Week 2 of the 2024 college football season is here and our VSiN team is attacking it relentlessly. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out the Week 2 CFB Betting Hub for write-ups and picks from all of our talented analysts. However, keep reading for my college football best bets and predictions for this exciting Week 2 slate. I’ll probably add some picks as lines move and more information comes out later in the week — and on game day. If I do, they’ll be thrown on the VSiN Pro Picks page. Don’t miss out on those. Last week, I ended up with a losing record in my best bets article, but I finished Week 1 in the green because of added plays on Fresno State, Arizona State, USC and Boston College.

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2024 Record: 5-5 (+0.18 units)

Arkansas at Oklahoma State – 12:00 pm ET
Tennessee at NC State – 7:30 pm ET

I imagine there will be some pitchforks from the anti-teaser people out there, but I think these occasionally offer some decent value. In this case, a two-team moneyline parlay with Oklahoma State and Tennessee would be around -130. However, you can get -120 for a 7-point teaser, which is the same exact bet. Realistically, that’s where I’m at with these games. I really like both teams to win, but I don’t want to lay the points.

With the first game, I’m just a little surprised to see Arkansas getting this much respect from the oddsmakers. The Razorbacks made a splashy offseason hire in bringing back Bobby Petrino to coach the offense, and they also added a talented dual-threat quarterback in Taylen Green. However, many people believe this is one of the worst teams in the SEC, and Oklahoma State is a trendy pick to represent the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff.

Arkansas is actually a pretty solid team when it comes to stopping the run. The Razorbacks gave up only 154.0 rushing yards per game last year, and they returned a lot of their defensive line talent. However, I feel pretty good about the Pokes running on anybody. Oklahoma State brought back star running back Ollie Gordon and the entire offensive line from a year ago, making this one of the most dangerous rushing teams in all of college football. So, maybe the Razorbacks will be able to prevent Gordon from hitting home runs, but I expect him to at least pick up decent yardage and make life easier on quarterback Alan Bowman. The 24-year-old is more confident than ever now that he is the unquestioned starter at Oklahoma State, and he had an entire offseason of first-team reps. He should be able to make the right throws against an Arkansas defense that is weakest in the secondary. Bowman looked solid against South Dakota State last week, throwing for 267 yards and three scores.

Defensively, Oklahoma State has nine players with starting experience back, and the group is strongest at the linebacker position. That will be big as the team looks to minimize Green’s legs. Oklahoma State is also 96-24 at home under Mike Gundy, and this atmosphere will be electric for a meeting with an SEC program.

I’m keeping things a little more simple with the Tennessee game. You never want to overreact too much to a Week 1 game, but the ease with which Western Carolina marched down the field in NC State’s 38-21 win was alarming. And the Catamounts did it with a dual-threat quarterback at the helm. Well, if Cole Gonzales can shred this defense to bits, what do you think Nico Iamaleava is going to do? He’s one of the most talented quarterbacks in all of college football, and he’s operating an offense that is coached by an absolute genius. I expect the Vols to hang a big number on the Wolfpack here. I also trust Tennessee’s defense against the NC State offense. The Vols gave up only 20.3 points per game in 2023, and they should be just as good on defense this season. The secondary is a bit of a question mark, but Grayson McCall hasn’t been the most inspiring passer since losing Jamey Chadwell as his play caller. All in all, Tennessee is just way too talented for NC State, and the team has the edge in coaching. The Wolfpack’s home-field advantage shouldn’t be enough to overcome that. Honestly, there might be more Tennessee fans than NC State fans in the building in Charlotte.

7-POINT TEASER: Oklahoma State -0.5 & Tennessee -0.5 (-120 – 1.5 units)

Texas vs. Michigan – 12:00 pm ET

Texas scored 52 points in a shutout win over Colorado State last week, but the Longhorns won’t have that type of success against the Wolverines. This Michigan team might have lost a ton of talent, but there’s still plenty in place. The Wolverines should be one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten again, and giving up only 10 points in a 30-10 win over a good Fresno State team last week shows that. The Bulldogs are a contender in the Mountain West, so that wasn’t a performance to take lightly.

Michigan’s especially tough along the defensive line, so Texas shouldn’t be able to get much going on the ground in this game. That will then put a lot on Quinn Ewers and the passing game. The Longhorns obviously have a potent passing attack, but going out and lighting up the Wolverines in The Big House is a tough ask — especially considering Michigan defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale is going to dial up a ton of pressure.

Michigan should also struggle to score here. The Wolverines surprised some people by starting Davis Warren at quarterback. The former walk-on seemingly beat out Alex Orji, who is a great runner and a load to bring down. But this now feels like a ball-control offense, and that isn’t going to result in a lot of points against a good Longhorns defense. You need to be able to throw in order to give Texas trouble.

This just feels like a game that is destined to be extremely lower in scoring. So, even though this total is a little lower, you’re going to want to jump on the Under. I gave it out at 43.5 on VSiN PrimeTime on Tuesday, but I’d play it as long as it’s 42.5 or higher.

Bet: Under 43.5 (-115)

Boise State vs. Oregon – 10:00 pm ET

Many liked Florida State as a bounce-back bet in Week 1, but the team ended up losing outright to Boston College in Tallahassee. I think this Oregon game is very similar, but I actually like the Ducks to go out and put their disastrous Week 1 performance behind them.

This game opened with Oregon as a 24.5-point favorite and has moved through several key numbers since. I’m willing to lay 19 without a problem, as I think the Ducks will win this by three or more scores.

Oregon’s 10-point win over Idaho might not look very good, but the Ducks were a little better than the score suggests. In fact, Dillon Gabriel threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns in that game, and Oregon consistently marched the ball down the field. The Ducks just had some unfortunate endings on some impressive drives, and they should be able to figure that out. Gabriel might be a great quarterback, but that was still his first game with his new team. He’ll get better and better with each passing day, and offensive coordinator Will Stein is a mastermind that will put him in better positions to succeed. I actually like the Ducks to go out and put up a ton of points against the Broncos, and I even considered going with the Over on their team total.

The Oregon defense should also play a great game here. Ashton Jeanty was the talk of Week 1 after rushing for 267 yards with six touchdowns against Georgia Southern. The problem is that Oregon isn’t Georgia Southern. The Ducks have big bodies along the defensive line, and they have serious talent in the linebacking corps. Oregon also has the luxury of throwing extra players in the box. The Ducks can sell out against the run and trust in their corners to handle their business. Maddux Madsen isn’t a good enough passer to go into Eugene and light up Oregon over the top.

Bet: Oregon -19 (-110)

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