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Best bets in Week 2 of college football

By Frank Sciarroni

Dylan Raiola #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers sets up to pass against the UTEP Miners at Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Dylan Raiola #15 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers sets up to pass against the UTEP Miners at Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska. / Steven Branscombe/GettyImages
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Week 2 of the college football season is here. The action kicks off on Friday night with three games followed by a full slate on Saturday with games beginning at noon ET and the final kickoff set for 11 p.m.

After going an even 4-4 with my picks in last Saturdays games we are back for more.

Here are the best bets in week 2 of the college football season:

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook:

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Season Record: (9-5)

Nebraska -7.5 (-105) vs Colorado

I am fully bought in on Nebraska 5-star true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola and this Nebraska team. They looked impressive in week 1 and I expect the hype to carry over into week 2 as they welcome in Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes. 

Last week, against FCS opponent NDSU, Colorado looked a lot like they did last year with a high-powered offense and struggled on defense. In 2023 the Buffs handily defeated the Cornhuskers at home but this is a much improved Nebraska team. 

The energy in Memorial Stadium will be off the charts and I expect it to help Nebraska get a big win at home.

Iowa -3 (-110) vs Iowa State

Betting on Iowa is something that is never fun, but I like this spot here. The Hawkeyes offense actually did look different with new offensive coordinator Tim Lester scoring 40 points in their opener against Illinois State.

On the other end, Iowa State is a team that is expected to finish middle of the road this season. They defeated North Dakota in Week 1, but the offense did not look great, only scoring 21 points.

Iowa’s defense will give the Cyclones fits on Saturday and I would be surprised if they give up more than 14 points. There’s no doubt this one will be low scoring (35.5 over/under), but I expect Iowa to continue their dominance in the Cy-Hawk rivalry where they have won 7 of the last 8.

Texas Tech/Washington State Over 65.5 (-114)

This one kicks off at 10 p.m. on Saturday and we should be in for some late-night fireworks in Pullman Washington. To me, this just feels like a classic Big 12 game with all of the offense and zero defense.

Both of these programs are known for scoring points and that's exactly what they did during week 1. Texas Tech put up 52 points in their opener while their defense gave up 51 to Abilene Christian. The Cougars put up a 70-piece against Sacramento State and totaled 637 yards of total offense.

This is the highest total of the week, but don’t be afraid to take the over for some late-night excitement.

Oklahoma -27.5 (-118) vs Houston

I hate taking a big spread like this early in the season and I hate giving out another home favorite, but I really like this pick. The Sooners were favored by 40+ in their week 1 game against Temple and dominated in a 51-3 victory where it felt like they would cover from start to finish. I expect this one to be the same way.

Houston is a program in major decline coming off a 4-8 season and losing in week 1 to UNLV 27-7, a game they were favored in. Oklahoma will take care of business against this much lesser opponent with their high-powered offense and now a great Brent Venables-led defense that looked suffocating in week 1.

Rounding it out:

  • Pitt +2.5 (-112) at Cincinnati
  • Utah -14.5 (-115) vs Baylor
  • Northern Illinois +28.5 (-112) at Notre Dame
  • Kansas/Illinois Over 57.5 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Frank Sciarroni is 9-5 ATS in college football.

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