College GameDay Week 3 Picks, Location & Guest Picker
By Brady Trettenero in College Football
Published:
- College GameDay sets up on The Grove Stage for No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss
- Morgan Freeman joins the crew Saturday, September 19, from 9 AM to noon ET
- Keep reading for the Week 3 GameDay picks, location, TV details and my best bets
Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford with LSU on Saturday, and College GameDay will be there for his first game back against Ole Miss. The Tigers and Rebels meet at 7:30 PM ET on ABC, with both teams looking for their first SEC win of the season.
Both teams are 2-0 in the week’s only top-10 matchup. Morgan Freeman handles guest picker duties, Bill Belichick takes North Carolina into Death Valley at noon, and Alabama gets a home shot at the Florida State team that beat the Tide last season.
Below you’ll find the College GameDay Week 3 picks tracker, Saturday’s featured games and my betting card.
College GameDay Week 3 Location, Start Time & Guest Picker
Morgan Freeman makes his first appearance as the celebrity guest picker. Ole Miss coach Pete Golding is also scheduled to join the show live.
Rece Davis hosts alongside Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Stanford Steve. ESPN’s digital preshow begins at 8:20 AM ET.
College GameDay Picks Today: Week 3 Crew Selections
Picks pending. The crew’s straight-up selections will be added during Saturday’s show. Matchups below are placeholders and will be adjusted to the broadcast order.
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The Superdog segment features underdogs to cover the spread. Selections and the exact broadcast lines will be added below.
How the Week 2 GameDay Picks Finished
Nick Saban led the panel at 8-1 in Week 2. Michigan’s 17-10 win over Oklahoma accounted for his lone loss; Desmond Howard was the only panelist to pick the Wolverines.
The panel finished 33-11 on straight-up selections, but its six Superdog bets went 0-6 against the spread. Herbstreit abstained from Ohio State-Texas because he was calling the game. See the selections in last week’s GameDay article.
Week 3 Schedule & College Football Odds
LSU-Ole Miss headlines the night, with SMU-Louisville among the afternoon matchups worth watching. Here are the featured games and college football odds for Saturday.
Odds checked September 18. Lines from DraftKings; Georgia-Arkansas checked via VSiN. Lines can move. West Virginia-Virginia is a neutral-site game in Charlotte.
My Week 3 College Football Best Bets
My picks below use BetMGM odds checked September 18. North Carolina +3.5 is an alternate spread. Lines can move.
North Carolina vs Clemson Prediction: Tar Heels +3.5
North Carolina enters 2-0 against a Clemson team that lost 51-10 to LSU. That defeat is a reason to be cautious about laying points with the Tigers, even at home.
With the total at 43.5, I expect a tighter game than Clemson’s opener. Taking more than a field goal gives North Carolina room to lose narrowly and still cover.
I want the half-point: a three-point Clemson win pays at +3.5 and pushes at +3. My pick is the Tar Heels at +3.5; I would pass if that number disappears.
- My Pick: North Carolina +3.5 (-125, alternate spread)
Florida State vs Alabama Pick: Crimson Tide -19.5
Alabama finished its trip to Kentucky with a 45-17 win. The Tide now return home against the Florida State team that beat them last season.
Florida State enters 1-1, and I expect Alabama to create the separation it needs over four quarters. The current -19.5 leaves a three-touchdown win enough to cover.
That is a better number than the -20.5 available earlier in the week. I would play Alabama below -21, rather than give up a winning ticket if the Tide win by exactly 21.
- My Pick: Alabama -19.5 (-110)
LSU vs Ole Miss Best Bet: Under 58.5
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was upgraded from doubtful to questionable on Thursday’s availability report. His status adds uncertainty to a game that already asks the Tigers to handle a hostile road crowd.
I prefer the total to the side. LSU held Clemson to 10 points and Louisiana Tech to 14, and I expect its defense to keep this game competitive even if the offense takes time to settle in.
My pick is Under 58.5. A higher total would improve the bet; I would not chase a move below 58. Leavitt’s availability remains worth checking before kickoff.
- My Pick: LSU-Ole Miss Under 58.5 (-108)
Lead NHL & NCAAF Editor
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
