There are a number of intriguing matchups for Week 3 in college football but we are only interested in cashing in on the golden opportunities on this Saturday’s slate. The following are our top plays along with a few teams that are overwhelming favorites with the OddsShark Consensus.
Pick of the Week
The No. 2-ranked USC Trojans have been opened by Sportsbook as 8-point road favorites over No. 21 Stanford in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams. With Andrew Luck behind center, the Cardinal had won the last three meetings and they are 5-1 against the spread in the last six. Trojan quarterback, Matt Barkley returned for his senior year specifically to help his team make a run at a national title, but he has to have revenge in the back of his mind for Saturday night’s showdown with Luck now in the NFL. While this series has remained very close over the past few seasons, the talent gap between the two teams is as wide as it has ever been. You can count on USC to try and make a statement in this game with a victory that easily covers the 8-point spread. USC 37, Stanford 24
Our second top play of the week takes us to an SEC clash between No. 18 Florida and a surprising No. 23 Tennessee. The Volunteers have been opened as 3-point home favorites on the college football odds at Sportsbook for Saturday night’s showdown. This game will come down to the Gators’ defense going up against a very potent Tennessee attack that is led by quarterback Tyler Bray; he has already thrown for 643 yards and six touchdowns in his first two games. Justin Hunter has been on the receiving end of 17 of his passes for 219 yards and two of the six scores. The Volunteers have not beaten Florida since 2004 but that losing streak finally comes to an end. Tennessee 31, Florida 27
The OddsShark Consensus
The OddsShark consensus agrees with our USC pick at 66.6 percent, but their strongest pick of the week at 71.1 percent is TCU over Kansas as a 21-point road favorite. This line actually opened at 26.5 points so it is easy to see why they are jumping on the Horned Frogs.
Other consensus picks include Northern Illinois over Army as a 3-point road favorite at 68.6 percent, Texas A&M over SMU as a 12.5-point road favorite at 67.3 percent, and Ohio State over California as a 16.5-point favorite on the road at 67.3 percent. Their strongest pick on the total line has the Connecticut at Maryland game staying UNDER 40.5 points at 73.6 percent.
The Best of the Rest
Looking at the rest of Saturday’s schedule there are a couple of must-see games including a classic rivalry between No. 20 Notre Dame and No. 10 Michigan State with the Spartans favored by 5.5 points at home on the college football betting lines at Sportsbook. The No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide open their SEC schedule against Arkansas as 20-point favorites on the road. No. 5 Florida State begins its quest for an ACC title as a 27.5-point favorite at home over Wake Forest.
