By @Vegas_Matty
From a wealth of entertaining games on the college football schedule during Week 2 to the dearth of marquee match-ups for Week 3; this is a weekend perfect for generating significant interest with a wager.
The only top 25 clash for Week 3 is an ACC showdown between the Clemson Tigers (2-0) and Louisville Cardinals (2-0). Clemson opened as a 3-point road favorite at leading online sportsbook BetOnline.ag and moved as high as -5 before settling in at -3.
For home enthusiasts Louisville may seem like an appealing side considering reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson is playing like he wants to join Archie Griffin as the only two-time winner of the prestigious award. Jackson led the Cardinals to a 47-35 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels last Saturday with 393 yards passing and 132 more on the ground, accounting for six total touchdowns. Last year, the Tigers ended Louisville’s quest for a perfect season by rallying back from a 36-28 deficit in the final 7:05 to win 42-36 at home. This will be the home opener for the Cardinals and they have won nine of their last 10 at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, going 5-5 against the spread in those games.
The other major conference showdown happens in the SEC and pits the Florida Gators (0-1) versus the Tennessee Volunteers (2-0). There has been a lot of early movement on the road dog Vols who opened +8.5 but have already been bet down to +4. It’s important to note that alternative venues are still being discussed for this game given potential fallout from Hurricane Irma in Gainesville.
Florida has beaten Tennessee in 11 of the past 12 meetings with a 6-4-2 spread record during that span although it was the Vols snapping an 11-game series skid last year with a 38-28 victory as 5-point home faves.
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For college football bettors that doubted the USC Trojans (2-0) after struggling in their season-opening win over Western Michigan, those concerns were dashed against Stanford. The Trojans rebounded in championship fashion by routing the Cardinal 42-24 behind 316 yards and four touchdowns from quarterback Sam Darnold.
This week USC hosts the Texas Longhorns who are still awaiting the status of quarterback Shane Buechele (shoulder). The game opened with the Trojans as 15-point chalk and has since ticked up to 17.5. Texas blanked the San Jose Spartans 56-0 this past Saturday behind running back Chris Warren III 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns, erasing some memories of the season opening disappointment against Maryland
In Week 2 of the NFL it is the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots trying to get back on track after a shocking 42-27 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Opening Night. New England closed as an 8-point favorite and were shredded by Kansas City rookie running back Kareem Hunt’s 148 rushing yards, 98 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns.
The Patriots will head to New Orleans as 4 point favorites where the Saints have a quick turnaround following their season opener on Monday Night against the Vikings.
However the biggest game of the weekend comes in primetime; a NFC Championship Game rematch between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. The Packers head to Atlanta for the third time in less than a year, only this time they will be breaking in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the first ever regular season game for the Falcons in their beautiful new home. The Falcons are listed as just 2.5 point favorites, a major adjustment from the conference title game where they closed -5.5.
Green Bay lost both meetings last season straight-up (1-1 ATS) after winning the previous four in the series. Atlanta is coming off a win during Week but failed cover on the road against the Chicago Bears while it was Green Bay’s dominant defensive effort against Seattle that gave them a Week 1 cover.
NFL Lines for Week 2
Bengals -3 vs Texans
Titans PK vs Jaguars
Ravens -7.5 vs Browns
Panthers -7 vs Bills
Patriots -4.5 @ Saints
Cardinals -7.5 @ Colts
Chiefs -4 vs Eagles
Steelers -7 vs Vikings
Buccs -5.5 vs Bears
Chargers -3 vs Dolphins
Raiders -13.5 vs Jets
Rams -3 vs Redskins
Cowboys -1.5 @ Broncos
Seahawks -12.5 vs 49ers
Falcons -2.5 vs Packers
Giants -5 vs Lions
College Football Lines for Week 3
Boise St -15.5 vs New Mexico
Temple -12.5 vs UMASS
South Florida -17 vs Illinois
Arizona -20.5 @ UTEP
South Carolina -6.5 vs Kentucky
Marshall -13.5 vs Kent St
Notre Dame -15 @ Boston College
Virginia -10 vs Connecticut
Michigan -26.5 vs Air Force
Coastal Carolina -2 @ UAB
Miami (OH) -5 vs Cincinnati
Penn St -38 vs Georgia St
Iowa St -8.5 @ Akron
UNC -7.5 @ Old Dominion
Oklahoma St -13 @ Pittsburgh
Minnesota -8.5 vs Middle Tennessee St
Indiana -25 vs Florida International
UCLA -3.5 @ Memphis
Nebraska -14 vs N. Illinois
Duke -13.5 vs Baylor
Ohio -9 vs Kansas
Wake Forest -13.5 vs Utah St
Clemson -3 @ Louisville
Syracuse -11 vs Central Michigan
Virginia Tech -21.5 @ East Carolina
Wisconsin -13.5 @ BYU
Missouri -7.5 vs Purdue
Iowa -23.5 vs North Texas
Texas A&M -23 vs UL Lafayette
Northwestern -22 vs Bowling Green
Oklahoma -34.5 vs Tulane
Florida -5 vs Tennessee
TCU -17.5 vs SMU
Western Kentucky -7 vs Louisiana Tech
Ohio St -30 vs Army
Washington St -18 vs Oregon St
Appalachian St -24 @ Texas St
Alabama -27.5 vs Colorado St
Toledo -8 vs Tulsa
Western Michigan -16.5 vs Idaho
Southern Miss -6 @ UL Monroe
Oregon -14 @ Wyoming
LSU -6.5 @ Mississippi St
Georgia Tech -3 @ UCF
Kansas St -3 @ Vanderbilt
Houston -24 vs Rice
Troy -5.5 @ New Mexico St
Texas Tech -7 vs Arizona St
USC -17 vs Texas
Utah -26 vs San Jose St
Washington -33.5 vs Fresno St
Ole Miss -3.5 @ California
Stanford -9 @ San Diego St
