WEEK 2

WEEK 2 BETS

Betting Info as of 9/7 per Bovada; lines are listed with Home Teams
All Times are Eastern

Louisville @ UCF (-5.5)
Sept 9th 7:30 PM

    Louisville visits Orlando in a rematch of one of 2021’s most memorable games. This time around, Louisville is reeling from a surprising big loss in Week 1 against Syracuse. The Cardinals got run all over by Syracuse’s stellar running back, Sean Tucker. Highly touted Louisville quarterback, Malik Cunningham, was mostly contained by an improved Orange defense that picked him off twice. Scott Saterfield needs to right the ship immediately if he wants to avoid being on the hot seat. However, it might already be too late. Meanwhile, UCF cruised against FCS South Carolina State. John Rhys Plumlee is a legitimate passer and will likely flourish in Gus Malzahn’s system. The Knights should be able to contain Cunningham enough to keep Louisville from hanging a lot of points. The line play will be fairly even. UCF will pull away late and the backdoor will be in question. My ratings have UCF-9.5 so there is some value on the favorite. The play: UCF-5.5 (3 units)

Boise State @ New Mexico (+17)

Sept 9th 9:00 PM

    Boise State needs a big rebound from the Week 1 thrashing it took in Corvallis. Boise was flat out-played by the Oregon State Beavers to begin the season. Boise got massacred in the first half and any attempt at a comeback never really got the Broncos back in the game. In fact, quarterback Hank Bachmeier was benched. Head coach Andy Avalos is having a hard time keeping the old image of Boise being a top Group of 5 program. Those days seem to be fading fast, if they aren’t over already. Luckily enough for Boise, the worst team in the Mountain West in 2021 is on the slate for Week 2. New Mexico spent its opening weekend decimating FCS Maine. Maine is not a high caliber FCS program so the win does not mean anything. However, New Mexico still pitched a shutout. The Lobos have a respectable G5 defense led by all-time coach in defensive coordinator Rocky Long. My estimation of head coach Danny Gonzales is low, but he knows enough to let Long have basically full control of the defense. Boise seems headed for a tailspin season and New Mexico will be up for their visit. While New Mexico still is probably the worst team in the MWC’s Mountain division, taking the points is the pure gambling play here. The play: UNM+17 (3 units)

Wake Forest @ Vanderbilt (+13.5)
Sept 10th NOON

    Sam Hartman will be back for Wake Forest when they make the trip to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. The excellent passer was out with a blood clot in Week 1 and his return was not definite. Wake turned back FCS opponent VMI in Week 1 without Hartman and Vanderbilt is 2-0 after beating up Hawai’i and then FCS Elon. Without Hartman, Wake is far better than Vanderbilt; with Hartman, Wake is light years better. My ratings have Wake favored by 24.5 but I am not comfortable betting this game due to the uncertainty that surrounded Wake’s last few weeks. Wake might be worth a small bet since it is highly likely that Vanderbilt is not yet up to the task of taking on a solid program. The play: Pass/Wake Forest-13.5 (3 units)

Alabama @ Texas (+20.5)
Sept 10th NOON

    There is hardly a point in handicapping this blue blood matchup: Alabama is the better team, by a lot. The Longhorn’s best hope will lie with seeing if Quinn Ewers is the real deal and if their star running back, Bijan Robinson, can keep it close. Otherwise, this will be ugly. Texas is the play, purely from a numbers viewpoint. My ratings have the Tide laying 15. The spread is 20.5. Thus, a small bet on the Longhorns is fine. The play: Texas+20.5 (3 units)

Arkansas State @ Ohio State (-44.5)
Sept 10th NOON

    Ohio State welcomes Sunbelt member, Arkansas State, to the shoe. The Buckeyes are coming off a good win against Notre Dame, but they are looking to put some more points on the board in Week 2. Luckily, the Arkansas State defense is one of FBS’s worst. CJ Stroud should have no problem racking up passing yards and TreVeyon Henderson will do the same on the ground. Butch Jones would need an eternity before he could get the Red Wolves to a level anywhere near competing with a Big Ten opponent; never mind Ohio State. The fact is, Ohio State is talented enough to score as many points as they want to on Saturday. Laying 44.5 is a lot, but this is the time to do it. The play: Ohio State-44.5 (7 units)

