Texas at Alabama, K-State vs. Troy and the best bets in college football for Week 2

Stop the count!

Best bets got off to a hot start last week by posting a 5-2 record. Here’s hoping we can maintain a 71.4% winning percentage on college football games all season long.

Fun as Week 1 was to bet on, things should be even more exciting in Week 2. All three of our “local” teams play stronger competition this weekend, which means we don’t have to wait for betting lines until the last possible minute. We also have a heavyweight bout on deck between Alabama and Texas.

Let’s dive in to all of it, and hopefully find some more winners.

Every week, Kansas State beat writer Kellis Robinett takes a look at the entire college football schedule and breaks down a dozen or so games that are worth betting on.

Here are his thoughts on various betting lines and games for Week 2:

Illinois (+3) at Kansas

The Jayhawks will wear special black uniforms when Illinois visits Memorial Stadium this week. Will they lead to a memorable victory or to a funeral? It’s hard to say. This game figures to be close. Illinois and KU are evenly matched. The Fighting Illini held off an upset bid from Toledo in their first game and the Jayhawks beat Missouri State by 31. Flip the location of this game, and Illinois would probably be the favorite. Jalon Daniels starting at quarterback could give KU a boost after Jason Bean led the offense in Game 1.

Troy (+16.5) at K-State

Chris Klieman has typically struggled in this type of game since he took over at K-State. Over the past four years, the Wildcats have lost at home against Arkansas State and Tulane. I don’t see another hiccup coming here, because the secret is out on Troy. The Trojans have won 12 straight games and the Wildcats have heard all about that this week. It will be a major shock if K-State overlooks them. Still, it might be hard to win by 17..

Middle Tennessee State (+20.5) at Missouri

This might be a good opportunity to back the underdog. Missouri looked so-so in its opener against South Dakota and it could get caught looking ahead to next week’s game against K-State here. There isn’t much reason for the Tigers to respect MTSU after it got demolished at Alabama last weekend. But the Blue Raiders aren’t devoid of talent. Remember, they won at Miami last season.

Best Bets

Last Week: 5-2

Season Record: 5-2

Notre Dame (-7) at NC State: Sam Hartman has looked like a Heisman Trophy contender since transferring to Notre Dame. He already has 445 yards and six touchdowns passing. He is completing 82.6% of his throws. The Fighting Irish have also looked dominant on the ground by rushing for 210 yards per game, albeit against overmatched opponents Navy and Tennessee State. Consider me impressed. Notre Dame should continue to put up good numbers against North Carolina State, a team that allowed 6.4 yards per rush in its opener against Connecticut. I don’t think the Wolfpack have enough firepower to keep up in this game. Pick: Notre Dame.

New Mexico State (+10.5) at Liberty: Another week, another best bet involving the Liberty Flames. You may have to be a real sicko to watch this game, but anyone can win money on it. New Mexico State is one of the worst teams in the country and is coming off a home loss to Massachusetts. Liberty is one of the best teams in Conference USA and covered for us last week against Bowling Green. I’m going back to the well. I won’t be surprised if Liberty wins big here. Pick: Liberty.

Oregon (-7) at Texas Tech: The Ducks just beat Portland State (not a typo) 81-7. The Red Raiders just lost to Wyoming 35-33. Most casual fans will probably take in that information and then assume Oregon is a sure bet to crush Texas Tech this week. But a lot can change from one week to the next in college football. This seems like a good opportunity to buy low on the Red Raiders and back them at home, where they went 6-1 last season under Joey McGuire. Pick: Texas Tech.

UAB (+6) at Georgia Southern: I am looking for opportunities to fade Trent Dilfer as a head coach until he proves that is a bad strategy. His first road game with the Blazers seems like a good spot. Georgia Southern whipped The Citadel 34-0 last week and has quietly been a solid team since Clay Helton took over and installed a pass-heavy offense. Pick: Georgia Southern.

Texas (+8) at Alabama: We didn’t learn much about the Longhorns or the Crimson Tide in their opening games. Texas whooped up on Rice. Alabama cruised past Middle Tennessee State. They were both warmups for one of the biggest matchups of the season. I expect the Longhorns to put up a good fight. Steve Sarkisian had his team ready to go against Alabama last year and nearly pulled off the upset. The rematch could be just as close. Give me the team catching eight points. Pick: Texas.

Connecticut (+3.5) at Georgia State: UConn looked better than expected while covering the spread against North Carolina State last week. Georgia State, meanwhile, surrendered 520 yards and 35 points to lowly Rhode Island. The Panthers ended up winning by a touchdown, but I see no reason why they should be favored this week. Pick: UConn.

Jacksonville State (+13) at Coastal Carolina: Grayson McCall and the Chanticleers threw a scare into UCLA on the road last weekend. Now they play host to Jacksonville State in its first road game as an FBS team. Pick: Coastal Carolina.

Upset Pick of the Week

Wisconsin at Washington State (+200): The Cougars made me pay for betting against them last week. They looked so good while beating Colorado State 50-24 that I am now ready to put some cash on them as home underdogs against Wisconsin. Last year, Washington State went on the road and beat Wisconsin. I like their chances of sweeping the home-and-home series this weekend. Pullman is a hard place to play and I’m not sure the Badgers will be ready for it with a new coaching staff.

Other lines worth considering

Memphis (-21.5) at Arkansas State: Oklahoma beat Arkansas State last week 73-0. That can’t be easy to bounce back from. Lean: Memphis.

Ohio (+5) at Florida Atlantic: Tom Herman and Casey Thompson should do good things together this season now that they are reunited with the Owls. Lean: FAU.

Ole Miss (-7.5) at Tulane: Nobody covers the spread at home better than Willie Fritz. Lean: Tulane.

Tulsa (+34.5) at Washington: The Huskies might have the best offense in the entire country and they can cover this number, even though it is a lot of points. Lean: Washington.

SMU (+16.5) at Oklahoma: I am waiting to see if this number climbs above 17. I think SMU can cause some problems for Oklahoma. Lean: SMU.