College Football Week 3 Picks, Predictions & Other Early Lines To Back Today
Let the events of last weekend serve as a reminder entering Week 3 of college football betting – anything can happen on the gridiron.
Texas proved that to the world Saturday night, going into Bryant-Denny Stadium and upsetting Alabama in a stunning 34-24 win over the Crimson Tide.
That’ll shake up the national landscape on in a hurry, with Alabama now firmly outside the College Football Playoff betting picture for the time being.
This Week 3 slate includes some intriguing conference matchups and tune-ups for top teams. And while many in the top 25 are expected to keep it rolling with blowout wins, it’s incredibly early and the action on is just getting started as we ease into a long season of .
Last Week: 4-4, -40
Season: 9-7, +130
College Football Week 3 Spreads
College Football Week 3 Best Bets
Penn State (-15) at Illinois
The Nittany Lions are a three-touchdown favorite as they head to Champaign for their first road game of the year. Penn State was on cruise control in the early weeks, hammering West Virginia and Delaware to keep expectations high in Happy Valley.
The Illini barely beat Toledo at home and got stomped by Kansas on the road last weekend. It’s a bad look for coach Bret Bielema’s squad, which had high expectations and plenty of confidence going into the year.
They have a chance to turn things around completely here, but it’ll take a much better effort than what we’ve seen so far.
Best Bet: TBD
Louisville (-10) at Indiana
The Cardinals held on for a Week 1 victory over Georgia Tech in which they did not cover, but they turned things around last week in a 56-0 win over Murray State.
Now they get another tricky test with an Indiana team that competed harder than expected in a 23-3 loss to Ohio State, followed by a 41-7 win over Indiana State.
Louisville is a double-digit favorite here, but this game could be tougher than expected against a Hoosiers defense that’s held opponents to an average of 236.5 yards through two weeks.
Best Bet: TBD
LSU (-10) at Mississippi State
This spread is certainly lower than expected a few weeks ago. That’s partly thanks to a 2-0 start for Mississippi State, including a 31-24 overtime win over Arizona last week, which brings the Bulldogs to five consecutive wins dating back to last season.
But it’s mostly due to that 45-24 loss LSU suffered against Florida State in Week 1. Last week’s 72-10 win over Grambling didn’t prove anything for a team with championship aspirations, and the effort in this one – a hostile, conference road game – will prove very telling for Brian Kelly’s squad.
Best Bet: TBD
South Carolina at Georgia (-27)
We’ve seen nothing so far to dispel the notion that Georgia is the clear-cut CFP favorite. The Bulldogs handled their business by a combined score of 93-10 in two nonconference games, and they’re nearly four-touchdown favorites Saturday at home against the Gamecocks.
South Carolina ruined Georgia’s season with a 20-17 upset back in 2019, but the Bulldogs have won three straight blowouts since. This isn’t a good bar to compare the two teams, but it should be telling for Georgia when comparing the Bulldogs to their two previous title squads.
Best Bet: TBD
Minnesota at North Carolina (-7)
Oddsmakers expect a good ball game here, with the Tar Heels favored by a touchdown over the Gophers. North Carolina impressed with an easy win over South Carolina in the opener, but Appalachian State gave the Heels all they could handle in a 40-34 double-overtime win last weekend.
The Gophers are 2-0 as well, but it hasn’t come easy in 13-10 and 25-6 wins over Nebraska and Eastern Michigan. Minnesota’s defense has looked solid, but this Heels attack is a completely different challenge.
Best Bet: TBD
Washington (-16) at Michigan State
What was supposed to be one of Saturday’s marquee matchups is now clouded in controversy, with Michigan State suspending coach Mel Tucker without pay due to recently reported sexual harassment allegations.
The Spartans have named Harlon Barnett as acting head coach and also brought in former Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio to serve as associate head coach.
The Huskies are two-score favorites after a dominant start, and they beat the Spartans, 39-28, a year ago in Washington. We’ll see how Michigan State responds to a completely unexpected staff shake-up under the lights at Spartan Stadium.
Best Bet: TBD
Tennessee (-6.5) at Florida
The Gators are getting nearly a touchdown at the Swamp. You don’t see that every day. But this line could be even longer if not for a lackluster start from the Vols, who scored a lackluster 30-13 win over Austin Peay a week ago.
Florida suffered a 24-11 loss to Utah in the opener but had a lot of bad luck and poor execution at the wrong time, going 1 of 13 on third down conversion attempts. This one will tell us all we need to know about the Gators.
Best Bet: TBD
Colorado State at Colorado (-22.5)
The Buffaloes aren’t going anywhere. Deion Sanders’ Colorado squad proved that with a Week 1 win at TCU, and it hammered the point in a 36-14 home win over Nebraska.
That makes it a 2-0 start against the spread, and now the Buffaloes are more than three-touchdown home favorites against the in-state rivals.
The Rams are coming off a bye and suffered a 50-24 loss to Washington State in the opener. But that extra time in the film room could prove beneficial against a completely new-look roster that’s already caught two teams by surprise. We’ll see if the Rams can hang in there a cover.