Missouri @ Kansas State (-7.5)
Sept 10th NOON

    Missouri travels to Manhattan, Kansas to take on the K-State Wildcats. Missouri handled CUSA Louisiana Tech in their opener, while K-State shutout FCS South Dakota. The Missouri defense is still a big question mark as it allowed 24 to Louisiana Tech. Mizzou seems to be slightly improved in the front seven but will have a really tough time containing Deuce Vaughn. Vaughn fits coach Chris Klieman’s system and could run free often against Missouri. Eli Drinkwitz has had a tough time at Missouri, especially on the defensive side of the ball. This game could magnify Missouri’s most glaring weaknesses. Ths spread is tough and early line movement indicates it might be too high. However, K-State is the better program and plays a style that is excellent to have when facing Missouri. The play: K-State-7.5 (3 units)

Ohio @ Penn State (-25.5)
Sept 10th NOON

    Penn State hosts Ohio in Beaver Stadium’s first game of the season. The Nittany Lions pulled off a nail-biter in their first win of 2022. It took everything Sean Clifford had to get by a tough Purdue team in the opener. Penn State looked fully capable on offense. The defense struggled slightly against the high octane Boilermaker offense, but should have no trouble whatsoever against an overmatched MAC offense. Ohio staved off a late FAU comeback in Week 1 to get the Bobcats a season opening victory at home. However, tackling seemed optional at times. Penn State will have no issue hanging points in this one. Ohio simply is nowhere near the talent of Penn State. Expect the Nittany Lions to run up the score for the home crowd. The play: PSU-25.5 (3 units)

South Carolina @ Arkansas (-8.5)
Sept 10th NOON

    Spencer Rattler leads South Carolina to Arkansas in a battle of up and coming SEC teams. The Gamecocks took a little longer than planned to get safely by Georgia State in Week 1, while Arkansas won a tight game at home against Cincinnati. Both teams looked good last week and this game could be a great follow up. South Carolina is tough in the trenches and should be able to handle an excellent Arkansas offensive line. The matchup is fairly even on all units. South Carolina coach Shane Beamer would take a huge step forward if he could get a win against a legitimate SEC West team. Meanwhile, Sam Pittman has done terrific at Arkansas and continuing an upward trajectory by earning expected victories will be his main goal this season. The spread seems high and South Carolina should have the talent on the back end to stop Arkansas’s offense just enough to keep it close. The play: South Carolina+8.5 (7 units)

Southern Mississippi @ Miami (-25)
Sept 10th NOON

    Southern Miss took advantage of an opponent’s quarterback injury to stay close enough to lose in a two-point shootout in Week 1. Frank Gore, JR. ran strongly to move USM’s ground attack and made up for a lacking passing game. USM nearly beat Liberty after Charlie Brewer exited the game with an arm injury. USM is clearly improved but will not get as lucky this week. Miami is the real deal and dispatched FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman with ease last Saturday. Tyler Van Dyke is one of the best young quarterbacks in college football today and has the arm and smarts to make USM’s heads spin all day in Week 2. Mario Cristobol likes big wins and will not worry about running up the score. The ratings suggest a slight edge that I feel might be even higher than the numbers show. The play: Miami-25 (3 units)

South Alabama @ Central Michigan (-5)
Sept 10th 1:00 PM

    South Alabama looks for a solid road win when it travels to Mount Pleasant on Saturday. The Jaguars started the season beating up on lowly Nicholls State. Meanwhile, Central Michigan lost a wild game at Oklahoma State to open its season. Kane Wommack is building a good program slowly and quietly. Central Michigan is a good opponent for South Alabama and should be a good prep for Sunbelt competition. Central Michigan has a great running back in Lew Nichols III and coach Jim McElwain is a fantastic tactician. South Alabama has the defense to keep Nichols from massacring them, but CMU is a difficult location for visitors, especially when unfamiliar. The Chippewas will need to score lots of points because their subpar defense might have trouble even against the below average South Alabama offense. This is an interesting matchup. However, the number leaves a little to be desired. My ratings have Central Michigan favored by 12 and the number has moved from 4.5 to 5. Betting MAC defenses in non-conference games takes some faith but CMU has shown in the recent past that it has the ability to batter down when necessary. The play: Central Michigan-5 (3 units)

