The SEC teams are starting their 2020 college football schedules this weekend, so with the Big Ten and the Pac-12 coming soon, the slate is taking on closer to its normal size as we enter Week 4. Seven teams in the AP Top 25 have yet to play a football game yet, so once these teams hit the field, we’ll get a better sense of which teams have made the most of the weirdest off-season ever.
We have three college football betting suggestions for you from the college gridiron, two from the SEC and the third pitting an independent against an early AAC contender.
NCAA Betting News:
Top Betting Games for the Weekend
#23 Kentucky (+7.5) at #8 Auburn
Saturday, September 26
12:00 pm ET
ESPN SEC Network
In 2019, Kentucky finished the season with four straight wins, getting to eight on the season. Tailback Asim Rose keyed the run-first offense, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. Now that Lynn Bowden Jr is no longer on the team, Rose will be the featured back. Sawyer Smith will be back at quarterback, hoping to improve on that 45.2 percent completion rate from 2019. On defense, Yusuf Corker was the leading tackler in 2019 with 74, and he returns to lead the unit. Quandre Mosley led the team in interceptions, and Jamar Watson had 6 ½ sacks. The crucial question is whether Smith is ready to up his game. Kentucky has solid lines on both sides of the ball.
Auburn went 4-4 in their last eight games, winning nine on the season. Bo Nix is the quarterback again after a freshman season in which he threw for over 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns. His wide receiver duo is Anthony Schwartz and Seth Williams, who combined to score nine touchdowns. D.J. Williams averaged almost five yards per attempt last year and will get more exposure. Given that the Wildcats can play a grinding style and hung with Florida last year (a top ten program), I’m taking the points.
Final Prediction:
Auburn 24, Kentucky 20
#22 Army (+13.5) at #14 Cincinnati
Saturday, September 26
3:30 pm ET
ESPN
Army routed Louisiana-Monroe in their last game, 37-7. The Black Knights run the triple option, an offense that grinds down the clock — and the opposition. They have three players over 100 yards of rushing for the season after two games — Christian Anderson (146 with 3 TD), Jakobi Buchanan (139 yards, 2 TD) and Tyrell Robinson (120). Sandon McCoy has run for 97 yards and leads the team with four touchdowns.
Cincinnati played Austin Peay in their season opener, rolling to a 55-20 win. Desmond Ridder went 13 of 19 for 196 yards and two scores, and Ben Bryant came in during garbage time and went 4 of 7 for 53 yards and a score. Ridder was also the team’s rusher with 57 yards. Gerrid Doaks combined for four touchdowns (three rushing and one receiving), with 84 all-purpose yards. I’m not sure why this line is so large, but the underdog has covered in each of the last four meetings between these two teams, and I’m saying it will now be five in a row.
Final Prediction:
Army 23, Cincinnati 20
#16 Tennessee (-3.5) at South Carolina
Saturday, September 26
7:30 pm ET
ESPN SEC Network
Tennessee won six in a row down the stretch, getting to eight wins for 2019. Jarrett Guarantano, with 32 career passing touchdowns, returns to lead the Volunteer offense. Eric Gray is also back at tailback after putting up better than five yards a carry. Tennessee has one of the top O-lines in the SEC, and this will be a run-first team. Tennessee’s defense was ranked #23 in the NCAA a year ago, and they return linebackers Quavaris Crouch and Henry To’o To’o. If South Carolina wants to threaten in the SEC East, they need to pull off the upset.
The Gamecocks only won four games last year, dropping five of six to finish the season, and head coach Will Muschamp will find the seat hot as his team has underachieved since he came up from Florida. Tailback MarShawn Lloyd will start the season on the injured list, so the South Carolina offense may struggle to start — especially with a new starting quarterback (Collin Hill) and a new offensive coordinator (Mike Bobo). The defense should be stout, with defensive tackle Zacch Pickens anchoring the line and Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu in the secondary. But can they beat Tennessee at home?
Final Prediction:
Tennessee 27, South Carolina 16
