Best NCAA Football Games to Bet in Week 2
The stage has been set for Texas Tech to leave an impression on the national stage after drilling an overmatched Murray State squad to open the season.
When No. 25 Houston comes to town, the Red Raiders will be playing host to their first ranked non-conference opponent since they hosted N.C. State and Philip Rivers in 2002. Texas Tech will start Donovan Smith at quarterback.
Smith replaced injured starter Oregon transfer Tyler Shough in the win over Murray State and completed 14-of-16 passes for 221 yards and four touchdowns. Texas Tech is a 3-point home favorite. The Red Raiders have had success against Houston quarterback Clayton Tune.
Tune through four interceptions during a loss to Texas Tech last season. The Red Raiders barely escaped with a Week 1 triple-overtime victory over UTSA. Even with a backup quarterback, Texas Tech should find a way to cover the spread and knock off Houston.
Here are a few other games worth betting on this week.
UCF Ready For Revenge
Gus Malzahn had an up-and-down first year at UCF. The Golden Knights finished 9-4 but closed the season with three straight wins, which included a win over Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl. UCF will now have an opportunity to get revenge for one of Malzahn’s first disappointments with the school.
The Golden Knights will match up with a Louisville team that upset UCF 42-35 last season. The Cardinals are coming off a disappointing season-opening loss to Syracuse.
Louisville turned the ball over three times and was only able to muster a single touchdown against the Orange. Quarterback Malik Cunningham was limited to 152 yards passing and threw two interceptions.
For the Golden Knights, quarterback John Rhy Plumlee threw four touchdown passes and accumulated 308 yards in a 56-10 win over FCS South Carolina State. UCF didn’t play a tough week one opponent but should be able to make Louisville miserable enough to cover the 6.5-point spread.
Mizzou Ready To Breakout
Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz is 12-12 during his three years in Missouri and seeking a big win. Coming up with a victory over old Big 12 rival Kansas State would certainly provide some pep for Missouri. The Tigers put up 52 points in a win over Louisiana Tech and piled up 558 yards.
Repeating that feat on the road against Kansas State will require slowing down Adrian Martinez. Against South Dakota, the Wildcats didn’t need a big offensive performance to wrap up a 34-0 victory. Kansas State limited the Coyotes to 270 total yards.
Missouri should be able to cover the 7.5-point spread. The Tigers are hoping this win could get them back on track to being competitive in the SEC.
Tennessee Set For Shootout
The Volunteers will travel to No. 17 Pittsburgh for the Johnny Majors Classic Saturday. This promises to be a battle between two veteran quarterbacks who have transferred in from other programs. Hendon Hooker is set to lead an explosive Tennessee offense.
The Volunteers scored 39.9 points per game last season, which ranks ninth in all of college football. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel runs a high-tempo offense that looks to push the boundaries of their opponents. The Volunteers went up 10-0 on Pitt last season in Knoxville before losing 41-34.
Hooker, who transferred from Virginia Tech, passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns in a 59-10 win over Ball State to start the season. While Pitt’s offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti prefers a run-heavy approach, the Panthers were still lured into a 38-31 shootout with West Virginia to open the season.
Pitt struggled to stop the run against the Mountaineers. Panthers quarterback Kedon Slovis, who transferred from USC, passed for 308 yards in Week 1 but took five stats. Pitt and Tennessee should find a way to put up a ton of points.
West Virginia To Bounce Back
Georgia transfer JT Daniels looked really good in his first start at West Virginia. Daniels passed for 224 yards and two touchdowns during a near-upset of Pitt.
The Mountaineers also ran the ball effectively against a strong Panthers’ defensive line on the road. Kansas was able to open the season with a 56-10 win over FCS Tennessee Tech.
The Jayhawks were led by quarterback Jalon Daniels, who completed 15-of-18 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. Kansas is once again trying to build momentum in the Big 12 and try to find a way to build momentum. The Mountaineers barely escaped with a six-point win last season in Lawrence, Kan.
However, West Virginia has already shown with a performance against Pitt that it may be on track for a better season this season. The Mountaineers have demonstrated Daniels still has the potential to lead a major program. West Virginia will find a way to cover the 13-point spread over the Jayhawks.
Derek Hudson
Derek is a long time sports bettor who grew up in Providence, RI. Derek is data driven and believes the key to betting the sportsbooks is finding an edge in analytics. Derek is happily married and has two young boys. Derek will bet on anything if you let him.
