Here we go with our best college football bets for Week 3 of the NCAAF season.
Each of our Props.com analysts were asked to list their top two NCAAF picks for the weekend. You can view each writer’s overall record in the section towards the bottom of this article.
Also, don’t forget to check out our College Football Parlay Picks article for Week 3. Some of these best bets are used to create parlays each week.
Best College Football Bets: Week 3
These best college football bets were compiled earlier in the week, so there’s a chance the lines have shifted since publishing this article.
Oregon State -24.5 (vs. San Diego State)
Analyst: Justin Bales
Where to bet: Oregon State -24.5 | -107 at BetRivers
Oregon State’s consistently been underrated this season, and I don’t expect this week to be any different. San Diego State’s also been overrated, and that’s the case once again.
Oregon State has several ways to score on offense. DJ Uiagalelei’s looked outstanding since transferring from Clemson. Damien Martinez continues to be one of the best running backs in the NCAA with Deshaun Fenwick flashing plenty of upside.
San Diego State also has solid upside throughout their offense. Jalen Mayden is the player who stands out above the rest, but he’s also willing to turn over the ball. Oregon State isn’t an offense that a bad team can give extra possessions to.
This certainly is a wide spread, but Oregon State’s winning by an average of 36.5 points per game this season. Granted, they played one cupcake matchup, but they also beat San Jose State by 25 points.
Penn State -14.5 (at Illinois)
Analyst: Justin Bales
Where to bet: Penn State -14.5 | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Penn State started off the 2023 season with plenty of success. They boast a 2-0 ATS record, beating the spread by an average of 7 points per game. Illinois hasn’t found nearly as much success, posting an 0-2 ATS record.
There are two keys specific to this matchup. First, the team that can run the ball better will have a massive edge. Both of these offenses focus heavily on their run offenses, and it’s clear that Penn State will have the edge.
Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen make up one of the best backfields in the NCAA. The Nittany Lions are averaging 230.5 rushing yards per game in 2023. Penn State is also allowing only 114 rushing yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry this season.
Illinois relies on three different players for their yards on the ground. Reggie Love’s found plenty of success while Josh McCray hasn’t been as successful. Luke Altmyer is their leading rusher, although his stats are inflated by one long touchdown run last week. The Fighting Illini are also giving up 224 rushing yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry this season.
These are two quarterbacks that come with plenty of upside through the air. The one big difference is that Drew Allar’s proven that he can protect the ball while Altmyer is willing to turn it over.
Penn State should get out to an early lead with their run game. If that’s the case, they should see more than a couple of potential turnovers with Illinois being forced to throw the ball later in the game.
Florida State -26 (at Boston College)
Analyst: John Supowitz
Where to bet: Florida State -26 | -110 at Tipico Sportsbook
FSU fans have to be excited about how well this team is playing at the moment. The defense has looked dominant in the first two weeks, but the offense is one of the best in the nation. The big story is quarterback Jordan Travis, as he’s getting early Heisman hype, sitting with the third-best odds.
Boston College lost closely to mid-major Northern Illinois and squeaked by FCS Holy Cross. UCF transfer Thomas Castellanos has been exciting to watch and has the ability to move around the backfield and gain some yards with his legs. Along with Western Kentucky transfer Kye Robichaux, they have a dynamic ground game. For BC, the defense looks dreadful, and Castellanos is not good enough to keep pace with Travis.
Alabama -32 (at South Florida)
Analyst: John Supowitz
Where to bet: Alabama -32 | -110 at BetFred Sportsbook
Alabama needs to regroup and move forward after their loss against Texas. This is a rare situation for the Tide as it’s only the fourth non-conference road game in the Nick Saban era. Defensively, they still possess one of the better groups upfront, but the secondary gave up a lot of big plays last week. ‘
South Florida isn’t going to pose that kind of threat, as their 400 passing yards is 96th in the country. The Bulls’ defense hasn’t been much better, allowing only 41 points to Western Kentucky and 24 to the FCS program Florida A&M. Bama will want to take out their frustrations from last week on someone, and it looks like USF will be it.
Best College Football Bets: Results
- Justin Bales: 2-2
- John Supowitz: 2-2