Western Michigan @ Ball State (+6.5)
Sept 10th 2:00 PM

    The spread on this game is fair. No value. The play: Pass

Marshall @ Notre Dame (-20.5)
Sept 10th 2:30 PM

    Marshall is in for a much tougher matchup in Week 2 when they visit South Bend to take on Notre Dame. Marshall easily thwarted FCS opponent Norfolk State in Week 1, while Notre Dame hung tough with Ohio State. Marshall, in its first year in the Sunbelt, does not have much on offense and will struggle to score against my second rated defense in Notre Dame. The Irish slowed down my top rated offense on the road enough to give the team a shot at a victory. I expect a good effort from Notre Dame in its home opener against the lower competition. Notre Dame will easily control the line of scrimmage. Laying 20.5 might seem like a steal by halftime. The play: Notre Dame-20.5 (10 units)

Tennessee @ Pittsburgh (+6.5)
Sept 10th 3:30 PM

    Pitt looks to build off its wild ending against West Virginia in Week 1 when it welcomes SEC opponent Tennessee. Pitt nearly lost to West Virginia but an eventful last few minutes saw the Panthers escape Week 1 with a seven point win. Tennessee crushed MAC opponent Ball State to open their year and will be looking to avenge last year’s loss. Like most college football, look for the outcome to be determined at the line of scrimmage. Pitt’s highly rated defensive line struggled at times against WVU in Week 1. Josh Heupel’s fast paced offense will try to tire them out. On the other side of the ball, Kedon Slovis will need to be much more accurate than he was last week if Pitt is to score many points. The run game was not reliable and has injury issues. Tennessee has a capable defense that could force Slovis to pass all day long. The spread seems a bit over reactive to Week 1 results. Even with Pitt looking underwhelming last week, seven points (the line is now 6.5) seems like a gift. Take them. The Play: Pitt+6.5 (10 units)

Maryland @ Charlotte (+27)
Sept 10th 3:30 PM

    Maryland could destroy Charlotte if it wants. Somehow, my ratings have Charlotte as the pick in the matchup. However, Charlotte can not be bet right now in any good conscience. The 49ers look terrible so far; losses in back to back weeks include a sizable loss to FAU and an embarrassing blowout defeat to FCS William & Mary. The play: Pass

Memphis @ Navy (+6)
Sept 10th 3:30 PM

    Memphis and Navy suffered bad defeats in Week 1; the difference was in opponents. Memphis lost at Mississippi State in a game featuring a lengthy weather delay. Navy lost at home to FCS opponent Delaware. In fact, Navy lost horrifically. Navy only scored seven points and accumulated only 2.9 yards per rush; embarrassing statistics for a triple option team facing much lesser competition. My ratings have Memphis favored by a field goal on the road and the spread is larger. Navy cannot be bet until they show some offensive cohesion. The play: Pass

Appalachian State @ Texas A&M (-19)
Sept 10th 3:30 PM

    The Mountaineers come off a difficult and wild home loss to North Carolina. Traveling to College Station a week after losing a close game to an in-state rival is a really tough ask. Texas A&M is a legit contender. The Aggies walloped (soon to be FBS) FCS Sam Houston in Week 1. App State has some decent talent on offense and is a top end G5 team. However, the absence of any serious run defense will be exposed by A&M. The Aggies are loaded with talent and give outmatched opponents very little margin for error. I cannot see App State scoring enough to keep this competitive and they might struggle to even rush for three yards per carry. This could get out of hand fast. The spread is not the best but is worth a small bet. The play: A&M-19 (3 units)

