College Football Best Bets for Week 2

The college football landscape has been reset for the 2024 season. The College Football Playoff (CFP) will have 12 teams for the first time, which features the five conference champions paired with the next seven highest-ranked teams. Conferences underwent major changes, as well. The Pac-12 is virtually no more while the SEC added two major brands and the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC all acquired several squads.

As if a shakeup in conference play wasn't intriguing enough, the stakes will also be heightened on a week-to-week basis with far more teams in contention for the CFP. Higher stakes could also generate more competitive games throughout the season, potentially impacting how we bet the sport.

Week 1 is officially in the rearview mirror, and we have several big takeaways -- such as the Florida State Seminoles' could be doomed at 0-2, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's CFP hopes look better than ever, the USC Trojans could be a lot better than we expected, and the Georgia Bulldogs are still dominant.

The upcoming slate of games does not hold the same variety as the season-opening week, but there are still several matchups holding intriguing lines. Using the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as a guide, what are the best college football bets for this week?

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

College Football Betting Picks

No. 3 Texas Longhorns at No. 10 Michigan Wolverines

Under 42.5 Points (-110)

There wasn't a lot to like about the Michigan Wolverines in Week 1 while the opposite can be said about the Texas Longhorns. The Wolverines led the Fresno State Bulldogs just 16-10 midway through the fourth quarter before two late touchdowns pushed the final margin to 30-10 . Meanwhile, the Longhorns knocked the brakes off the Colorado State Rams with a 52-0 win.

Still, this game is the best college football matchup of the week by a huge margin. The defending national champions play host to a 2023 CFP participant, one that has the third-shortest odds to win the national championship (+700). So far, the strength of each team looks obvious.

For Texas, it's an offense led by the Heisman candidate Quinn Ewers -- sixth-shortest Heisman Trophy odds (+1100). He threw for 260 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns paired with a 78.4 passing grade in Week 1, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Meanwhile, Michigan held Fresno State to 244 yards and 0.4 yards per rushing attempt. PFF has the Wolverines tied for the ninth-best run defense grade, but the secondary showed some cracks in its armor in Week 1, ranking 51st by PFF's coverage grade.

Ultimately, I'm liking the under for this matchup. The Wolverines' run defense was excellent in Week 1, and there are still real concerns surrounding the Longhorns' run game following the season-ending injury of running back CJ Baxter.

Ewers threw a pick in Texas' season-opening shutout win, and Michigan reeled in two interceptions to start the season. NFL Mock Draft Database's 2025 Consensus Board has two of the Wolverines' defensive linemen among the top-25 prospects -- Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. They currently hold the 19th-best pass rush-grade while the Longhorns have the 9th-highest pass-blocking grade, led by projected first-round offensive tackle Kelvin Banks. If you're looking for a Titanic-sized clash, here you go.

Michigan was far from sharp in the season opener, but the defense is still exceptional. Pair this with the Wolverines' offense getting off to a rough start, and the under looks like a good choice.

No. 23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Syracuse Orange

Georgia Tech -2.5 (-118)

While the powerhouses of the ACC -- the Clemson Tigers and Florida State -- are off to rough starts, several teams have enjoyed surprise starts. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Syracuse Orange are both included in this.

Georgia Tech cracked the AP Poll's Top 25 following a 35-12 win over the Georgia State Panthers. Syracuse's coach Fran Brown said he should send the Ohio State Buckeyes' coach Ryan Day a bottle of champagne after landing Kyle McCord in the transfer portal. McCord went off in his Orange debut, posting a gaudy 354 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns.

Each program is off to excellent starts in new eras. Which squad will keep the momentum going into Week 2?

I'm going with the road team, Georgia Tech. We've seen more out of the Yellow Jackets with two games under their belt. This contest may come down to one simple area: the run game.

Georgia Tech's rushing attack has been bruising opponents, averaging 207.5 rushing yards per game and 5.9 yards per rushing attempt. Jamal Haynes is off to a pretty electric start at 159 rushing yards on 5.7 yards per carry. The Yellow Jackets are currently 28th in PFF's rushing grade. While this isn't earth-shattering, Syracuse's run defense looks very vulnerable.

The Orange just surrendered 255 rushing yards and 6.5 yards per attempt against the Ohio Bobcats. Keep in mind that Ohio ranked 107th in ESPN's preseason SP+ rankings while sitting at 133rd out of 134 squads in offensive SP+. That doesn't bode much confidence for facing the legit rushing attack held by Georgia Tech, who was 33rd in preseason offensive SP+.

Additionally, I'm still not a big believer in McCord for Syracuse. Yes, his debut was something to behold. However, his 75.3 passing grade was not jaw-dropping by any means; in fact, he posted a 76.0 passing grade as OSU a season ago. With that said, McCord was quite streaky with the Buckeyes; expect more of the same in an Orange uniform.

The Yellow Jackets' superb run offense has been stinging opposing defenses nonstop through two games. This is the most trustworthy unit in the matchup, and Syracuse struggled to defend the run in Week 1. Give me Tech to cover away from home.

No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers at No. 24 NC State Wolfpack

Tennessee -7.5 (-114)

The Tennessee Volunteers were circled as a sleeper for the CFP in the offseason. So far, so good for those who backed UT. The Volunteers rolled to a 69-3 win over the Chattanooga Mocs. Tennessee put up an absurd 718 yards, led by Nico Iamaleava posting 314 passing yards while completing 22 of 28 passing attempts (78.6%).

The North Carolina State Wolfpack are trending in the opposite direction. They were trailing 21-17 against an FCS opponent, the Western Carolina Catamounts, headed into the fourth quarter. NC State managed to win 38-21, but don't be fooled by the three-possession final score.

While this is a top-25 matchup, the 7.5-point spread in favor of Tennessee proves this one could get lopsided. The Wolfpack gave up more than 240 passing yards in Week 1 and currently rank 79th in PFF's coverage grade.

We just saw Iamaleava, who carries the seventh-shortest odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+1400), post a 90.7 passing grade. He also logged a 91.3 grade on attempts of 10 to 19 yards. Dont'e Thornton Jr. (35.0 yards per catch) and Bru McCoy (14.8 yards per catch) were big-play machines in the season opener, as well.

Across the board, NC State's pass defense could be in big trouble. To make matters worse, Tennessee was tied for the 12th-fewest rushing yards allowed per attempt last season, and it currently ranks 19th in run defense grade. NC State heavily leaned on the run with more than 200 rushing yards in Week 1.

If the Volunteers control the ground game, this one could get ugly thanks to Iamaleava and his targets.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.