Welcome back to our weekly college football gambling column. It's called COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMBLING.
An 8-7 mark in Week 1 puts me up $30 as we enter Week 2. There are few marquee games this week, but winning wagers on low-profile games spends just as well as prime-time dollars.
All wagers at -110 odds unless otherwise noted. Visit SB Nation odds partner OddsShark for updated lines throughout each game week.
13 picks
Michigan State at Oregon -12.5
Talk radio says take the Spartans. NFL Draft experts hype up Michigan State's quarterback. I believe in Michigan State's defense, and in Connor Cook. This seems like way too many points to give up.
But here's the rule in sports betting: public underdogs get slaughtered. And it's hard to remember a more public recent underdog in a big game. Oregon's tempo at home is a lot to handle, and its offensive line is pretty impressive. I think Oregon will wear down the Spartans with its tempo on a very hot Oregon day.
Michigan at Notre Dame -3.5
Everyone is buying into Michigan after last week's dismantling of Appalachian State, and the personnel losses by Notre Dame to the academic suspensions do hurt the Irish, but this line implies that these teams are even on a neutral field. I believe that Notre Dame's offensive line will be the difference in controlling the football.
Virginia Tech at Ohio State Under 47
Two sketchy offensive lines and very talented defenses early in the year is a consistent under recipe.
Pitt -4 at Boston College
The Panthers are a team I'll be looking to back as long as they stay healthy. Paul Chryst is a good coach, and BC is in a bit of a rebuilding year after 2013's surprising run to a bowl.
Ball State at Iowa -17
Iowa was lackluster in its opener against Northern Iowa, but I expect some of the issues will be ironed out and that the Hawkeyes will come out focused.
Central Michigan +3.5 (-105) at Purdue
Purdue simply is not that good, and though CMU may be without receiver Titus Davis, I expect that they can spring the upset.
Arkansas State +17.5 at Tennessee
Tennessee blew out Utah State in Week 1, but with just a few breaks, it could have been a much closer game. Look for Arkansas State to find some success against Tennessee with the running game.
Memphis +23.5 at UCLA
The Tigers have a very good defensive line for a mid-major, and UCLA was unimpressive last week against Virginia. Will UCLA be fired up to play Memphis? I'm not sure, and if the Tigers can get enough going on offense, I like their chances of losing by fewer than 20.
BYU -1 at Texas
The Longhorns are missing their starting QB and three starting offensive linemen. BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall will have some blitzes drawn up to confuse Texas and get the win.
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt +20.5
Vanderbilt was awful in Week 1, committing seven turnovers. Ole Miss was also sloppy, but eventually pulled away from Boise State. Vanderbilt isn't totally at home here, with the game being played at the home of the Tennessee Titans, but I'll play the Commodores under the belief that the turnovers will be greatly reduced.
Louisiana Tech at Louisiana-Lafayette -13.5
This is much more of a bet against Tech than it is on Lafayette. The Cajuns had an extra week to prep for this, having played Southern in Week 1, while Tech had to face the Oklahoma Sooners.
Ohio +13.5 at Kentucky
The Wildcats are much improved from 2013 under Mark Stoops, but this is a wager on a team in Ohio that is being undervalued due to turnovers in its Week 1 win.
Middle Tennessee +16.5 at Minnesota
Minnesota did not look that great against Eastern Illinois, and suffered some key injuries along the defensive line. MTSU should not be catching this many points.
One non-pick
USC at Stanford -2.5
Stanford is a veteran team with an excellent offensive line playing at home. USC was impressive in Week 1, particularly with its tempo, but Stanford understands how to play tempo teams. The reason I am not wagering this is because I already have a wager on Stanford winning more than 8.5 games in the regular season, and I don't want to put even more in on the Cardinal at this point.