College Football Betting Top Five: One of the biggest surprises from Week 1 of the 2024 college football season waited until Monday night, when Boston College went down to Florida State and shocked the Seminoles, 28-13, on national television.
The Seminoles were seen as national contenders after a 13-0 finish in 2023, but losses to Georgia, Georgia Tech, and BC at the start of the year show they may not be too big for the ACC.
Now, making the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket for a team that is now 0-2 in conference play.
For the sports betting books, having USC beat LSU by seven on Sunday night was the biggest lifesaver. The opening line on that game was LSU -6.5, but the line dropped to LSU -4.5 on August 21.
Just before game time, that line had slipped to LSU -4. Public money was still pumping in on the LSU side, but sharp money was taking the Trojans.
So even with the line sliding toward USC, having the Trojans not only cover but win helped the books avoid some major losses.
College Football Betting Top Five Games from Week 2
Going into Week 2, check out our top five picks.
#3 Texas Longhorns (-7.5) at #10 Michigan Wolverines
When: Saturday, September 7, 12:00 pm ET, FOX
Michigan is struggling to find a starting quarterback between Alex Orji and Davis Warren, affecting their offense.
Despite a win against Fresno State, their defense was the highlight, keeping Fresno State to just nine rushing yards.
They now face a challenge against Texas, needing to stop their running game and put pressure on Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Ewers had a strong completion rate last year, but ball security is key. Texas has struggled against top teams under coach Steve Sarkisian, with only one win against Alabama.
Michigan must address their quarterback situation quickly to compete effectively.
College Football Pick: Michigan to cover.
^#23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-3) at Syracuse Orange
When: Saturday, September 7, 12:00 pm ET, ACC Network
Syracuse opened with a 38-22 win over Ohio behind four touchdown passes from Kyle McCord. The last time Georgia Tech came up to Syracuse, the Orange rolled, 37-20, back in 2020.
However, this time around, the Syracuse running defense needs to step up. In their Week 1 win, they allowed 255 yards on the ground. Haynes King and Jamal Haynes could torch the Orange if they are that giving against the run game this time around.
Georgia Tech picks up 207.5 rushing yards per game (although they’ve only played two).
College Football Pick: Georgia Tech to win and cover.
^Baylor Bears at #11 Utah Utes (-14)
When: Saturday, September 7, 3:30 pm ET, FOX
Cam Rising returned from a yearlong absence due to a knee injury in fine form, accounting for five touchdowns.
Utah opens Big 12 play with a visit from Baylor, who has enjoyed the strong play out of DeQuan Finn, the quarterback who transferred from Toledo.
Head coach Dave Aranda took over the play-calling duties in the off season, which might help that Bear offense produce more points this time around.
Under Aranda’s coaching, the Bears are 8-5-2 against the spread as road underdogs.
College Football Pick: Utah to win and cover.
^#22 Kansas Jayhawks (-5.5) at Illinois Fighting Illini
When: Saturday, September 7, 7:00 pm ET, FS1
Kansas beat Illinois at home last year, 34-23, and they have Jalon Daniels back and healthy at quarterback.
Illinois has a 3-4 record against the spread as a home underdog with Bret Bielema as head coach.
The Jayhawks got an average of 10.4 yards per carry out of tailbacks Daniel Hishaw and Devin Neal, and if the running game continues, then Kansas shouldn’t have a problem covering this spread.
College Football Pick: Kansas to win and cover.
^Utah State Aggies (+28.5) at #13 USC Trojans
When: Saturday, September 7, 11:00 pm ET, Big Ten Network)
USC played on Sunday, so they just have a six-day week to get ready. Their defense looked almost solid when they beat LSU, 27-20, last week.
Could they have a letdown against Utah State? The Aggies are averaging 303.0 rushing yards per game (through one week), which ranks 12th in the nation.
USC has gone 6-3 in non-conference play under head coach Lincoln Riley, and if the Trojans actually have a defense, they could be an impressive team.
College Football Pick: USC to win and cover.
^Notre Dame cracked the top five in the AP poll ahead of Week 2 👀
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 3, 2024
Other notable moves in the rankings, here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rIPiHGvCLe
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