College Football Week 3 Upset Picks

• Week 3 of the College Football season has a healthy slate of games on Saturday to fill all sports bettors needs
• Five underdogs won straight up in Week 2, including a Georgia Tech upset over Florida State in the ACC
• Read below to find out which College Football upsets we’re pinpointing in Week 3

There were a handful of upsets in Week 2 of this unprecedented college football season. The Sun Belt was responsible for three of those upsets as the Big 12 played victim. Arkansas State upset Kansas State, Louisiana beat Iowa State, and Coastal Carolina knocked off Kansas in the late game.

Those three Sun Belt teams certainly helped over bettors on their win totals early in this season. With the lack of preparation due to a shortened offseason, most teams aren’t playing to their full ability. This means upsets won’t be as scarce.

There are a few close ACC matchups this week that look like potential upsets. Let’s take a look at which teams are poised for big wins this week.

Wake Forest vs NC State Odds

All odds taken September 17th from DraftKings

Demon Deacons All Tuned Up

Wake Forest’s first game of the season was an unfavorable one. The Demon Deacons had the task of taming Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers. Wake Forest lost 37-13, but didn’t play all that bad and covered the 34-point spread.

Wake Forest is now up against N.C. State in Week 3. The Demon Deacons have one game under their belt, while this will be the Wolfpack’s first game of the 2020 season.

Wake Forest had 330 yards of offense against a great defense. Not to mention, they didn’t turnover the ball once. Sam Hartman was 11-for-21 for 182 yards and no scores, so not too much to complain about against arguably the best team in the country.

Evaluating their defense is tough as Clemson’s offense is unmatched in the ACC. However, they did force one interception and Trevor Lawrence did not have an eye-popping game.

N.C. State had a historically bad year in 2019. The Wolfpack finished 4-8 and lost their last six games of the regular season. Moreover, they’ve covered the spread just once in their last 10 games.

Another 8 pm kickoff on @accnetwork for week ✌️#HTT pic.twitter.com/KGJvLFZUcY

— NC State Football (@PackFootball) September 14, 2020

The Wolfpack brought on five new coaches this offseason, including former Texas quarterbacks coach Tim Beck as the new offensive coordinator. N.C. State’s offense was disappointing last season, not scoring more than 28 points in any ACC game.

Devin Leary was the starting quarterback after injuries and some shuffle in the depth chart. Leary threw for 1,219 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions in eight games. The redshirt sophomore did not win a single game last year as the starter.

I do not see N.C. State as the favorite in this matchup. After a horrible end to the year and returning just four starters on defense, there is a lot of uncertainty around this Wolfpack team. The home team is 11-2 ATS in the last 13 meetings, however,  home field isn’t much of an advantage this season with no fans or limited attendance.

Wake Forest hasn’t lost to N.C. State since 2016. The Demon Deacons beat N.C. State 27-23 in 2018 as 19-point underdogs. N.C. State is 1-5 ATS in their last six home games, which gives me even more confidence that Wake Forest has a great chance to win this one.

The Pick: Wake Forest ML (+110)

Miami (FL) vs Louisville Odds

Miami’s New King

Houston transfer D’Eriq King had a solid showing in his Hurricanes debut. In a 31-14 win over UAB, King threw for 144 yards and one touchdown. The Texas native also ran for 83 yards and one score on the ground.

Louisville won their first game of the season over Western Kentucky in Week 2. The Cardinals won 35-21 in an offensive barrage, while their defense did not look fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=527QzoZvCO8

While Miami willy rely more on the ground game with King and workhorse back Cam’Ron Harris, the Cardinals will look to build on their passing success from Week 1. Definitely expect a high scoring affair in this ACC matchup.

Louisville is returning 15 starters for the 2020-21 season, however, depth is still a question mark. Head coach Scott Satterfield wants more guys to step up so that the offensive burden isn’t solely on quarterback Micale Cunningham and running back Javian Hawkins.

As I mentioned above, Louisville’s defense has many holes. The Cardinals were 12th in the ACC in total defense and allowed teams to go over 500 yards of offense in six games last year. This is where Miami can expose the Cardinals because Miami’s defense doesn’t have as many holes.

Miami DE Gregory Rousseau is the latest college football star to opt out for the 2020 season, head coach Manny Diaz announced Thursday.

Rousseau is widely considered a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/ujEqgDsh3F

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 6, 2020

Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, star defensive end Gregory Rousseau decided to opt-out of the 2020-21 College Football season. Their defensive line is still a force to be reckoned with as Temple transfer Quincy Roche is a terror. There is definitely enough talent on this defense to subside the Cardinals’ offensive attack.

Miami was 3-0 ATS and SU as an underdog last season under head coach Manny Diaz. Three big upsets in 2019 and now they have a better team with more confidence. Miami also hammered Louisville 52-27 last season at home. Keep an eye on Miami’s conference title odds, as they have great value now but that could significantly change after Week 3.

The public are hammering the Cardinals as almost 70 percent of the money is on Louisville. With Miami’s recent record as an underdog and their convincing win last week, I believe they are in a great spot to upset Louisville.

The Pick: Miami (FL) ML +114