Top College Football Week 3 ATS Betting Picks

Believe it or not, we already will be 25 percent done with college football’s regular season after Week 3 of action. And it’s a strong schedule after Week 2 was rather boring. Here are the three games scheduled for Friday and my picks against the spread this week on college football lines.

Here Are the Top College Football Week 3 ATS Betting Picks

No. 21 Baylor at Rice (+30)

Baylor has looked offensively the same despite losing offensive guru head coach Art Briles this offseason due to that scandal at the school involving sexual assaults by members of the college football team. The Bears beat SMU 40-13 in Week 2. Seth Russell threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score following the 6-6 halftime tie, and the Bears went on to a 13th straight victory over their former Southwest Conference rival. SMU outgained Baylor 184-32 in the first 10 minutes, but got just two field goals from Josh Williams. Baylor improved to 31-3 in home games since 2011, the nation’s best home record in that span. Baylor improved to 10-0 in September games since 2013 — the Bears’ last September loss was on Sept. 29, 2012 at West Virginia (70-63). Baylor is 20-5 against in-state schools over the last 5+ seasons and has won 13 of its last 15 vs. Texas foes. Rice isn’t very good and is 0-2 after losing 31-14 at Army in Week 2. After striking early — Tyler Stehling hit tight end Connor Cella for a 64- yard touchdown on Rice’s third play from scrimmage — the Owls struggled the rest of the game. Subtract that long gain, and Rice managed just 98 yards on 23 plays in the first half and fell behind by two touchdowns. Take Baylor here. It beat Rice 70-17 last year in Waco.

Arkansas State at Utah State (-9)

ASU is 0-2 after a 51-14 loss at Auburn on Saturday. The 706 total yards Auburn gained is the second-highest in school history, behind only the 712 the Tigers racked up against Western Carolina in 2013. Arkansas State’s troubles in the secondary — and the defense as a whole — continue to plague the Red Wolves, who have now been outscored 82-24 in their first two games this season. Utah State is 1-1 with a 45-7 loss at USC on Saturday. The USC defense shut out the Aggies until Kent Myers’ 6-yard TD pass to Wyatt Houston on the last play of the third quarter. Utah State starting cornerback Daniel Gray was taken from the field on a stretcher late in the first quarter. Devante Mays, the Aggies’ top running back, also watched the second half from the sideline, sometimes resting on crutches. Go USU here.

Arizona State at UT-San Antonio (+18)

The top statistical performance of Week 2 was the NCAA-record- tying eight touchdowns scored by ASU’s Kallan Ballage in a 68-55 win over Texas Tech. He only touched the ball 15 times all night. Ballage scored seven touchdowns on direct-snap runs and another on a 39-yard, double-reverse flea flicker. The junior matches the record set by Illinois’ Howard Griffith in 1990. He also tied the FBS record with four touchdowns in the second quarter. UTSA lost 23-14 at Colorado State. CSU rushed for 220 yards and held UTSA to minus-one yard on the ground. The Roadrunners (1-1) threw for 236 yards using two quarterbacks. Dalton Sturm completed 15-of- 23 passes for 176 yards and a pair of TDs, while Jared Johnson added 60 yards on 5-of- 7 passing. Go Arizona State on NCAA football lines here.