Well folks, I’m 11-4 through three weeks (Week 0 is a thing) of giving out Group of Five best bets. I’m quite pleased with that record, while simultaneously frightened of the inevitable dropoff. Regardless, I’m riding high after my second 4-1 week of the season.
So let’s dive into the college football betting odds and find some more winners.
UAB -11.5 vs. Georgia Southern
I love a good letdown spot, and I think this game fits the bill. Georgia Southern is coming off a huge 45-42 win at Nebraska. The triumph led to Scott Frost’s firing, and it has Clay Helton and the Eagles believing they could be a factor in the Sun Belt East. I’m not sold on Georgia Southern, and neither are the oddsmakers.
UAB is a double-digit favorite for a reason, and I expect the home team to bounce back after falling to Liberty last week. This is a good UAB team, and the Blazers are getting a Georgia Southern team that’s due for a hangover.
Fresno State +12.5 at USC
Fresno State fell to Oregon State 35-32 last week on the final play of the game, and while that’s a heartbreaking defeat, playing USC should offer plenty of motivation this week. I love Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener, who should finish the season as one of the most efficient passers in college football. Through two games, Haener is averaging 368.5 passing yards per game, and he’s completing 74.7% of his passes.
While USC’s offense with Caleb Williams at quarterback and Jordan Addison at wide receiver is dynamic, I’m not quite sold on USC as a team. The Trojans have an unsustainable +8 turnover differential through two games – wins over Rice and Stanford. I just talked about how Haener rarely makes mistakes for Fresno State. If USC’s otherwise shaky defense can’t rely on turnovers, the Trojans are going to be in for a fight.
UTSA +12.5 at Texas
Frank Harris is an electric quarterback, and I’ve been impressed with UTSA’s entire team through two weeks. Houston and Army are both good teams, and UTSA went 1-1 against those squads with each game going to overtime. If Harris plays well, UTSA stands a puncher’s chance of upsetting Texas.
I also like that Texas is coming off an emotional loss to Alabama. The Longhorns, who will be without starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, need to shake off any emotional hangover this week because UTSA is legitimately good.
Tulane +14 at Kansas State
This number was higher earlier in the week, but I’ll still suggest taking the Green Wave to cover the spread. After going 2-10 last season, Tulane seems poised to make a bowl game this fall, and a 2-0 start to the season helps the cause. Quarterback Michael Pratt is steady, having thrown 46 touchdowns to 16 interceptions in just over two seasons of playing college football.
The defense should be decent this season, and if Tulane can avoid turnovers, it should be competitive in most games. Kansas State is off to a phenomenal start to the season, but the Wildcats have their hands full this weekend.
SMU +3 at Maryland
Despite a general lack of national attention, SMU is one of the best Group of Five teams in the country this year. Tanner Mordecai is a tremendous quarterback, and his chemistry with wide receiver Rashee Rice (17 receptions, 298 yards, and three touchdowns in two games) will test Maryland’s secondary.
The Terrapins are steadily improving with Mike Locksley as head coach, but I think SMU matches up well, and I’ll gladly take the Mustangs as an underdog.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
