Two straight weeks with positive money and half a point away from going 6-1 with Utah -7.5. Week 3 provides excitement, you just have to know where to look. And there is a lot of value on the board.
Week 3 College Football Picks and Predictions
Last week: 5-2-0 (0.714)
This season: 10-11-0 (0.476)
Overall record: 91-95-3 (0.489)
For all current betting odds surrounding the college football season, check out our live betting odds and make your plays today!
All lines are via Draft Kings Sportsbook. You can find the best available odds from sportsbooks all over the country below as well.
Army +8.5 (-110) vs. UTSA -8.5 (-110)
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The Army Black Knights are such a weird team to watch now. With cut blocks essentially being eliminated, they have transitioned to a shotgun attack with some option concepts. It feels like the end of an era for the option.
Over their first two games, it’s been a mixed bag.
They beat Delaware State 57-0 in Week 2, but couldn’t muster up much offense against Louisiana-Monroe in a 17-13 loss. Things won’t get much easier this week against the Roadrunners, who have allowed only 13.5 points per game against better competition.
The key to this game will be the health of quarterback Frank Harris.
He has lingering knee issues that knocked him out of the game multiple times against Texas State last week. When he is on the field, Harris makes a difference in attacking down the field.
What will carry the UTSA Roadrunners is their rushing attack led by Kevorian Barnes. The Arkansas transfer has been great this season, to the tune of 206 yards and a touchdown. He will get more work here as the Roadrunners look to run through the Black Knights’ defense that allowed 205 yards on 6.5 yards per carry to ULM.
Bet: UTSA -8.5 (-110)
South Carolina +27.5 (-110) vs. Georgia -27.5 (-110)
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Spencer Rattler had a decent performance against North Carolina in Week 1, but his offensive line let him down. He had little to no time to throw all game long and still put up 353 yards passing while completing 76% of his passes.
He was even better against Furman by completing 25-of-27 for 345 yards and three touchdowns. It’s been an impressive continuation to the end of last season for Rattler, where he had a fantastic finish in upsetting Tennessee and Clemson.
With Antwane “Juice” Wells slowly working through a preseason injury, Xavier Legette has stepped up in a big way on the outside. If the South Carolina Gamecocks are going to compete with the Bulldogs, they will need a really good passing game.
The Georgia Bulldogs are still the AP No. 1 team in the country, but the fanfare surrounding them is significantly less than in prior years. Both sides of the ball lost a lot of talent, and they have struggled early in games to score points against inferior opponents.
New starting quarterback Carson Beck has thrown for 577 yards but has looked off at times under center. That will improve over time. Other quarterbacks have struggled in their first few starts.
The real worrisome angle for the Bulldogs is their rushing game. They are usually dominant in that area but have only rushed for 258 yards against their opponents UT-Martin and Ball State. No player has rushed for over 100 yards yet this season, and some of that can be attributed to Branson Robinson being lost for the season.
Georgia is clearly the better team in the matchup, but South Carolina is a team on the rise as long as Rattler keeps performing like he has in recent games. 27.5 points is a lot to ask of this Georgia offense right now.
The Gamecocks should be able to cover this without much issue.
Bet: South Carolina +27.5 (-110)
Western Kentucky +29 (-110) vs. Ohio State -29 (-110)
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This line is incredibly intriguing to me. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are a fun football team to watch. Austin Reed is a really good quarterback with a group of receivers that possess a lot of talent.
The biggest question with that group is their health. Malachi Corley looks ready to play, but Dalvin Smith (leg) and Michael Mathison (hip) are up in the air. If they all are healthy enough to play, that will make this game really interesting.
The Ohio State Buckeyes defense only allows 3.42 yards per play which could complicate things for the Hilltoppers’ offense, especially since they rely on yards after the catch.
The Buckeyes offense will be the biggest question mark in a 29-point spread. They haven’t cleared 29 points, with their biggest win being over FCS Youngstown State 35-7 and 23-3 over Indiana in Week 1.
Quarterback Kyle McCord was finally named the unquestioned starter heading into Week 3, but the offense has taken a noticeable step back, even with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka leading an insane wide receiver corps.
The Buckeyes are facing arguably their best opponent so far this season, and the offense is going to be facing an aggressive defense with an offensive line that isn’t up to par for what they are used to at Ohio State. 29 points is just too high, especially with how potent the Hilltoppers offense can be.
