After what was without a doubt the best opening weekend in the history of college football, week 2 appears to be a bit of a letdown. Week 1 featured a staggering 4 games between ranked opponents, this upcoming weekend has zero. College Gameday is broadcasting from a NASCAR track. This Saturday presents college football fans with the difficult choice of whether to watch Clemson vs. Troy, Ohio State vs. Tulsa or go outside and count the blades of grass in your front yard.
Want a way to make this week remotely watchable? Vegas has you covered. Speaking from experience, everything in life gets a lot more exciting when you have something riding on a game. Here are your five gambling locks of the week that are sure to make this weekend of college football slightly more bearable.
1. UMASS (+17) vs. Boston College
I didn’t believe this line was real at first. I’m not even sure BC is capable of scoring 17 points in a game, much less beating anyone by that margin. UMASS hung with Florida last week until the fourth quarter, so I have no idea why this line is so high. Take my word on this one, you should empty your wallet on UMASS covering this spread.
2. Louisville (-15) at Syracuse
Louisville put up 58 points in the FIRST HALF last week. I don’t care that it was against Charlotte (who I’m still not convinced is a real school), that is impressive. I know 15 is a lot of points to give on the road, but Lousiville QB Lamar Jackson makes me feel secure in this bet.
3. TCU (-7) vs. Arkansas
I was disappointed to learn that I couldn’t bet on the number of sweat rags used by Gary Patterson in the first half. This line is a reaction to TCU’s underwhelming performance against South Dakota State. As much as I would love to see TCU crumble this weekend, it ain’t happening. The Frogs generally bounce back well after poor performances, so take the home team here.
4. Alabama (-28) vs. Western Kentucky
After a week 1 thrashing of Lane Kiffin’s former employer, there is almost no amount of points that will convince me to bet against Alabama. Bama’s defense could very well score 28 points by themselves. Until further notice, just assume the Tide is always a safe bet.
5. Virginia Tech (+12) vs. Tennessee
Tennessee looked absolutely atrocious last week against Appalachian State. I never understood why people were so high on this team preseason, and I still don’t. This game is being played at Bristol Motor Speedway, which is weird. Not sure what kind of effect the giant venue will have on the players, but it will effect the game to some extent. After what I saw last week, I have zero faith in the Vols. Long live Frank Beamer!