College Football Week 2 ATS Picks: #17 UCF Keeps Rolling vs. FAU
- Week 2 of College Football begins on Friday, September 6th
- We look at three ATS picks that provide good value in Week 2
- UCF is a great bet at -10.5 vs. Florida Atlantic
Week 2 of College Football begins on Friday, September 6th.
There are some intriguing spreads this week, including #17 UCF taking on Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton.
Here are three picks for Week 2.
Pick #1: #17 UCF Covers the -10.5 Spread Against FAU
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Florida | -10.5 (-105) | -380 | O 68 (-110) |
| Florida Atlantic | +10.5 (-115) | +290 | U 68 (-110) |
*Odds collected 09/03/19
After blowing out FCS Florida A&M 62-0 in Week 1, it’s a tad surprising that UCF is only listed as -10.5 favorites in their Week 2 matchup with Florida Atlantic.
FAU fell behind 28-0 in the first quarter against Ohio State in Week 1 and went on to lose 45-21. They simply couldn’t keep up with the Buckeyes skill position players and were held to just 22 yards on the ground offensively. I don’t like their chances against the Knights, despite it being the home opener for Lane Kiffin’s team.
Notre Dame transfer Brandon Wimbush showed some promise in his UCF debut, going 12-for-23 on passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Backup Dillon Gabriel looked great when he came in, going 9-of-13 for 127 yards and three touchdowns.
What a Knight for the @ucf_football QBs pic.twitter.com/rdQf7WzFPR
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) August 30, 2019
The Knights beat the Owls by 20 points last season and that FAU team included Devin Singletary and Kerrith Whyte, who had four touchdowns and are both now in the NFL.
Look for UCF to build on their dominant Week 1 victory and cruise to victory in this one. This line opened at just 7.5 and should increase even more by Saturday, so take advantage while the value is good.
Pick: UCF -10.5
Pick #2: #12 Texas A&M (+17.5) Covers Against #1 Clemson
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M | +17.5 (-115) | +600 | O 64.5 (-110) |
| Clemson | -17.5(-105) | -1000 | U 64.5 (-110) |
*Odds collected 09/03/19
This should be a close game and I don’t think Texas A&M is getting enough respect with the current spread here.
The Aggies cruised past Texas State by a 41-7 score in Week 1. Starting QB Kellen Mond looked solid in the opener, going 19-for-27 with 194 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also had 25 rushing yards for another TD.
KELLEN. MOND. ? pic.twitter.com/gbuspX7EFo
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 30, 2019
Clemson’s starting QB and Heisman co-favorite Trevor Lawrence, meanwhile, failed to live up to expectations in Week 1. He threw two interceptions in the first half against Georgia Tech and completed just 13 of 23 passes for 168 yards and one interception in a 52-14 victory.
Clemson’s young defensive line looked good against Georgia Tech, but A&M will be one of their toughest tests this season. Mond passed for 430 yards last year against Clemson, so look for him to take advantage of Clemson’s six new starters in their front seven this time around.
The Aggies kept up with the No.1 ranked Clemson last season, falling just short of an upset at Kyle Field with a 28-26 loss.
This game is at Death Valley so the Tigers do have home field advantage where they have won 16 straight. Lawrence and the team’s mediocre passing game from Week 1 should improve in Week 2, but it’s hard to see them covering the -17.5 spread.
Clemson should win, but the Aggies cover the spread.
Pick: Texas A&M +17.5
Pick #3: Army (+22.5) Covers Against #7 Michigan
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | +22.5 (-110) | — | O 46.5 (-110) |
| Michigan | -22.5 (-110) | — | U 46.5 (-110) |
*Odds collected 09/03/19
Army should give Michigan a real test in this Week 2 matchup at The Big House. The Black Knights come into the game riding a 10-game winning streak dating back to last season after defeating Rice 14-7 in Week 1.
Michigan prevailed over Middle Tennessee State by a 40-21 score in Week 1, but they failed to cover the monstrous 36 point spread. While they have home advantage in Week 2, they’re facing the top service academy of the past few years that will be looking to dominate time of possession with their triple option offense and keep the ball out of the hands of Josh Gattis’ offense.
Quarterback Shea Patterson threw three TD passes in the first half against Middle Tennessee, but he also lost a fumble on the first play of the game and was responsible for one of the team’s two fumbles in the second half.
Shea Patterson: "obviously, I didn't get out to a great start. I need to take care of the football."
— Isaiah Hole (@isaiahhole) September 1, 2019
The Black Knights have many key players returning from their 11-win team last season, including quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. The starting QB became the first player in academy history to run for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in a season last year. Hopkins threw a clutch 17-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Rice to help Army garner victory in Week 1 despite a truly lacklustre effort on the ground that they’ll need to remedy to have a chance at pulling the upset.
Army’s defense was able to limit Rice to only 243 total yards in Week 1, but they’ll have their hands full with Michigan in Week 2. Patterson is a lethal threat and linebacker Khaleke Hudson will be a factor in stifling the option after racking up eight tackles in Week 1, but Army’s system will frustrate the Wolverines and keep this one close.
Pick: Army +22.5
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.
