My Expert Week 3 NCAA Football Odds Guide

Looking for some early wagers to get your college football betting underway? Let’s take a look at some of the key matchups in Week 3. Some of the conference schedules will be starting, while some of the Power 5 teams will still be taking some lesser teams to the woodshed as they prepare for their conference slates. Here are some matchups that could bring you some cash if you play them right.

Let’s Analyze My Expert Week 3 NCAA Football Odds Guide

Houston at Cincinnati (Thursday, September 15, 7:30pm ET, ESPN)

Wow — a college game on national television opposite the Thursday Night Football extravaganza in the NFL? The Cougars slipped last year in a winnable conference road game, losing to Connecticut and dashing their CFP dreams. You can bet that they will be paying complete attention during this matchup (and they shouldn’t be missing their starting quarterback). I see Houston coming in on a high note after (according to my prediction) beating Oklahoma in Week 1 and then carving up a cupcake in Week 2. As long as this line is under 10, I’m picking Houston in a heartbeat.

Temple at Penn State (Saturday, September 17, Noon ET, BTN)

The Owls made a lot of noise in the American Athletic Conference last year, while the Nittany Lions were not competitive in the Big Ten. Sure, Penn State is making its way back up, but rebuilding programs takes time. The Owls feature a pounding running game and a speedy defense led by its quick linebackers. What better irony than the Owls pulling off an upset with their linebackers against Linebacker U? I don’t know if I’d take the Owls straight up, but I see this coming out as a double-digit line, and I think Temple will keep it closer than that.

UCLA at BYU (Saturday, September 17, 10:15pm ET, ESPN)

BYU is typically a tough road destination; over the years, a lot of promising programs in the major conferences have headed to Utah for a non-conference game and come away with a whipping. The Cougars did lose their head coach to Virginia in the off-season, though, and UCLA is aiming to elevate their status as a contender in the Pac-12. As long as UCLA is favored by a touchdown or less in this one, I like the Bruins here.

Michigan State at Notre Dame (Saturday, September 17, 7:30pm ET, NBC)

So long as Notre Dame gets by Texas in Week 1, I see them building a bit of an early run in the season behind the dynamite arm of Malik Zaire. Michigan State will still be working in a new quarterback to replace the departed Connor Cook, but they will still have that ironclad defense. Without Cook to lead one of those patented late rallies, I see the Spartans struggling in this one. I like the Fighting Irish to move to 3-0 in this game.