I went 14-11 with college football picks against the spread in Week 2.
Betting the second week of the season is much easier after seeing teams play the week before. There is a lot of value in riding a couple teams every week until they fail to cover the spread. Also, it could be time to readjust your own personal rankings.
There are some important games this weekend. Ohio State at TCU is huge in the grand scheme of things. Also, USC at Texas may not factor in the title picture, but it’s always fun when these two teams meet up early in the year.
We at ‘America’s White Boy’ pick 25 college football games against the spread in Week 3 of the 2018-19 NCAA Football season (September 15th, 2018). We also pick some smaller conference games.
Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh (+4) – My pick is Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech’s triple-option isn’t as prolific this year. They have even thrown the ball more than any Georgia Tech team in recent memory. They are coming off a 49-38 loss to South Florida. Pitt is also coming off a bad loss, 51-6 at home against rival Penn State. Neither team has performed as expected. They are both 0-2 ATS. Pitt was only an 7.5 underdog last week, but lost by 45 points (yikes). The Panthers are not playing well and they may even be out-gained through the air…by Georgia Tech. I’m taking the Yellow Jackets to cover.
BYU at Wisconsin (-21) – My pick is Wisconsin Badgers
I was surprised when BYU beat Arizona in Week 1. I thought Arizona was a middle-of-the-pack Pac-12 team, and the loss was unexpected. The Cougars followed that win with a loss at home to California. Also, we now know that Arizona may not be as good as advertised. Wisconsin has two blowout wins under their belt, but are 0-2 ATS. They failed to cover by just a few points in each game. This spread is more manageable since their last two games had spreads of over 35 points. BYU couldn’t stop Cal’s run game…and if they can’t stop Cal, they won’t be able to handle Wisconsin.
West Virginia at NC State (+3.5) – My pick is West Virginia Mountaineers (CANCELLED)
West Virginia QB Will Grier has put up Heisman-like numbers in his first two games. He has thrown nine touchdowns to only one interception. He has also amassed 761 passing yards. Most of those numbers came against Tennessee, a major program. NC State had two gimme games so far this season. NC State QB Ryan Finley has also put up a lot of passing yards through two games. It should be an entertaining game between two experienced, talented quarterbacks. I’d have to give the edge to West Virginia and think they cover on the road.
Houston vs Texas Tech (+1) – My pick is Houston Cougars
I’ve been bullish on Houston this season. They have playmakers on defense and QB D’Eriq King is an underrated quarterback. He has thrown for 566 yards and 7/0 TD/INT ratio through two games. Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kingsbury is on the hot seat. The fanbase is hungry for a Big-12 contender. Just getting to a bowl game isn’t good enough this season. Unfortunately for Kingsbury, this might be one of the least talented teams of his tenure. The depth of playmakers on offense just isn’t there. I’m picking Houston to sneak a win in AT&T Stadium.
Alabama at Mississippi (+21) – My pick is Alabama Crimson Tide
I’m a huge fan of Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. He’s the best passing quarterback head coach Nick Saban has had at Alabama (yes, even better than AJ McCarron). Also, I like the idea of playing both Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts. It gives the offense different looks to mess with the defense. The more things an offense can throw at a defense, the more time they need to prepare for everything. The Crimson Tide hasn’t struggled for a single minute this season. Ole Miss has rolled their opponents so far this year. I’ve also been a fan of Ole Miss QB Jordan Ta’amu since last season. He has been great so far this year. The Rebels opponents haven’t been the same caliber as Bama has played, but wins are wins. Also, I’d like to add that both teams are 2-0 ATS this year. Bama’s defense will be a huge test for Ta’amu. I’m not sure he’s up the that tall task.
Missouri at Purdue (+6.5) – My pick is Missouri Tigers
Missouri QB Drew Lock should be playing on Sunday next year. He’s a big, talented quarterback that can do damage to soft defenses…and Purdue has a soft defense. The Boilermakers were upset last week by Eastern Michigan. EMU is an improved team, but Purdue just haven’t gotten much help from the quarterback position. Missouri should win this game by double-digits.