Colorado @ Air Force (-17.5)
Sept 10th 3:30 PM

    Air Force hosts in-state opponent Colorado as they hope to notch a victory over a power 5 program. The breakdown of this game is simple. Haaziq Daniels is a fantastic experienced smart quarterback who is a master of Troy Calhoun’s classic triple option. Expect tons of rushing yards for Air Force amid missed tackle after missed tackle by Colorado. Karl Dorrell has his hands full with this year’s version of the Buffaloes. Colorado might be the worst PAC 12 team with Arizona looking improved. Colorado got blasted by TCU in Week 1 after a competitive first half. Air Force is too disciplined and solid overall. Fading Colorado this year should pay dividends; even when they face large spreads. The play: AFA-17.5 (7 units)

Washington State @ Wisconsin (-17.5)
Sept 10th 3:30 PM

    Wisconsin is one of several bigger favorites this week that effectively runs the ball and controls the line of scrimmage. Such teams are excellent bets in college football and rarely let you down when facing inferior talent. They can run up scores and cover enough to provide easy wins throughout the season. It might take all four quarters for this type of team to cover, but they usually beat the number with enough regularity to be reliable as double digit favorites; especially at home. I won’t dive deep into Wisconsin since they are exactly what you’d expect; a run it down your throat offense with a big offensive line and a stout defense. Paul Chryst is not the most creative coach, but he does not need to be. Braelon Allen will run for lots of yards no matter the opponent. Meanwhile, Washington State has a new FCS transfer quarterback who is still raw at the FBS level. The Cougars barely scraped by lowly FCS Idaho in Week 1. This is a bad sign. I fully expect Wisconsin to impose its will on Wazzu. The hook on the high side of 17 worries me a little, but I would be shocked if this is close at any point in the second half. The play: Wisconsin-17.5 (7 units)

Iowa State @ Iowa (-3.5)
Sept 10th 4:00 PM

    One of College Football’s most intense non-conference rivalries resumes Saturday when Iowa State makes the short drive to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeye’s. This matchup has been the source of great disappointment for Iowa State over the years and Iowa has certainly had the upper hand in the rivalry. The Cyclones handled FCS opponent SEMO with ease in Week 1. Conversely, Iowa’s noted offensive struggles against South Dakota State will have the Hawkeyes under the microscope when in possession. There are no questions regarding a stellar Iowa defense. Iowa State, who lost veteran contributors at quarterback and running back, will claw tooth and nail for yards and points. The real question will be whether or not Iowa can string together enough positive plays when they have the ball. A quarterback controversy no longer looms for Kirk Ferentz; it is here. Fans have had enough of Spencer Petras’s anemic passing numbers. It will be interesting to see if Ferentz hands the job under center to Alex Padilla. Iowa, while inept on offense, should be able to cover a field goal at home. The spread is a tough one as it leaves Iowa backers open to losing on the key number hook. However, the Hawkeyes should certainly be the better team. The play: Iowa-3.5 (3 units)

Akron @ Michigan State (-34.5)
Sept 10th 4:00 PM

    The spread is dead on for this game. The play: Pass

Houston @ Texas Tech (-3)
Sept 10th 4:00 PM

    Houston faces another in-state rival in Week 2 after an exciting two point shootout win against UTSA in Week 1. The Cougars have average talent across the board except at quarterback and the defensive line where they are pretty experienced and talented. Texas Tech is a lower half Big XII team with a new coach that is tough to get an early season read on. This game is tough to handicap so it might be best to look at it from a gambling view only. The spread is fair; a home power 5 team laying a field goal against a top level group of 5 team. However, Houston is likely better than Tech; my ratings have them favored by four. However, Houston has struggled to cover in games like this under Dana Holgorsen. Texas Tech won this game last year at Houston by 17 points with the line at pick ‘em. At first glance I really liked Houston here, but upon further examination, this could be a tough bet. Still, I think Houston getting points offers some value. The play: Houston+3 (3 units)

UNLV @ California (-13)
Sept 10th 4:00 PM

    Cal welcomes Mountain West member UNLV to Berkeley on Saturday. The Bears beat FCS program UC Davis in Week 1 but did not run up the score. UNLV scored 45 points in the first half against FCS Idaho State in their season opening victory. This is a tough matchup; both teams are not talented offensively and lack a serious threat to score. Cal has a talented back seven on defense that can limit big plays but needs to show more on the defensive line to ensure opponents do not run for consistent gains all game long. This is not the most captivating game of the slate and is tough to handicap, so I will look at it strictly from the ratings. I have Cal favored by 19, so the value is on the favorite but a backdoor cover by UNLV is clearly a high possibility. This is a small bet at most. The play: Cal-13 (3 units if anything)

Virginia @ Illinois (-4.5)
Sept 10th 4:00 PM

    My ratings have this spread exactly what is being offered. No value here. The play: Pass

Middle Tennessee State @ Colorado State (-11)
Sept 10th 4:00 PM

    The spread for Colorado State hosting Middle Tennessee has skyrocketed during early week wagering from its open at CSU-7.5. This movement is likely based on MTSU getting walloped in Week 1 by new FBS member James Madison. MTSU appears to be very bad this season and I think Colorado State will revel in the drop in class after getting beat up by Michigan last week. Jay Norvell will want to win big in his first home game as the Rams coach. I do not see much value in this line except on the underdog. However, MTSU looked so bad against JMU that they really cannot be backed until they show something. The play: Pass

Kansas @ West Virginia (-13.5)
Sept 10th 6:00 PM

    My ratings have this spread spot on; thus no bet. However, watching Kansas progress under fantastic coach Lance Leipold has been interesting. I anticipate vast improvement from the Jayhawks, but who knows how fast that will be? The play: Pass

Old Dominion @ East Carolina (-12.5)
Sept 10th 6:00 PM

    Old Dominion comes off a big win over power 5 member Virginia Tech in Week 1. Meanwhile, East Carolina comes off a tough home loss by one point against ACC contender NC State. The Pirates had a real chance to get to overtime against NC State but missed an extra point to tie the game. However, ECU benefitted from extremely conservative goal line play calling by NC State (the Wolf Pack ran 7 plays inside the ECU 1 yard line without scoring a point in the second half). That result was not as competitive as the final score, despite ECU playing very well. ODU had a back and forth game against Virginia Tech, but had great trouble moving the ball and mostly benefited from Virginia Tech mishaps throughout the game. ECU is the better team here and will be able to move the ball with experienced passer Holton Ahlers. My ratings have this ECU-8 at home; but I do not feel comfortable backing teams like ODU on the road. The play: Pass

Kentucky @ Florida (-6)
Sept 10th 7:00 PM

    Florida plays its first SEC game this year when it welcomes Kentucky to the Swamp on Saturday. This intra-division rivalry has given us some strange and entertaining results over the last few seasons. This year should be just as good as any of the others. Kentucky did not have the most impressive rushing numbers in its Week 1 win over Miami, Ohio. Reduced rushing production is entirely from the absence of excellent running back Chris Rodriguez, JR. Rodriguez is serving a team suspension and no word is out yet as to when he will be back. That could spell trouble for the Wildcats because Florida has a stout defense. Will Levis will have to step up for Kentucky and pass for a good chunk of the game. Mark Stoops would be wise to craft a creative game plan. Unfortunately for Kentucky, Billy Napier seems to already be settled in after notching a massive first victory with the Gators. Napier, a very smart coach, is an excellent game planner and should be ready for whatever Kentucky throws at him. Anthony Richardson will need to be sharp against a solid Kentucky defense. The game will be won where most football games are; in the trenches. Line play will be critical for both teams. The spread is brutal if you like Florida. The Gators nearly lost to Utah but played admirably for Napier’s first game. The game would be a tossup if Rodriguez were to play, but as is, laying the home fav looks like the hunch play. The play: Florida-6 (3 units)

