typical of the SEC West. Will it be a 9-6 game of the sort that LSU and Alabama played a few years ago? I’m not sure the point total will be that low, but getting to 40 will be a challenge. I’ll take the under.

South Florida at Illinois (3:30pm ET) (59)

South Florida is a team built for high-scoring games, and their defense hasn’t done much to slow down the opposition. Illinois doesn’t have much of a defense but does have the talent to use the gaps that the Bulls’ defense will give them. I’ll take the over.

Duke at Baylor (3:30pm ET) (49)

The revelation that Duke’s starting quarterback will miss the game with a fractured collarbone has caused the line to move from Duke +1 to Duke +6. The fact that the Blue Devils will rely on a backup quarterback, combined with a Baylor offense that has not looked particularly impressive thus far, makes this look like a plodding contest, so give me the under.

Colorado State at Florida (4:00pm ET) (56)

Florida plays at a plodding pace and uses their defense to slow opponents down as well. Colorado State scored 34 points last week against Arkansas, but the Razorbacks don’t emphasize defense nearly as much. I see this game moving slowly, so I’ll take the under.

Alabama at Ole Miss (7:00pm ET) (71)

That’s a huge point total, and while Ole Miss does score a lot of points, they haven’t hit the Alabama defense yet. The Rebels should stay within that 21-point line, but I don’t see this game turning into a track meet. I’ll take the under.

Missouri at Purdue (7:30pm ET) (65.5)

Purdue has a reputation for a high-flying offense, and so does Missouri. However, the Boilermakers struggled to get much traction in either of their two losses. So while this game could feature a lot of touchdowns, I’m still staying under.

Ohio State at TCU (8:00pm ET) (58.5)

TCU has a solid defense, as does Ohio State. I see the Buckeyes rolling to a convincing win, but the points won’t get as high as this total. Give me the under.