Happy Thursday, all!
Week 0 was fun, but it’s finally time for a full slate of games to choose from. So many games, so many lines. Love it. Nothing as exciting as football being back.
And hey, Week 0 was fruitful, as I went 4-3 for the week. Some fourth quarter lapses from Vandy and USC sunk what could have been a really nice week, but hey, that’s sports handicapping for you.
As usual, all lines are courtesy of our friends over at DraftKings Sportsbook.
And now, on with this week’s picks…
NEBRASKA +7.5 at Minnesota
Call this a gut feeling that new Nebraska coach Matt Rhule finds a way to get more out of a group out of his players than Scott Frost did. Don’t know if they can pull off an upset, but they keep it close.
MIAMI (OH) +16.5 at Miami (FL)
I picked Miami 34-23 this week, and I’m not gonna back off it now. Uncomfortably close, but the Florida version of Miami > the Ohio one.
Virginia at TENNESSEE -28
Tennessee should be able to tee off on offense, and the Cavaliers don’t have nearly on offense to keep up.
BONUS: Tennessee at Virginia; OVER 56
I think this game could get over on Tennessee’s offense alone. Thought this number would be a good bit higher.
COASTAL CAROLINA +14.5 at UCLA
Coastal still has QB Grayson McCall, while Dorian Thompson-Robinson is now playing on Sundays in Cleveland. Coastal could win this game, so getting over two touchdowns seems wild to me.
Toledo at ILLINOIS -9
Not sure why this line is single digits, but I’ll still roll the dice on the B1G here and go with the Illini by two-plus scores.
Fresno State at PURDUE -4
Purdue will miss Aidan O’Connell, but not enough to not win by a touchdown against Fresno State in West Lafayette.
Utah State vs. Iowa; UNDER 43.5
It wouldn’t be a college football picks slate if I didn’t pick an Iowa under, would it? I’m gonna keep betting it until they show me they’re better than last year’s offensive disaster.
UTSA -1.5 at Houston
I’m all on the Roadrunners’ hype train this year. They start it with a solid win on the road against Houston.
Moneyline parlay: -120
WISCONSIN over Buffalo, BYU over Sam Houston ST., BAYLOR over Texas St., OHIO STATE over Indiana, MICHIGAN STATE over Central Michigan, TEXAS TECH over Wyoming, and CLEMSON over Duke
A WILD 7-game moneyline parlay that pays out a little bit under even money, but it feels pretty safe. Clemson, Texas Tech, and Michigan State are all around two-touchdown favorites, and the rest are much bigger. Someone will get upset on Saturday. Hope its none of these.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.