USC at Texas (-3) – My pick is USC Trojans
Both teams come into this game very inconsistent. USC had an impressive outing against UNLV, but then fell to Stanford 17-3. Texas were upset in their first game by Maryland and then played better against Tulsa (but didn’t look impressive in the win). USC freshman QB J.T. Daniels struggled against Stanford’s defense. The young man only completed 16 of 34 passes and threw two interceptions. I have a feeling the Longhorns will see a large dose of USC running backs Aca’Cedric Ware and Stephen Carr. The Trojans may need to take some of the load off the young quarterback’s shoulders. Texas has their own growing pains with their quarterback. Texas QB Sam Ehlinger struggled with accuracy against Maryland, but was able to fare better against a lesser opponent last week. If USC be versatile on offense, and limit turnovers, I think they will keep this game very close (and may even be a nice moneyline play).
Arizona State at San Diego State (+5) – My pick is San Diego State Aztecs
ASU head coach Herm Edwards started his tenure with the school on the right foot. He is coming off an upset win over Michigan State. The Sun Devils didn’t have much hype going into the season and are still expected to be near the bottom of the standings in the Pac-12. San Diego State running back Juwan Washington is the latest in a line of talented running backs at the school. SDSU will feed him until the kid drops. This could be a letdown game for Arizona State. San Diego State is better than you think, so I’m taking the points.
Fresno State at UCLA (pk) – My pick is UCLA Bruins
The Chip Kelly era at UCLA already needs a re-do. They faced two tough opponents to start the year. Cincinnati and Oklahoma made UCLA’s offense look pitiful. It appears that Kelly has finally narrowed down his QB situation to freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson, which is a good thing. Kelly has been silent about if he will start this week, but I think you will see him start the contest. He may have a short leash if he struggles early. Fresno State has an entrenched quarterback in Marcus McMaryion. He has been a game manager so far through their first two games. This could be a close game, but I can’t see the Bruins losing at home to the Bulldogs.
Ball State at Indiana (-14.5) – My pick is Ball State Cardinals
This is where we usually pick a game with smaller conference teams, but most smaller conference teams are facing Power Five schools this week. Ball State is coming off an impressive loss at Notre Dame. They were 35-point underdogs, but managed to only lose by single-digits. The Cardinals defense is improved and the Irish struggled to move the ball. The Hoosiers come into this game undefeated, but are 0-2 ATS. They failed to cover the spread as favorites against FIU and Virginia. Indiana will most likely win this game, but I don’t trust their offense to cover more than two touchdowns, so I’m taking the points.
QUICK HITS
East Carolina at Virginia Tech (-28) – My pick is Virginia Tech (CANCELLED)
Eastern Michigan at Buffalo (-3) – My pick is Eastern Michigan
Washington at Utah (+6.5) – My pick is Utah
New Mexico at New Mexico State (+4) – My pick is New Mexico
UMass at FIU (-4) – My pick is Florida International
Middle Tennessee at Georgia (-33.5) – My pick is Georgia
Oregon State at Nevada (-3) – My pick is Nevada
Arkansas State at Tulsa (+1) – My pick is Arkansas State
Boston College at Wake Forest (+4.5) – My pick is Boston College
Central Florida at North Carolina (+14.5) – My pick is Central Florida (CANCELLED)
BONUS PICKS!
Miami (FL) at Toledo (+10) – My pick is Miami
Troy at Nebraska (-11.5) – My pick is Troy
Florida State at Syracuse (+3) – My pick is Syracuse
Duke at Baylor (-6.5) – My pick is Duke
South Florida at Illinois (-10) – My pick is South Florida
Sweetbob’s college football picks against the spread record in previous seasons:
2013: 134-79-8
2014: 148-118-4
2015: 149-118-3
2016: 196-145-6
2017: 183-159-13
2018: 25-24-1
*These picks are for entertainment purposes
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.