Kent State @ Oklahoma (-33.5)
Sept 10th 7:00 PM

    Oklahoma looks to be as good as ever with no coach Brent Venables, but take the Week 1 victory over UTEP with a grain of salt; OU was still expected to beat down the CUSA opponent. Kent State managed 13 first half points last week in the loss at Washington, so they are capable of scoring against a less than focused power 5 program. An Oklahoma cover would not be surprising in the slightest, but there is better value elsewhere. The play: Pass

Northern Illinois @ Tulsa (-6)
Sept 10th 7:00 PM

    The NIU Huskies visit Tulsa in Week 2 for their first FBS matchup of 2022. NIU barely got past a capable FCS opponent, Eastern Illinois, in Week 1. Meanwhile, Tulsa lost in OT on the road to Wyoming. Davis Brin threw for loads of yards on a usually stout Wyoming defense, but the Tulsa defense struggled against an unimpressive Wyoming offense. Tulsa is usually a fair program under coach Philip Montgomery, but NIU has been a good underdog the last few years. Thomas Hammock has not been the best decision maker but he wins games NIU is not expected to win. Plus, Huskies quarterback Rocky Lombardi is smart and experienced. Laying points with Tulsa after its defense got throttled by Wyoming is tough. My ratings have Tulsa only favored by a point at home, so the play is NIU. However, waiting to see how this line moves would be prudent. The play: NIU+6 (3 units; 7 if you can get points)

UMass at Toledo (-28.5)
Sept 10th 7:00 PM

    Nope. The play: Pass

Eastern Michigan @ Louisiana (-11.5)
Sept 10th 7:00 PM

    Eastern Michigan takes on Louisiana in Week 2. Chris Creighton has done an excellent job in Ypsilanti but often plays games close to the spread regardless of favoritism. Eastern Michigan plays to competition but often gets blown out by superior competition. The Eagles do not have a good defense, even by MAC standards, and tackling often seems optional. Creighton does the most with the talent he has though. EMU snuck by FCS member Eastern Kentucky in Week 1. Meanwhile, Louisiana transitions to a new coach after the departure of the excellent Billy Napier to Florida. Last year’s offensive coordinator, Michael Desormeaux , is now the head coach. The Ragin’ Cajuns had their best stretch in program history under Napier, so he is a big loss. A 24-7 week 1 victory over FCS SELA left a lot to be desired for Louisiana fans, so this week will be interesting to see how Desormeaux game plans against the solid Creighton. Louisiana still has the ability to run it down the throats of inferior defenses like Eastern Michigan’s. However, my ratings have this much closer than the spread; I will see if Desormeaux is nearly as good as Napier from this game. For now, he will need to prove it before I adjust Louisiana anywhere near last year’s power rating. The play: EMU+11.5 (7 units)

FIU @ Texas State (-14)
Sept 10th 7:00 PM

    Both FIU and Texas State are bad teams right now. FIU appears to be in contention for the worst FBS team in 2022. Mike MacIntyre has his hands full in his first year as the Panthers’ head coach. FIU needed a two point conversion in OT to defeat the below average FCS LIU in Week 1. Meanwhile, Texas State lost by 24 to a Nevada team who is likely much worse than last season. This game is not bettable unless you are fading the very poor FIU defense. The play: Pass

Syracuse @ UConn (+23)
Sept 10th 7:00 PM

    Syracuse visits Rentschler Field in East Hartford to renew an old Big East rivalry against UConn in Week 2. The Orange exceeded expectations in Week 1 throttling Louisville. Top-notch running back Sean Tucker performed well as both a runner and receiver tallying 184 all-purpose yards, including a 55 yard receiving touchdown. The defense was spectacular forcing multiple Malik Cunningham interceptions. Meanwhile, UConn played decently in a Week 0 loss at Utah State in Jim Mora’s debut as Huskies coach. Week 2’s victory against in-state FCS opponent Central Connecticut left much to be desired as the Huskies looked sloppy for most of the game before pulling away late. The failure to score 30 against an NEC team is concerning. UConn is playing a freshman at quarterback and he will offer mostly raw talent this season. So far though, Mora is a massive upgrade for the program. The spread is about right and the value appears slightly on UConn. However, Syracuse could gash UConn for lots of ground yards if Sean Tucker gets going. Syracuse could shut down any offense UConn can muster. There are better bets elsewhere in Week 2. The play: Pass

