As the NFL season kicks off, the college football season is just beginning to hit its stride.
There’s a massive matchup in the college football Week 2 odds, with No. 3 Texas meeting No. 10 Michigan in FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.
Oddsmakers and sharp bettors serve up their insights on this matchup and more, as we dive into this week’s college football betting nuggets.
Let’s get into the action!
College Football Rocks on FOX
Texas vs. Michigan is the first matchup this season of top-10 teams, kicking off at noon ET Saturday on FOX. Caesars Sports opened the Longhorns as 4-point road favorites at the Big House, and the line initially backtracked to -3.5 on Aug. 29.
However, in the wake of Week 1 results — Texas flattened Colorado State 52-0, while Michigan wasn’t as impressive in a 30-10 win over Fresno State — the line headed north. On Sunday, the Longhorns shot all the way to -7, with stops at -4.5/-5.5/-6/-6.5 along the way.
By Tuesday, Texas was up to -7.5.
“We’re seeing a lot of Texas action here, coupled with the Over,” Feazel said. “Michigan looks like a completely different team than last year. The defense looks solid, but the offense really struggled last week.
“That’s playing into the public bettors’ minds.”
Although the public is on the Over, this total is down 2.5 points, opening at 45 and sitting at 42.5 on Wednesday night.
On-Campus Sharp Side college football betting expert Paul Stone makes his home in Texas, but he’s staying away from the Longhorns-Wolverines clash.
However, another popular matchup has Stone’s attention: Colorado vs. Nebraska.
Of course, Deion Sanders — Coach Prime — is a lightning rod for bettors, as is his star QB/son Shedeur Sanders and two-way standout Travis Hunter. Nebraska might have a star in the making in true freshman QB Dylan Raiola.
Stone noted that Nebraska opened as a 5-point home favorite, but the Huskers are now out to a consensus -7.
“People are acting like Colorado stunk up the joint last week, but North Dakota State is an FCS powerhouse and a quality football team,” Stone said, alluding to the Buffaloes’ hard-fought 31-26 win as an 11-point home favorite.
Last season, Colorado was a 2.5-point home favorite vs. Nebraska. The Buffs put up 454 yards in total offense, including 396 in the air, en route to a convincing 36-14 victory. Stone noted that it was the most yards allowed all season by Nebraska.
“Shedeur Sanders is even better with a year of seasoning at the FBS level,” Stone said. “Plus, the Buffaloes’ receiving corps is one of the better groups in the nation. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Colorado pull the upset.”
Stone also likes Maryland -9 at home against Michigan State in both schools’ Big Ten opener. Stone was rightly unimpressed with the Spartans’ 16-10 victory over Florida Atlantic in Week 1, under first-year coach Jonathan Smith.
“Not only did Michigan State only have 293 total yards of offense against a middling American Athletic Conference opponent, but the Spartans committed three turnovers and were called for 12 penalties for 140 yards. I think Maryland wins here by two touchdowns,” Stone said.
Stone is also getting involved with Iowa State vs. Iowa. The battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy has seen the Under hit in each of the past five seasons.
“The game predictably features a low total of 35,” Stone said. “But both teams are once again fielding strong defenses, and the pace should be slow, with few explosive plays. I’m expecting another low-scoring game.”
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Nebraska Early, Colorado Late?
Feazel had thoughts on Colorado-Nebraska, too, from his side of the counter.
Last season, particularly early on, the public betting masses were all over Coach Prime and the Buffs. That’s likely to be the case by Saturday evening for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff … but it’s not the case yet.
“This is getting action that you would not expect, a lot of Nebraska action so far,” Feazel said. “Last year, one of the best games for the betting public was when Colorado pulled away to win and cover against Nebraska.”
How did Colorado’s win affect the outlook for the team this season?
As noted above, the Buffs won that matchup 36-14 as 2.5-point home favorites.
“Colorado is a polarizing team and will draw a lot of eyeballs,” Feazel said. “I expect the Colorado faithful money to come, but probably not until game day. And I think Colorado moneyline will be part of it.”
If you’re inclined to bet on a Buffaloes upset, Caesars has the Colorado moneyline at +215. That means a $100 bet would profit $215 ($315 total payout) if the Buffs win in Lincoln.
“Right now, our best-case scenario is Nebraska wins by 1-6 points.”
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
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