Another Saturday, another edition of our college football best bets.
Our team of college football analysts, experts and degenerates has amassed an unmatched portfolio of gambling-related content for Week 2.
Read on for our staff’s college football picks and NCAAF best bets for the noon slate, including Collin Wilson’s pick for the Cy-Hawk showdown and more.
 |  |  |
College Football Picks for Week 2
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
| 12 p.m. | |
 | 12 p.m. | |
| 12 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Collin Wilson's Noon Best Bet
The Iowa offense may need a few games of maturation before a vertical passing attack develops.
The good news is the use of inside and outside zone read with quarterback Mark Gronowski and a deep running back room.
Kamari Moulton is not expected to be available for Iowa, giving more carries to the explosive Xavier Williams against an Iowa State defense that struggles to defend the run.
Iowa State, meanwhile, lost the yards-per-play battle against Kansas State in Ireland.
The Cyclones have a protection issue on the offensive side of the ball. Tackles Tyler Miller and James Neal III have already given up seven pressures this season, a concerning sign against Iowa's edge defenders.
Quarterback Rocco Becht has been careless with the ball, even considering the increase in pressure, producing three fumbles through two games.
The trends suggest that the road team will win in this series, as the visitor has won the Cy-Hawk Trophy in each of the last five iterations.
Action Network's betting power ratings make Iowa State a favorite by a single point, giving any number over a field goal value to the road team.
Check out Collin's full Cy-Hawk breakdown and entire Week 2 card here:
Pick: Iowa +3.5 (-110, BetMGM)
| | | | | |
Stuckey's Noon Best Bet
By Stuckey
It would be highly logical to think that Texas will come out with its hair on fire following a Week 1 loss in Columbus. As a result, the Horns should absolutely demolish a Mountain West team in their home opener.
While that may prove true with a massive talent gap, historically, that has not been the case for top-tiered teams in this spot. More often than not, large-ranked favorites come out flatter than you may expect after a high-profile game.
Additionally, the line may be somewhat inflated, considering the market has already factored in the clear bounce-back spot.
The Texas defense looked excellent, holding Ohio State to just 203 total yards. However, the offense with plenty of new pieces looked pretty wonky.
Quarterback Arch Manning had major accuracy issues and didn't look entirely comfortable in the pocket. While he will undoubtedly look much sharper this week against a much less inferior opponent, the offense might still take some time to work out all of the kinks.
There's also a chance Manning never fully lives up to the hype. He also doesn't solve all of the red-zone issues Texas has had in recent seasons that burned it once again last Saturday.
Meanwhile, San Jose State also comes off an opening-season loss as a double-digit home favorite against Central Michigan.
It was indeed a disappointing result for a veteran team expected to compete for a Mountain West title, but I'm willing to give it a bit of a pass against a brand-new Central Michigan offense that really caught it off guard early in the game.
After jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the Chips mustered only 215 total yards over their next 49 plays (4.4 yards per play) and added a pair of field goals en route to a 16-14 victory.
The Spartans also lost the turnover battle, 3-0, and missed a pair of fourth-quarter field goals in a two-point loss.
It's going to be tough sledding for the San Jose State offense.
I doubt it will have much success running the ball, and Nick Nash isn't walking through the door to help out the passing attack — although Sacramento State transfer Danny Scudero did have nine catches for 189 yards in his team debut.
However, this is still an experienced club that should come out with a focused effort (with an extra day of preparation) after a sour opening-season loss.
Plus, as I mentioned previously, Texas could come out flatter than you might predict in its home opener without any difficult opponent on the horizon for the next month.
Most importantly, the spread is too high compared to my projection of under five touchdowns (Texas -32.3).
Check out all of Stuckey's Week 2 Saturday Spots here:
Pick: San Jose State +37 (-110, bet365)
| | | | | |
Ianniello's G5 Best Bet
Last year’s 9-4 record was not a fluke for the Huskies. They dominated in every victory while also losing by five to Duke, three to Wake Forest, and seven to last year’s Syracuse team, which is much better than this year’s version.
