NCAAF Player Props: Braelon Allen Headlines 4 Picks for Saturday’s Slate
John Fisher/Getty Images. Pictured: Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen.
With a full college football slate on deck, our college football staff found four college football player props for Saturday's Week 2 games.
Our favorite player prop wagers include picks for Colorado's Travis Hunter, Purdue's Hudson Card, Texas A&M's Evan Stewart, and Wisconsin's Braelon Allen,
Read on for our full breakdown for all four players below.
Week 2 College Football Player Prop Picks
In the table below, you'll find each of our college football staff's top player prop picks from Saturday's slate of games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | |
| 12 p.m. | |
| 3:30 p.m. | |
| 7:30 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. | |
Nebraska vs. Colorado
By Doug Ziefel
After upsetting TCU to start the year, the hype surrounding Colorado is an at all-time high.
One of the stars that led the Buffaloes to that big victory was Travis Hunter.
Hunter is among the many talented players who remain loyal to Deion Sanders, following him from Jackson State to Colorado. Hunter was initially recruited as one of the nation's top cornerbacks in 2022, but last week, he proved himself a similarly deadly weapon on the offensive side of the ball.
Hunter caught 11 passes for 119 yards while also playing corner full-time, securing an interception as well. In all, Hunter amassed a staggering 154 snaps.
While Hunter's performance was impressive, he can't continue to play that many snaps, as his risk of injury will be too high. This Colorado team is talented but is not deep, and they need Hunter healthy.
I expect his snaps to be dialed back, mainly on the offensive side of the ball, as cornerback is his natural and more valuable position.
His opportunities on the offensive side of the ball will also be chopped, as Nebraska has a very different style than TCU. The Cornhuskers are not going to run and gun with the Buffs.
Instead, they will run the ball, grind the game, and control the clock. It also doesn't help that Colorado's rush defense looked lousy.
We should also consider Hunter's individual matchup. Nebraska's secondary looked good against Minnesota and comes in with the 24th-highest coverage rating in the nation, per PFF.
You can bet this solid secondary will do everything they can to keep Hunter from beating them.
Pick: Travis Hunter Under 74.5 Receiving Yards (Play to 71.5)
Purdue vs. Virginia Tech
By Mark Harris
The Purdue Boilermakers head to Blacksburg for a Week 2 showdown against the Virginia Tech Hokies, and they need a win to avoid an 0-2 start to the season.
Purdue couldn't contain Fresno State last weekend in a 39-35 defeat to the Bulldogs in West Lafayette. As much as the Boilermakers’ defense struggled, Card and the offense didn’t have much trouble moving the ball.
Card finished with 254 passing yards and two touchdown passes, both to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Deion Burks. Even though Virginia Tech probably has a better defense than Fresno State, I still think Card can have a repeat performance of Week 1 and surpass his yardage props.
The Boilermakers didn't show much defensive resistance against the Bulldogs, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Hokies also had success against them. Purdue will likely be trailing for good chunks of this game, so Card will have to pass more often to get the Boilermakers back in it. He’s a decent passer and should get enough pass attempts to put up some good stats.
Plus, Burks showed in Week 1 that he can rack up a lot of yards after the catch, so a nice catch-and-run from him would add to Card’s yardage total.
With Graham Harrell calling the plays, I expect Card to throw the ball quite a bit and for his passing yardage total to go over.
Pick: Hudson Card Over 235.5 Passing Yards (Play to 236.5)
Texas A&M vs. Miami
This number is priced like it's 2022 when the Aggies offense was stuck in the mud.
After an offseason in College Station defined by “will he or won’t he” play-calling drama, Jimbo Fisher has handed over the reins to Bobby Petrino. Simply put, that’s excellent news for Stewart’s receiving props.
As Connor Weigman’s top option, he’s primed to see 10-15 targets at Hard Rock Stadium in this game.
In Texas A&M’s opener, Stewart was targeted 11 times in limited action, as the Aggies’ starters were pulled early in a blowout win over New Mexico. He turned those opportunities into eight receptions, 115 yards and a score.
The Miami (FL) defense looked energized against Miami (OH) last Friday, but it still allowed the RedHawks’ top target, Gage Larvadain, to reach 80 receiving yards. The strength of the Canes' secondary is at safety, while the cornerbacks are still finding their footing.
I foresee a competitive game being played in the high 50s or low 60s, which should bode well for Stewart’s receiving total.
Pick: Evan Stewart Over 66.5 Receiving Yards (Play to 71.5)
Wisconsin vs. Washington State
By Cody Goggin
I’m unsure why this total is so low. Braelon Allen has been the driving force behind the Wisconsin offense for the past few seasons. In his college career, he's amassed over 100 rushing yards in 16 of the 21 games in which he has received double-digit carries.
One of the only ones he didn’t? Last year’s game against Washington State.
Things are a bit different this year, however.
The Badgers offense is undergoing a transition to Phil Longo’s system, which has more passing volume than Wisconsin is used to. This did not come to pass in Week 1, however.
Wisconsin went straight to Allen from the first drive and ran the ball for 55% of its plays — in line with the 55.6% clip from 2022.
Allen posted 141 yards on his 17 carries, while Chez Mellusi added another 157 on the ground. When he has the backs to do so, Longo still enjoys running the ball through the wide-open running lanes that his offenses tend to create.
Washington State may have been able to hold Wisconsin’s rushing attack down last year, but I don’t expect that to happen again. Wazzu ranked 112th in Rush Success Rate allowed and 81st in Rush PPA Allowed a season ago. It returns only five starters on defense this season and is replacing both starting defensive tackles and starting linebackers.
Last weekend, 12 of Allen’s 17 rushes were inside the tackles. In last year’s matchup, only 33% of his rushes were between the tackles.
With the weakness in the middle of this Washington State defense, I expect he will be deployed similarly and have a monster day on the ground, hitting this prop without flinching.
Pick: Braelon Allen Over 104.5 Rushing Yards (Play to 114.5)
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