College football Week 2 picks, predictions against the spread

College football isn’t just one of the best sports to watch on a Saturday afternoon, it’s also one of the best to find ways to make plenty of cash as a sharp sports bettor. Each week we’ll find the best value for NCAA football games against the spread, total, and on the moneyline so you can make plenty of cash. No touts, no fees, and just the best numbers we can find at prices you can still get.

Here are our best picks on the board to get all the dollars in Week 2 of FBS football. All lines are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:

Collin Sherwin: 2022 Record 2-4

Alabama -20 vs. Texas

While I’ve actually won money both weeks this season, the games I’ve loved the most haven’t really worked out as well hoped (stares daggers at Cam Rising). But I don’t think I’ve seen a game I like more this year than Nick Saban laying less than three touchdowns to the offensive coordinator that cost him a national championship and then took several of his players.

I don’t know what the personal or professional relationship between Steve Sarkisian is really like behind the scenes, I do know The Nicktator can pick his score in this one. And with UT joining the league at some point (I still say likely before 2025), he’ll want to establish the run and who is the real boss in Austin. Bama by whatever Nick chooses, and I think that’s more than 30.

Memphis -6 vs. Navy

As someone that irrationally loves triple option football, and did one of my favorite coaching interviews ever with Ken Niumatalolo, it pains me to say that Navy just might not be it this year. Losing at home to Delaware might have been a canary in the coal mine for a team that has struggled the last few years, and a Memphis team that struggled against Mike Leach’s Air Raid in Week 1 matches up much better against B-backs and dive plays.

Tennessee -7 vs. Pitt

If we weren’t all so entertained by that fantastic Backyard Brawl to open the season, we’d realize that both Pitt and West Virginia just aren’t that great. Whereas Tennessee has one of the most dynamic players in all of college football in Hendon Hooker, and the Vols should run at will behind one of the better offensive lines in the country.

Nick Simon: 2022 Record 0-6

Alabama -20 vs. Texas

Whatever happens to the Longhorns on Saturday isn’t going to be an indictment on them as a football team. They have tons of talent at the skill positions and could compete in the Big 12. But c’mon now. When Steve Sarkisan is spending Monday’s press conference talking about culture and how this is an awesome opportunity, he’s subtly telling you that they have no shot. Tide rolls in Austin.

Tennessee -7 vs. Pitt

The Backyard Brawl was a hoot last Thursday and Pitt’s home matchup against Tennessee is a prime letdown spot. The atmosphere of the game and the pick-six at the end papered over a lot of deficiencies for the Panthers, particularly them only being able to average 1.9 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s offense already looks to be in mid-season form with Hendon Hooker operating the controls at quarterback. Lay it with the Vols in the Johnny Majors Bowl.

Iowa-Iowa State over 40 (-110)

Many people will be baited into taking the under for El Assico the CyHawk rivalry based on Iowa’s performance against South Dakota State last Saturday, The Hawkeyes won 7-3 and got those seven points by way of two safeties and a field goal. Despite the reductiveness of Kirk and Brian Ferentz’s offenses, they always get up for Iowa State and four out of the last six installments of this rivalry have cleared the 40-point barrier. Take the over.

Grace McDermott: 2022 Record 3-3

Iowa State +3.5 vs. Iowa

Despite the Hawkeyes absolutely disastrous offensive start last weekend, I’m hesitant to pick the Iowa State moneyline outright because of Iowa’s tendency to find a way to pull off this win. But if, by some miracle, an offense that put up three points against an FCS team actually scores enough to win, I think that Iowa State still covers. Hunter Dekkers and Xavier Hutchinson looked talented in their season opener, and the Cyclones should be able to cover the spread on Saturday.

Alabama -20 vs. Texas

Texas may be back someday, but it probably won’t happen against what may be one of Saban’s best teams in recent memory. Quinn Ewers and Bijan Robinson are talented, and I won’t deny that, but the entire Alabama roster is talented, too. With Will Anderson, Jr. on the other side of the ball and an experience Bryce Young at the helm, the Tide blow out the Horns at home.

Kentucky-Florida over 52.5 (-105)

So Florida and QB Anthony Richardson turned out to be a lot better than anyone was expecting, making this SEC matchup look way more interesting than it did at this time last week. Even with Richardson making big plays for Florida, I think it’s a close game in the Swamp that hits the over.

Chinmay Vaidya: 2022 Record 5-1

Alabama -20 vs. Texas (-110)

We’ve played several iterations of this game over the years and it ends the same way every time. Alabama goes up against some other “powerhouse” program with brand recognition and everyone wonders if this is the year. And every year, we get the Crimson Tide blowing out the opposition. Texas will suffer the same fate this year.

Missouri ML vs. Kansas State (+255)

The Wildcats were able to run rampant against South Dakota in Week 1. They’re not going to be able to do the same against Missouri’s front, and the Tigers have shown they have enough explosiveness offensively to give Kansas State problems. It’s a bit of a homer pick but this is a toss-up game on Missouri’s schedule. Eliah Drinkwitz needs to get these types of wins to show he’s got this program on the rise. Take the Tigers straight up.

USC-Stanford under 67 (-110)

I see this game playing out one of two ways. Either USC blows out Stanford behind an impressive offensive showing, or the Cardinals muck this up and make it a low-scoring, tight contest. Either way, this is too high of a total to take the over. In the last 10 meetings between these teams, the total has gone over this line just twice. Take the under here.

Teddy Ricketson: 2022 Record 5-1

Iowa State ML (+145) vs. Iowa

The Hawkeyes haven’t yet scored an offensive touchdown this season. As much as we celebrate fivers here at DK Nation, a team beating South Dakota State 7-3 with not one but TWO safeties is in trouble against actual competition. ¡El Assico! rarely disappoints as this rivalry game is often the highlight of the early slate of games. Iowa State is coming off a taking-care-of-business win against SEMO, yet are the underdogs on the road. Cyclones for the outright win.

No. 20 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Florida -4.5 (-110)

It feels like all the ire that Florida received in the offseason was erased with the play of quarterback Anthony Richardson last weekend. Through one game, Richardson is already assumed to be a top-10 draft pick in next year’s draft. As much as I scoff at early hyperbole, the dude can flat-out make plays out of nothing. It may not always look pretty, but it typically leads to wins. The Gators are back at home and should use the upset win from Week 1 as momentum to cover this spread in an early SEC test.

No. 9 Baylor ML (+140) vs. No. 21 BYU

Baylor heads into this game as the underdog even though they are ranked No. 9 with BYU coming in at No. 21. In Week 1, Baylor dominated Albany 69-10. BYU picked up a big win against South Florida. Sure, BYU’s win looks better on paper, but both teams head into this game 1-0. Blake Shapen threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns with only three incompletions on 20 passing attempts. The running back duo of Richard Reese and Qualan Jones combined for 121 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 touches. I like the Bears to win outright.

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