Week 2 College Football Best Bets:

Let’s take a look at my Week 2 college football best bets.

Boise State vs. Oregon 

10:00 p.m. ET (PEACOCK)

 

***Top College Football Betting Resources***

*Join thousands of other sports bettors and unlock access to picks, public betting splits data, & the VSiN live video broadcast by upgrading to VSiN Pro. Grab your first month for less than $10.*

On a day when quarterback Dillon Gabriel put up numbers worthy of a Heisman Trophy favorite, Oregon narrowly avoided what could have been the biggest upset in college football history. Crazy things happen on any given Saturday, and the Ducks were lucky last Saturday.

Gabriel completed 41 of 49 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns, numbers that would seem to indicate the Ducks blew out Idaho. The truth is Oregon, which closed as a 49-point favorite, led by only three midway through the fourth quarter before Gabriel’s touchdown pass with 5:36 to go sealed a 24-14 win.

Oregon finished with massive statistical advantages, including 487 to 217 in total yards, yet had to sweat out the result. A week later, the Ducks are 21-point home favorites against Boise State, another team with an abundance of offensive firepower. In a 56-45 win at Georgia Southern, the Broncos rolled up 651 total yards, highlighted by Ashton Jeanty rushing 20 times for 267 yards and six touchdowns.

The Boise State defensive weaknesses that were exposed by the Eagles will become a bigger problem against Gabriel and the Ducks. While a majority of sharp bettors are laying the points with Oregon, I prefer to bet on both offenses putting up a lot of points. My score forecast is 45-24.

College Football Best Bet: Boise State-Oregon Over 60.5

Four more plays for Saturday (home team in CAPS):

MICHIGAN (+7.5) over Texas

Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

A week ago, the DraftKings lookahead line for this game was Texas -3.5, so is the major adjustment an overreaction? Wolverines quarterbacks Davis Warren and Alex Orji were unimpressive while combining for 121 passing yards against Fresno State. The Longhorns were extremely impressive in a 52-0 victory over Colorado State. The line move is understandable given the teams’ first impressions. Still, the defending national champions can be counted on to make this a street fight. Michigan, which had the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense (10.4 ppg) last season, remains elite on one side of the ball, so it’s not going to be easy for Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. 

College Football Best Bet: Michigan +7.5

Northern Illinois (+28) over NOTRE DAME

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (PEACOCK)

Riley Leonard, a transfer quarterback from Duke, and the Fighting Irish were tough enough to grind out a 23-13 win at Texas A&M last week. The Aggies were held to 246 yards by a dominant Notre Dame defense. Leonard does not trigger an explosive passing offense, so it will be difficult for the Irish to cover a four-touchdown spread. This is a classic case of a big favorite in a flat spot after a big win. Northern Illinois, predicted to be a top-three team in the Mid-American Conference, is not a cupcake opponent. The Huskies opened the season by totaling 706 yards in a 54-15 victory over Western Illinois as Ethan Hampton completed 18 of 20 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns. Yes, the Leathernecks are awful, but Northern Illinois did display a capable offense.

College Football Best Bet: Northern Illinois +28

Colorado (+7.5) over NEBRASKA

7:30 p.m. ET (PEACOCK)

The Buffaloes show several faults, including a coach, Deion Sanders, who struggles with clock and game management and has become too thin-skinned to handle some media critics. Colorado’s running attack is feeble and its defense is weak. But it also has two probable top-five picks in the next NFL Draft in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter. Sanders passed for 445 yards and four touchdowns and was sacked only once in a 31-26 victory over North Dakota State. The Cornhuskers have more upside this season, but they still start a freshman quarterback, Dylan Raiola, and lack a track record of winning big games. The underdog is 10-3 ATS in Colorado games with Sanders as coach.

College Football Best Bet: Colorado +7.5

SAN DIEGO STATE (+6) over Oregon State

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET (CBSN)

 It’s probably an overreaction to downgrade the Aztecs after their shaky season opener. San Diego State trailed Texas A&M-Commerce 6-3 at halftime before winning 45-14. New coach Sean Lewis and freshman quarterback Danny O’Neil found ways to get the Aztecs going, with O’Neil connecting on 11 of 12 passes for two touchdowns after the half. Marquez Cooper rushed for 223 yards, and San Diego State’s defense suffocated the run. The Beavers, who beat a bad Idaho State team, are in a lookahead spot with Oregon on deck.

College Football Best Bet: San Diego State +6

Last week: 2-3 against the spread

For more College Football Week 2 predictions, visit the College Football Week 2 Hub at VSiN.com.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR