College Football Betting Guide Week 2: The Smart Way to Bet $100 This Week

With a Week 2 slate full of opportunity, both for teams and bettors, our college football betting guide to Week 2 looks at how to get the most out of your college football picks on Saturday.

Using a $100 budget, I'm highlighting some of my favorite college football predictions for Week 2 with how much I'm staking on each bet. From Arch Manning to Bear Bachmeier, our college football betting guide has picks from the start of the action at noon until after dark.

💵 College football betting guide: Week 2

College football expert picks for Saturday; check the latest college football odds for the best odds.

Want to calculate these bets for your own budget? Check out our odds converter to determine the profit for any wager amount.

⬆️ Arch Manning Over 27.5 pass attempts ($30)

Week 1 didn't go as planned for Manning, but Texas has the perfect matchup to build their young quarterbacks confidence back up. San Jose State ranks No. 99 in SP+ on defense and Texas should easily exploit the Spartans' inability to stop the pass - they're No. 106 in EPA per pass on defense.

While I have my questions about Manning living up to his preseason Heisman Trophy odds, I love taking the Over on his pass attempts. He's thrown 29-plus passes in all three of his starts for Texas and has routinely cooked lesser defenses, so why wouldn't Steve Sarkisian let him air it out after a tough showing against Ohio State?

This prop is only available at bet365, and I like it a lot more than the Over on his passing yards (263.5), so I'm throwing three units on it to profit $26.09 on a $30 bet if he throws 28-plus passes.

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⬇️ Iowa-Iowa State Under 42.5 ($15)

We heard all offseason that this wouldn't be the same old Iowa, and that South Dakota State transfer Mark Gronowski might even be Kirk Ferentz's best QB since Brad Banks. But it took one game against Albany to find out that this is, in fact, the same old Hawkeyes team after Gronowski went just 8-for-15 with 44 yards against the Great Danes.

And with this being the same old Iowa team, this should be the same old battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, too. Iowa and Iowa State have failed to combine for more than 40 points in five of the last six Cy-Hawk games, including three straight.

These defenses should help this be the fourth straight game that's happened with the Hawkeyes ranking No. 13 in SP+ on defense and the Cyclones sitting at No. 26 - neither offense sits top 30 in EPA per play. That's why I'm throwing a unit and a half on the biggest rivalry game of the day, with a $15 bet paying a $13.64 profit.

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🎈 Western Kentucky +7 ($10)

On paper, the Week 2 schedule might not jump off the sheet, but there are several marquee Group of Five matchups that are must-watch. And as someone who approaches the sport of football with a whole hog attitude and believes covering all 136 is important, I'm here to tell you that betting on Western Kentucky against Toledo is worth your time. 

The Hilltoppers seem to have done it again under Tyson Helton, bringing in an offensive coordinator (Rick Bowie) and his QB (Maverick McIvor) from the FCS level (Abilene Christian) to reignite their offense. McIvor leads the country in touchdown passes (8) and big-time throws (7) thanks to a loaded receiver room led by former FCS All-American Matthew Henry.

Toledo is a talented team, but WKU is being overlooked in a matchup between two fringe College Football Playoff odds contenders in the Group of Five. May the spirit of Big Red lift the Hilltoppers and help turn a $10 bet into a $9.52 profit.

⬆️ Jordyn Tyson Over 91.5 receiving yards ($15)

Sometimes my favorite way to approach betting on college football is by just backing one of the best players in the country to toast a team that seemingly doesn't believe in playing defense. So what better player to bet on this week than Jordyn Tyson, arguably the best NFL draft-eligible wide receiver in the country, against a Mississippi State team that ranks No. 85 in EPA per pass on defense?

This is a random and fun nonconference matchup between Power Four teams, so why not tune in and watch Tyson go to work? Last week against Northern Arizona, Kenny Dillingham made it clear that Tyson is now the focal point of the offense with Cam Skattebo in the NFL. He finished with 12 receptions for 141 yards and two scores on 17 targets.

I'm doing my best Jaylon Tyson (Jordyn's brother on the Cleveland Cavaliers) impression to jump at this prop at bet365. Tyson's receiving yards line is set as high as 99.5 elsewhere, so I can't pass on it here with 1.5 units returning $13.04 in profits if Tyson goes Over 91.5 receiving yards for the sixth straight game.

🅾️ Oklahoma -4.5 ($10)

During any Saturday slate, it's hard to pass on putting a unit or two on the biggest game on the slate. In Week 2, we have a clear top matchup with just one game featuring potential college football national championship odds contenders clashing. And it's made better by it being two rebuilding blue bloods with electric QBs behind center.

While Bryce Underwood had some shining moments against New Mexico in his Michigan debut at the Big House, the No. 1 recruit in the country is in for a far different atmosphere in Norman, Okla. Brent Venables' defense is No. 1 in the country in EPA per pass and No. 7 in SP+, so R Mason Thomas and this front seven should be able to pressure Underwood into mistakes.

On the other side of the matchup, I've completely bought in on the Ben Arbuckle-John Mateer relocation from Washington State to Oklahoma. Mateer's mobility is an X-factor in what I think will be a low-scoring Sooners win by at least five points.

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🔥 Bear Bachmeier anytime TD scorer ($20)

A QB wearing No. 47 named Bear who plays more like a fullback than a precision passer? Sign me up. Unlike his brother Hank Bachmeier, Bear is one heck of a runner and fits BYU's identity to perfection. The true freshman helped the Cougars win 69-0 last week and accounted for five total touchdowns, including two on the ground.

So, as someone who loves to have some action on at least one of the late games, I can't pass on taking Bachmeier to maul his way into the end zone against Stanford (bears do climb trees, after all). The former three-star recruit averaged over five yards after contact per carry last week, and Frank Reich's team doesn't have the ability to go big-game hunting and put Bear down - Stanford is No. 103 in SP+ on defense.

But the biggest reason I'm putting two units on Bachmeier to score is because bet365 has this prop at plus-money, while our other best sports betting sites have it at -120. At this price, a $20 bet pays a $26 profit if he scores, instead of a $16.67 at that -120 price.

💡 College football expert picks for Week 2

• College football picks against the spread Week 2
• College football upsets picks Week 2
• College football trends that matter Week 2
• College football moneyline parlay Week 2
• College football best bets Week 2
• College football anytime touchdown scorer predictions Week 2
• College football AI predictions for Week 2

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