Media by Associated Press – Baylor safety Jairon McVea (42), linebacker Terrel Bernard (2), running back Abram Smith (7), wide receiver R.J. Sneed (0) running back Trestan Ebner (1) and safety Jalen Pitre (8) celebrate with the trophy after defeating Oklahoma State in an NCAA college football game for the Big 12 Conference championship in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 4, 2021. Baylor has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the conference title again, based on a poll of media who cover the league. It is the first time Baylor has ever been favored in the preseason vote. Coach Dave Aranda’s Bears got 17 of the 41 first-place votes in the poll released Thursday, July 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Tim Heitman, file)
The first game or week of any season is always the hardest to bet. That’s especially true in college football, where players, coaches, coordinators, and styles change from year to year.
Now that we have one week done and were able to see every team, let’s take a look at four teams to bet on in college football for Week 2.
Baylor +3.5
The No. 9 Baylor Bears travel to take on the No.21 BYU Cougars in one of the rare Top-25 matchups this weekend. Last year Baylor beat BYU at home 38-24, and this matchup in a nationally televised game with a 10:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
The line opened at -3 and has already gone up to -3.5 in BYU’s favor. Baylor put 69 points on the board last week against FCS Albany as they threw for 314 yards and ran for 259. BYU gave up 21 points to South Florida but scored 50 of their own and had 573 total yards.
This game is primed to be a shootout. Baylor has a great offensive line and run game to match BYU’s, and controlling the clock on the road is important for any team to cover. Look for Baylor to keep it close with that extra half point on the spread.
Wake Forest -8.5
No. 23 Wake Forest played without quarterback Sam Hartman in the opener and still scored 44 points with over 500 yards of total offense. Hartman is expected back this week after being cleared to play with a blood clot issue. If he takes the field, his first game will be against Vanderbilt, with Wake favored by just more than a touchdown.
Vandy is 2-0, but they also gave up 31 points to Elon last week. The defense allowed 343 yards passing and 152 rushing and should struggle against Wake Forest. Quarterback Mike Wright accounted for six total touchdowns against Elon and four against Hawaii and will give the Deacons all they can handle.
Vanderbilt was 2-3 ATS at home last year, and Wake’s firepower on offense with Hartman back should make them 0-1 at home in 2022.
Virginia Tech -3
It is tough to decide which of these teams had a worse loss in the opener. Virginia Tech lost to FCS Old Dominion by a field goal on the road. But Boston College lost at home to perennial doormat Rutgers.
Turnovers and penalties killed the Hokies last week with four interceptions, a lost fumble, and 14 penalties for 100 yards. Those mistakes resulted in only 17 points, and the last turnover came at the 40-yard line with 17 seconds left. Virginia Tech ran the ball well, totaling 147 yards and keeping the ball for nearly 46 minutes in the time of possession battle.
Boston College gave up 212 rushing yards to Rutgers at more than five yards per carry. Meanwhile, they achieved just 29 rushing yards on 28 attempts and turned the ball over three times.
This line is likely an overreaction to the Hokies falling to a FCS team. But if they avoid turning the ball over on a third of their possessions, they should handle a bad Boston College squad.
UNLV +13
The UNLV Rebels showed signs of life in the opener after a 2-10 season last year. Yes, they played a bad team in Idaho State, but UNLV scored 52 points and piled up over 550 yards of total offense. Sophomore quarterback Doug Brumfield threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns while going a very efficient 21-for-25.
The Rebels got a big game out of Michigan State transfer Ricky White at wideout, and he could be a matchup problem for Cal this week. White caught six passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the opener.
Cal opened with a 34-13 win over UC Davis last weekend, and they trailed 7-0 after the first quarter. If they start slow at home this week, UNLV will be tougher to put away, and the Rebels are a good bet at +13.
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