Week 2 College Football Betting Lines
Week 1 of the 2014 college football season proved to be rough one for bettors who backed chalk, especially those in the Top 10. Florida State, Alabama, UCLA, and South Carolina all delivered less than stellar efforts as heavy favorites. Is that a harbinger of things to come in the playoff era, or was it simply a case of opening game rust? Perhaps the season’s second Saturday will provide some answers with a handful of enticing matchups, including a pair of must-see Top 25 duels starring Pac-12 powers. Here are the Week 2 college football betting lines.
Florida Atlantic at Alabama -40.5: The Tide were shaky against West Virginia, but the country’s best running back duo of T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns, which was more than enough to come away with a win. Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic was taken to the woodshed 55-7 at the hands of Nebraska. Ton of points here, although Saban’s boys should be up to the task.
Southern Cal at Stanford -3.5: The Pac-12 wasted little time pitting two of its best teams against each other. The Trojans and Cardinal outscored their Week 1 opponents by a combined score of 97-13. Cody Kessler was sharp, but the ferocious Stanford defense will be ready to ruin his afternoon in front of a rabid home crowd.
Eastern Michigan at Florida -38: Maybe the fickle Florida weather will cooperate for the Gators, whose Week 1 game versus Idaho was postponed due to severe lightning. The Eagles are 1-0, but the competition will be much stiffer this time around. Begs the question: How much better is Florida after last year’s dreadful 4-8 campaign? 38 points better? Not so sure.
Michigan State at Oregon -13: Not much respect is being given to the defending Big Ten champs. The Ducks are deadly in Outzen Stadium, but Sparty boasts an elite defense and veteran playmakers at quarterback and running back. This is a showcase game for Marcus Mariota’s Heisman efforts. With Jameis Winston and Brett Hundley struggling in Week 1, the door is wide open for Mariota to seize an early lead.
Michigan at Notre Dame -5: If the Golden Domers are legit, they can ill afford to flop against the visiting Wolverines. Everett Golson was terrific in disposing of Rice. A repeat performance versus an actual opponent would do wonders for his spotty reputation.
Virginia Tech at Ohio State -11.5: See Notre Dame above. Quarterback J.T. Barrett was efficient against Navy. On the other hand, the Buckeye defense yielded a robust 370 yards on the ground. The Hoakies have slipped in recent years nationally, but they are still a well-coached opponent capable of springing the upset.
Memphis at UCLA -24.5: The Bruins came close to faceplanting last Saturday and likely would have if not for a ballhawking defense that scored three touchdowns. The offensive line is a mess and the lack of downfield speed is cause for concern. No reason to panic in Pasadena just yet, but a blowout victory over the Tigers would go a long way in easing worry.
