Best College Football Week 3 Betting Predictions

Best College Football Week 3 Betting Predictions

Written by on September 14, 2016

The college football odds for Week 3 have been out for a couple days now and, based on an in-depth analysis by our expert football handicapper, we feel that the following lines offer the best value bets for your NCAAF Week 3 betting picks.

Here Are the Best College Football Week 3 Betting Predictions

#2 Florida State at #10 Louisville, Saturday, September 17

Week 3 NCAA Football Pick: OVER 65.5 Points

No player has vaulted himself into national stardom and the Heisman Trophy race than Louisville’ dual-threat QB Lamar Jackson through the first two game of the season, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that we expect a big performance from him this weekend after he led his team to 62 points scored and an incredible 845 total yards gained (414 rushing / 431 passing) last week. For all the talks about Florida State’s mean defense, the Seminoles were torched for 28 first half points against Ole Miss. Against a more talented Cardinals offense that ranks No. 1 in the nation in points per game (61), No. 3 in rushing yards per game (343) and No.6 in passing yards per game (411); it’s barely far-fetched to pen 40-plus from Louisville’s offense this Saturday. Meanwhile, in spite of Dalvin Cook totaling just 174 rushing yards through his first two games this year after a monster 2015 campaign, the Seminoles have lost no step offensively, averaging 48.5 PPG scoring (14th-best in the nation), thanks largely to a breakout season by freshman QB Deondre Francois (681 passing yards and 5 passing TDs). FSU should equally be good for more-or- less 40 points in this encounter, as both team duel in a back-and- forth thriller. And with that, both teams should cumulatively blow over the 65.5 total set for this game.

#17 Texas A&M Aggies at Auburn Tigers (-4), Saturday, September 17

Week 3 NCAA Football Pick: Texas A&M (+4)

Auburn’s defense has made plenty of improvements in the offseason, with the Tigers holding their first two opponents (then-#2 Clemson and Arkansas State) to 19 points and 14 points respectively. The offense struggled against Clemson, but had no such problems in the 51-14 rout of Arizona State; a game that saw QB Sean White throw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, while tailbacks Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson both tallied 100-plus yards each in a dominant show. As things stand, it all looks like the Tigers will be having a good bounce-back season. But even with all that being considered, we just don’t see why Auburn is being favored over the Aggies, who’ve considerably had a better start to the season. After upsetting the then-#16 UCLA in Week 1, the Aggies beat the lights out of FCS’ Prairie View in an emphatic 67-0 victory that was led by Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight, who threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns while also running for another score. Both Auburn and A&M and 2-0 ATS on the season, and something’s gotta give here. Traveling to the Jordan-Hare is as daunting as it gets in the SEC and Auburn’s defense will be tough to play; that much we agree. But with Knight’s QB advantage over White, A&M boasting of superior offensive weapons, and the Aggies having a good-enough defense that can put the clamps on the White-led offense like it did to Josh Rosen and UCLA two weeks ago; an upset could easily be in the books for the favored Tigers. At the very least, Texas A&M (49 PPG scoring, 12 PPG allowed) should be able to keep things close for an ATS victory over Auburn (32 PPG scoring, 16.50 PPG allowed).

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State, Saturday, September 17

Week 3 NCAA Football Pick: Oklahoma State (-6)

Blame Oklahoma State’s heartbreaking loss to Chippewas for this game’s low point spread. The game official certainly played their part in the loss by a key missed call, but the truth is that the Cowboys shouldn’t have kept the game dangerously close. Instead, they should have used their superiority to run up the score. Bygones being bygones, the Cowboys will most likely come into this game with revenge on their mind, and that should motivate a big show from the hosts. Mason Rudolph is an elite passer, but he’ll have his work cut out for him against Pittsburgh’s stout pass rush defense that has recorded 10 sacks on the season, which is tied for most in the nation. Even so, the Panthers allowed Penn State’s QB Trace McSorely to pass for 332 yards, so you shouldn’t write off a big performance from Rudolph. And even if Rudolph and his offense somehow struggle against Pittsburgh, the solid Cowboys defense should be able to offer support at the back. The Panthers are a run-reliant team, as was showcased by the 341 rushing yards they racked up in the 42-39 victory over the Nittany Lions. This heavy reliance on its runners could be the team’s undoing this weekend, as the Cowboys have an efficient rushing defense that allowed just 57 rushing yards to the Chippewas last week. Not to forget, the Cowboys are always a formidable unit when playing at home at the Boone Pickens Stadium, which should engender a lot motivation for a strong SU and ATS performance by the hosts over Pittsburgh, who are yet to pick up an ATS win this season.