USC @ Stanford (+9)
Sept 10th 7:30 PM

    Both USC and Stanford looked good against far inferior competition in Week 1. USC cruised in Lincoln Riley’s first game as coach and Stanford rolled Patriot League opponent Colgate. Nine is a dead number but USC could absolutely roll Stanford in this one. My ratings have USC favored by 12. However, that is not a large enough discrepancy for me to make any wager. I also do not like this spot and I have no good read on whether or not Stanford has vastly improved from last year's pitiful season. The play: Pass

Georgia Southern @ Nebraska (-23.5)
Sept 10th 7:30 PM

    Nebraska welcomes Sunbelt member Georgia Southern in Week 2. Georgia Southern is in a transition away from an option offense. Clay Helton looks to install his offense he ran at USC before being fired early last year. The Eagles demolished overmatched FCS opponent Morgan State last week in the opener. It is simply too early to fairly gauge Georgia State. Nebraska is already playing its third game this season after a disappointing loss in Ireland followed by a less than reassuring victory in the home opener against FCS North Dakota. Scott Frost will need to run up the score in this one and I expect Nebraska will be as focused as they have been in Frost’s tenure. Recent results in similar Nebraska matchups have left observers less than convinced. The play: Pass

San Jose State @ Auburn (-23)
Sept 10th 7:30 PM

    San Jose State of the Mountain West travels to the Plains to take on Auburn in Week 2. The Spartans narrowly escaped in a Week 1 nail-biter against FCS Portland State, while Auburn crushed FCS Mercer. There is no smart bet to be made here unless you think Auburn’s talent wins the day. Brent Brennan is a much smarter coach than Brian Harsin which could allow San Jose State to cover through creative game planning - a concept totally foreign to the vanilla tactics employed by Harsin. Otherwise, Auburn should prevent San Jose State from putting points on the board via its massive talent advantage. San Jose State has a legitimate defensive line but won’t be able to score points. The play: Pass

Boston College @ Virginia Tech (-2.5)
Sept 10th 8:00 PM

    In one of the most difficult games to handicap in Week 2, Boston College visits Virginia Tech in an ACC game. Both teams had close, tough to swallow losses in Week 1 as favorites. Boston College blew a home lead losing by one point to Rutgers, while Virginia Tech lost a close game to in-state opponent Old Dominion. Here, BC clearly has the better offense, but struggled to close out its first game. Virginia Tech appears to be a mess with new coach Brent Pry. Getting that team together will take Pry some time. The spread here is tough; my ratings have the Hokies favored by the smallest of margins. Boston College is a smart bet if Jeff Hafley can coach just well enough to secure a late game lead. The Eagles’ main problem is a pitiful running attack; reliance on good passer Phil Jurkovec and talented receiver Zay Flowers will only win so many games this year. BC lacks talent everywhere else. Virginia Tech still has decent players on defense and will be a tough challenge in their home opener. Going purely by ratings, BC is the play here. However, getting 3 on the road would be highly preferable to 2.5, so wait on this one. The play: BC+3 (3 units)

Hawai’i @ Michigan (-51)
Sept 10th 8:00 PM

    There is no nice way to put this; Hawai’i looks horrendous through two games this season. The Warriors lack talent and simply cannot tackle. Michigan will win easily. This spread is absolutely massive and unbettable. Michigan might score every possession. The Wolverines are fully capable of scoring 100 points if they wanted. Obviously, that will not happen. However, a bet on this number would be based solely on whether or not Michigan wants to cover. Who knows? The play: Pass