Bet: Western Kentucky -29 (-110)
Washington -16 (-110) vs. Michigan State +16 (-110)
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Last season’s matchup in Seattle was the coming-out party for the Washington Huskies. They jumped all over the Michigan State Spartans early and often before allowing 14 garbage time points in a 39-28 win.
Michael Penix Jr. showed that he can be a traditional pocket passer and he carved up the Spartans’ defense for 397 yards and four touchdowns.
This season, he’s been just as good with his trio of receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk, giving the Huskies arguably the best receiver trio in the nation. Their success against Boise State and Tulsa in the first two weeks has set the stage for a potential playoff run.
For the Spartans, things are really in shambles.
Considering their opponents, they haven’t been playing great football, and their head coach Mel Tucker is suspended without pay. With the diverse attack of the Huskies offense and the defense also playing at a high level, this should be an easy cover for Washington.
Bet: Washington -16 (-110)
Tennessee -6.5 (-110) vs. Florida +6.5 (-110)
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We need to have a talk about Joe Milton. He won the starting job at Michigan in 2020 and with the Tennessee Volunteers in 2021 but lost both after poor performances to start the season.
Going into the third game of the 2023 season, his job should be in jeopardy.
Outside of the incredible arm strength Milton possesses, he’s been inaccurate and struggled reading defenses, including starting 1-8 against Austin Peay last week. With five-star true freshman Nico Iamaleava breathing down his neck, that could happen sooner rather than later.
He will be going up against a much better defense than the Volunteers faced last season.
New Florida Gators defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong is running an aggressive defense that currently ranks third in the nation with 191 yards allowed. They are aggressive in getting to the quarterback and have the players on the outside to play man coverage.
The real intrigue here is the offense.
Graham Mertz isn’t a heralded player, but he’s been successful so far this season for the Gators, throwing for nearly 600 yards and three touchdowns in his first two starts.
They got the rushing game established against FCS McNeese State, and The Swamp will be salivating for a win over their bitter rival after losing last year’s game. Florida may not win this game, but they will keep it close enough to cover.
Bet: Florida +6.5 (-110)
TCU -7.5 (-110) vs. Houston +7.5 (-110)
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This game has a lot of intrigue. The TCU Horned Frogs lost their first game against Colorado before rebounding against Nicholls State. The offense has put up points and yards but hasn’t looked consistent, especially in the passing game.
Quarterback Chandler Morris is the biggest wild card here, as his play is the reason behind their inconsistencies.
The rushing game is going to be the catalyst for the success of the Horned Frogs. They have 391 yards rushing across their first two games with Emani Bailey leading the way with 231 yards on the ground.
The Houston Cougars have been a weird team in the first two weeks. After defensively shutting down UTSA’s passing game and winning in Week 1 over the Roadrunners for the second consecutive season, they got down 28-0 to Rice before losing in double overtime 43-41.
The defense forgot to show up in the first half before shutting the Owls down before overtime.
Now that the Cougars are two weeks in with new quarterback Donovan Smith, this team has the defense to stop the Horned Frogs and take a leap vertically.
Bet: Houston +7.5 (-110)
Colorado State +23.5 (-110) vs. Colorado -23.5 (-110)
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We have coach beef in this rivalry! That’ll spice things up for Saturday night.
The Colorado State Rams are amid a decently large rebuild that head coach Jay Norvell spearheading a roster turnaround. He brought over a lot of talent from Nevada, including star wide receiver Tory Horton.
Last season during a rather abysmal year for the Rams, Horton was a star, catching 71 passes for 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns. He has the size and speed combination that you want to see, and he knows how to go up and get the football.
The issue for the Rams is that it won’t be enough.
Two weeks into the Deion Sanders, aka Coach Prime era, the Colorado Buffaloes look like the real deal. Shedeur Sanders is now one of the betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and it’s warranted. He’s thrown for over 900 yards and six touchdowns in his first two games while dominating both TCU and Nebraska’s defenses.
What has been the most impressive element of Sander’s start is zero turnovers. Remarkable for any quarterback with this type of production over a two-game span, but even more so considering the leap in competition.
Overall, the Buffaloes should find a way to go 3-0 easily in this rivalry game, and Coach Prime will keep his hat and sunglasses on at the postgame handshake.
Bet: Colorado -23.5 (-110)