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College Football Parlay Picks, Predictions for Week 2: Is James Madison a Worthy Favorite?

Mike Spector

Last Updated: September 9, 2023 10:55 AM EDT • 3 min 30 sec read.

Kaelon Black of the James Madison Dukes celebrates in the last few seconds of the fourth quarter against the Appalachian State Mountaineers as we look at our college football parlay picks.
Kaelon Black of the James Madison Dukes celebrates in the last few seconds of the fourth quarter against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images/AFP.

The weekly college football odds are often filled with plenty of heavy favorites, especially early in the season, so our college football parlay picks for Week 2 are here to help extract some better value from our best sports betting apps.

Our three-leg parlay starts with a rebuilding MAC East team that should be in for a rough time in a road game against an SEC opponent. We fade what could be one of the worst Power 5 teams with our second pick, and round it out with a potential shootout in a game involving one of the week’s highest projected totals.

Here are our best college football parlay picks for Week 2 (odds via our best college football betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

College football parlay picks: Week 2

  • Kent State first half team total Under 3.5 points (-150) vs. Arkansas ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • James Madison moneyline (-225) vs. Virginia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Texas State-UTSA Over 66.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐

Combined odds: +359 via DraftKings

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Check out our college football Week 2 predictions, college football Week 2 upset picks, and college football best bets.

College football parlay predictions

Kent State first-half team total Under 3.5 points (-150) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kent State was projected to finish dead last among all 133 FBS teams in offensive SP+, and its performance in Week 1 did nothing to dispel that notion. The Golden Flashes mustered just two field goals and 240 total yards against a UCF team not known for defense, and they were outgained through the air 9.5 to 4.5 in yards per pass.

There was a mass exodus from Kent State over the offseason with players moving to the transfer portal, and the team needed to replace its starting quarterback and a 1,300-yard rusher.

However, the real reason we expect the school to score a field goal or less through the first 30 minutes in Fayetteville is that Arkansas may play keep away after the Golden Flashes allowed a whopping 723 total yards in Week 1.

Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson is the highest-returning SEC quarterback in terms of QBR. He should lead the offense to plenty of long scoring drives, making the Golden Flashes play out of their comfort zone early when facing a significant deficit.

James Madison ML vs. Virginia (-115) ⭐⭐⭐

James Madison finished 8-3 in its first season at the FBS level in 2022 and gets a chance to play an ACC opponent for the second straight season after losing to Louisville 34-10 last year.

Arguably the biggest win in Dukes history is an upset of an ACC opponent, with James Madison beating Virginia Tech on the road in 2010. But the 2023 Virginia squad isn't as respected as a typical ACC opponent after only beating the likes of Richmond, Old Dominion, and Georgia Tech in 2023. The post-Brennan Armstrong era at quarterback didn't start well for the Cavaliers, as Tony Muskett threw for just 94 yards while finishing with a 10.9 QBR against Tennessee last week.

Virginia’s offensive struggles, coupled with a defense that finished in the bottom 10 in stuff rate during 2022, makes the team a worthy home underdog to a James Madison squad that finished last season in the top 53 in offensive and defensive SP+ and was even ranked in the AP poll after starting 5-0. The Dukes will play with an extra chip on their shoulder against an in-state opponent to prove they belong with the big boys at the highest collegiate level.      

Texas State-UTSA Over 66.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This matchup features a Texas State team that was part of a 73-point shootout against Baylor in Week 1. Meanwhile, UTSA and Houston didn't come close to cashing the Over on 59.5 points, totaling just 31. However, we expect the Roadrunners' offense to pick it up now, leading to a high-scoring affair.

Texas State allowed eight Baylor drives inside its 40-yard line, but the Bears managed just 23 points. Relying on that bend but don’t break defense against a seventh-year quarterback in Frank Harris won't go well. He leads a UTSA offense that returns two of its top three rushers, four of its top five receivers, and three offensive linemen.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats brought in head coach G.J. Kinne from Incarnate Word. His offense averaged more than 53 points per game in the regular season, and it's already translating well to the FBS level.

This is a four-star play, as the Over has gone 4-2 during UTSA’s non-conference contests since 2022, and it's cashed in both contests following losses.

College football parlay picks made 9/8/2023 at 6:32 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Mike Spector
I have been in the sports writing industry for over three years, working for sites like BettingPros/FantasyPros, Oddschecker, and Sportsbook Review. In my first year writing for BettingPros, I finished with the #2 overall record in their annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an over/under and moneyline perspective. I am an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, and all college sports. In my opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and I am especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. I am a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." Follow me on Twitter for my best bets and commentary to go along with the wagers.