College Football Picks: Our Staff's Best Bets for Week 3
By Peter Dewey
Looking for some picks for Week 3 of the college football season? Our staff has you covered with our best bets of the week!
So far this season we’re 3-5, but last week’s 2-2 slate has us trending in the right direction ahead of Week 3.
All odds are courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook. For even more previews, predictions and analysis, check out our BetSided college football homepage.
No. 8 Cincinnati at Indiana (+4.0) | Total 49.5
THE PLAY: Cincinnati -4.0 (-110)
Every year in college football I keep rooting for a Cinderella story with one of these non-Power Five teams to make into the College Football Playoff. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to be this season with Cincinnati.
The Bearcats have two extremely important games, two chances to kind of stack their resume to catch the attention of the playoff selection committee and one of those games is this weekend at Indiana. I like them to cover.
First of all the game is just going to be a little bit more important for Cincinnati here. I think their goal as well is to make that College Football Playoff and it averaged an astounding eight yards per carry against Miami (Ohio) in Week 1. I think the Bearcats are going to be able to move the ball on the ground against this Indiana defense. -- Iain MacMillan
No. 19 Arizona State vs at No. 23 BYU (+3.5) | Total 51.0
THE PLAY: BYU Moneyline (+150)
It’s the Jaren Hall show for the BYU Cougars and this man has been balling out this season with five touchdown passes and zero interceptions in the Cougars’ first two games.
BYU upset Utah last Week and it will have a chance to pick up another win against a top-25 school and show that it is for real. Arizona State hasn’t played anyone all season, and while it is No. 19 in the country, I don’t think it can take down BYU on the road.
The Cougars are 22-10 at home since the 2016 season, and I love them in this upset spot in Week 3. -- Peter Dewey
No. 15 Virginia Tech at West Virginia (-2.5) | Total 50.5
THE PLAY: Virginia Tech Moneyline (+115)
The more I think about this game, the more I love Virginia Tech. They’ve proven who they are so far this year. The Hokies are 2-0 against the spread and they knocked off North Carolina when it was No. 10 in the country.
West Virginia isn’t that good. The Mountaineers couldn’t beat Maryland and they had to go play Long Island University to get a win and I think that Virginia Tech is going to pull this off. -- Donnavan Smoot
No. 22 Auburn at No. 10 Penn State (-5.0) | Total 53.0
THE PLAY: Penn State -5.0 (-110)
I’m going to lay it with Penn State. Really it’s about the defense. We watched Penn State in Week 1 go to Wisconsin and hold the Badgers to 10 points.
Dating back to last season, this Penn State team is trending upwards. The Nittany Lions won their last four games in 2020 and allowed just 17.3 points per game over those last four.
Everything’s going up for them and now you have the famous “White Out Game,” College Gameday is going to be there, it’s going to be a raucous atmosphere and you’re going against an Auburn team that hasn’t played anybody yet.
Bo Nix on the road is 1-5 in true road games against top-25 opponents since taking over as the Auburn quarterback. I think this is a perfect storm for the Penn State Nittany Lions to really announce themselves. -- Reed Wallach
Michigan State at No. 24 Miami (-6.0) | Total 56.5
THE PLAY: Miami -6.0 (-110)
I’m going to go with Miami at home against Michigan State.
I feel like this is a get-right spot for Miami after taking a beating in Week 1 against the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in a neutral site game. Miami was just a victim in that game, but as for Michigan State, Kenneth Walker III has been really good but he had those four touchdowns against a Northwestern team that lost a lot of talent.
I think this is going to be a much more difficult task for the Spartans, who have looked good in their first two games. Miami conversely has not looked good in its first two matchups, barely winning last week against Appalachian State, but this is an opportunity to right the ship. -- Ben Heisler
College Football Best Bets Record
LAST WEEK: 2-2
SEASON RECORD: 3-5
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