New Mexico State @ UTEP (-16)
Sept 10th 9:00 PM

    New Mexico State is competing with FIU for the worst FBS team this year. The Aggies are really struggling already and have yet to show any real talent. They competed with a down Nevada team but still cannot move the ball. Meanwhile, UTEP has a decent quarterback but underperformed the first two weeks this year. I liked UTEP laying 14, but this line has since moved to 16 and might only be worth a small bet. UTEP has the ability to blow out NMSU (almost every FBS team does), but they still are not a great favorite to back. NMSU likely is not as bad as they appear but would struggle competing against an all FCS schedule. UTEP will want a convincing victory after a frustrating loss to North Texas in Week 0 and an expected blowout loss to Oklahoma last week. The play: UTEP-16 (3 units)

Baylor @ BYU (-3)
Sept 10th 10:15 PM

    BYU welcomes Baylor to Provo in what could be the best game in Week 2. Dave Aranda’s Bears beat BYU by a comfortable margin last year in Waco, but Baylor faces a much tougher spot this year. BYU has been lethal in home night games under coach Kalani Sitake. The Bears have an excellent defense and are one of the best coached teams in college football. Likewise, BYU performs above expectations seemingly every year. I feel Sitake is slightly overrated but he routinely gets BYU to play over my ratings for them. BYU is an excellent home team and this year’s team could be the best Sitake has ever had. BYU absolutely demolished South Florida on the road in Week 1. Baylor easily handled FCS Albany to open its season. This matchup will be a great game for those who watch the action in the trenches. Baylor has the talent edge there, but BYU seems to play on another level in these home night games. BYU -3 is a fair spread and the number has moved around a little early in the week. My ratings have BYU favored by 4 so there is little value, if any. This game will go a long way towards determining each participants’ season. BYU and Baylor should put on a show Saturday night, but wagering on this contest could be quite stressful. The play: BYU-3 (3 units) or Pass

Oregon State @ Fresno State (pk)
Sept 10th 10:30 PM

    Fresno State welcomes Pac 12 opponent Oregon State in Week 2. Fresno had an easy win over FCS Cal Poly in Week 1, while Oregon State convincingly handled Boise State at home. Oregon State played very well. Coach Jonathan Smith is doing a good job in Corvallis. The Beavers offensive line is very good, Chance Nolan is competent at quarterback, and the team seems to be very cohesive. Fresno State welcomed the return of coach Jeff Tedford and quarterback Jake Haener could be Fresno’s best quarterback all time. Tedford will have Fresno ready for the P5 opponent. It seems the top end Mountain West teams beat Pac 12 teams every year and this game should be close. Oregon State’s offensive line should have its way for most of the game, but Haener will be able to sling the ball well enough to keep pace. Expect this one to come down right to the end. My ratings have Fresno favored by 4.5, so pick is a decent value. The game could be determined by only a handful of plays but backing the home team is a solid bet. The play: Fresno pick (7 units)

Mississippi State @ Arizona (+10.5)
Sept 10th 11:00 PM

    An improved Arizona squad hosts SEC opponent Mississippi State in non-conference action to close out the Week 2 slate. Arizona looked good against San Diego State last week, winning 38-20 on the road. Jayden de Laura provided a massive upgrade at quarterback for the Wildcats. Coach Jedd Fisch has the offense improved. Look for Arizona to take some chances with the ball in de Laura’s hands against the SEC defense. Mississippi State did a good job against Memphis in Week 1. Mike Leach seems to have gotten Mississippi State’s roster to his liking and should have the Bulldogs more competitive against better competition this season. Quarterback Will Rogers is the real deal and the air raid offense has the potential to tear the Arizona back seven to shreds. Arizona will have a hard time against a high caliber Mississippi State defensive line, and the back seven is just as good. A road shut out is not out of the realm of possibility. Mississippi State is a talented team and Mike Leach loves blowing out lesser competition. Jed Fisch is doing an admirable job at Arizona so far, but this step up in competition is significant. This game will reveal a lot about the future trajectories of both programs. I do not love the spread but Mississippi’s talent edge alone is enough for a small wager on the favorite. The play: Mississippi State-10.5 (3 units)