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano returns for his seventh collegiate season after tossing 20 touchdowns to four interceptions last year. While he continues to juggle the position with Wisconsin transfer Nick Evers, the offense is much more effective under Fagnano, who threw for 228 yards and two scores against the Orange last year.
The top two running backs from last year’s squad return (Cam Edwards and Mel Brown), alongside another key back who has recovered from injury (Victor Rosa).
Running the ball has been a strength under head coach Jim Mora, and it should be again this year. The Huskies rushed for 250 yards and four scores in their opener against Central Connecticut, averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
This same group averaged 7.3 yards per carry in last year’s head-to-head matchup with Syracuse — both Edwards and Brown broke off some explosive runs in that game.
Leading receiver Skyler Bell also had a great showing in the Syracuse matchup, pulling in 10 receptions for 113 yards. He reeled in two touchdowns last week.
UConn lost plenty of defensive production from last season, but it also added portal talent on that side of the ball. The Huskies added front-seven players from Iowa State, Nebraska, Virginia, Washington, and Temple (All-AAC linebacker Tyquan King).
Speaking of turnover, Syracuse lost more production than nearly any Power 4 team, ranking 98th nationally in returning production behind one starting offensive player and three starting defensive players.
The Orange lost 45-26 to Tennessee, with App State transfer Joey Aguilar carving them up for three scores.
Even in a 10-win season last year, Syracuse ranked 90th in Success Rate allowed. The Orange won games with an elite passing attack, but that entire group departed in the offseason.
UConn kept this a one-score game last year, and it should keep it closer against a lesser version of the Orange.
UConn does all the little things right, converting in the red zone, getting off the field on third down, and avoiding penalties.
That’s precisely the type of underdog I want to back on the road.
Check out all of Ianniello's Group of 5 best bets here:
Pick: UConn +6.5 (-105, BetMGM)
| | | | | |
Top College Football Week 2 Player Prop
By Doug Ziefel
The Cyclones impressed in Week 0, taking down a talented Kansas State team behind an excellent defensive performance. That theme is fully expected to continue as oddsmakers have the total for this matchup sitting in the low 40s.
We should expect the Hawkeyes to remain conservative in their offense scheme, as they did not show much in their opening matchup against Albany. Iowa only threw the ball 15 times in their 34-7 victory, and Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski didn't look great, completing eight passes for 44 yards against a defense that is levels below the one he'll face this week.
Fade Gronowski and the Hawkeyes' passing attack, as it will likely take more than a few blown coverages to eclipse this number.
Need a College Football SGP for Saturday? Here's a CyHawk one from Collin and Ziefel's best bets:
Pick: Mark Gronowski Under 145.5 Passing Yards (-115, bet365)
| | | | | |
Our Featured Bet Labs System for Week 2
High posted totals often attract a surge of public action on the Over, especially when casual bettors anticipate a shootout.
When the closing number is high and public money heavily favors points, oddsmakers tend to inflate the line to balance the action.
This creates value on the Under, as actual game flow can be slowed by factors like defensive adjustments, ball control strategies, and the natural variance of scoring in high total games.
The result is that popular high total matchups frequently fail to reach the lofty expectations set by the market.
This system is active for two Week 2 Noon games, including Baylor-SMU and Kent State-Texas Tech.
Like our Bet Labs systems? Get an Action PRO subscription for more! Click here:
Picks:
| | | | | |
Duck's Full Action App Card for Week 2
Looking for more Week 2 wagers? Check out our guy Duck on the Action App.
Since joining the BBOC Podcast, he’s been scorching hot — he and Breese started the season on an 8-0 run with their best bets!
If you haven't already, make sure you download the free award-winning Action Network App to track all your bets and tail all of your favorite experts:
| | | | | |
