There are many fantastic games to bet on in Week 2 of the College Football regular season, but I’ve got my eye on three that have big playoff implications. Read on!
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College Football Picks For This Weekend
Clemson Tigers vs vs Auburn Tigers
When: September 09, 2017, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Memorial Stadium-Clemson
Spread: Clemson -5.5
Over/Under: 54
Moneyline: Clemson -215 vs Auburn +185
As the defending national champions, the Clemson Tigers went out on the field for their first game and proved why they won the title last year by steamrolling over Kent State 56-3.
Quarterback Kelly Bryant also showed he can fill Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson’s shoes and put up 236 passing yards, 77 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Truth be told, nobody expected the Golden Flashes to put up much of a fight, but it was an impressive performance by Bryant. The Tigers will be looking for a similar performance against Auburn.
Clemson also dominated on defense, and I expect Auburn will not have any success of gaining many yards via the ground based on what we saw against Kent State.
Auburn meanwhile had their own successful game of their own against Georgia Southern, defeating them 41-7.
Now, while you might think the win doesn’t really amount to much, Georgia Southern’s offense can be dangerous. If not for Auburn’s solid defense, that shut down practically every Georgia Southern attempt to get the offense going, the game could have gone very differently.
Auburn’s defense is solid and could slow down Clemson’s offense, at least, for a while. Once Bryant gets into flow, I expect Clemson to dominate.
As Bryant did for Clemson, quarterback Jarrett Stidham also had a successful debut for the Auburn Tigers and finished the game 14/24 for 185 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. However, he will have to be a lot better against Clemson’s defense if he’s to give his team a chance at winning.
Auburn’s success on offense came through the ground game; the Tigers gained 351 yards and three touchdowns via the ground attack. This might not work against Clemson this year, but it might balance things out a bit.
Betting Trends For Clemson vs Auburn
- Auburn is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games
- Auburn is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Auburn is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
- Clemson is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Clemson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Clemson's last 7 games
Expert Pick: Clemson heads into the game as the 5.5-point favorite. Though Auburn will seek the upset, Clemson’s defense will shut down their offense in the second half. My pick is Clemson to cover the spread.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Oklahoma Sooners
When: September 09, 2017, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Ohio Stadium
Spread: Ohio State -7.5
Over/Under: 64.5
Moneyline: Ohio State -320 vs Oklahoma +270
The Buckeyes kicked off the season by defeating Indiana on the road last Thursday night. They head into this game with two extra days of rest, which could be a factor that gives them a slight edge.
Regardless of their win over the Hoosiers, Ohio State struggled at times to contain Indiana’s offense and would up allowing quarterback Richard Lagow to put up 410 passing yards with three scores.
Buckeyes’ quarterback J.T. Barrett managed to overcome a slow start and finished the game with 304 passing yards, 61 rushing yards, and 4 touchdowns. He will face a tougher challenge against the Sooners’ defense, but should be able to gain traction in The Horseshoe.
Given the amount of talent the Buckeyes’ defensive front has, there’s no reason they should give any allowances to Sooners. As we saw against Indiana, it seemed they relaxed a little too much and hence gave up some costly yards via the air. However, the run defense was solid and should go after Baker Mayfield right from the start.
Oklahoma meanwhile tore through UTEP last week in a game that was practically over by halftime. Baker Mayfield sat out the second half of the game.
The Sooners head into this game with a huge chip on their shoulders after being crushed last year in Norman, Oklahoma by the Buckeyes.
Needless to say, a win by either team could have big implications further on in the season when the time comes for the Committee to decided which team belongs in the playoffs, so expect the sparks to fly in this game.
Betting Trends For The Buckeyes vs Sooners
- Oklahoma is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
- Oklahoma is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma's last 7 games
- Ohio State is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
- Ohio State is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State's last 6 games
Expert Pick: Ohio heads into this game as the 7.5-point favorite. The Sooners will put up a big fight, but the Buckeyes will win. Nevertheless, I don’t think Ohio State will cover so my money is on Oklahoma plus the points.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Pittsburgh Panthers
When: September 09, 2017, 3:30 PM ET
Where: Beaver Stadium
Spread: Penn State -20.5
Over/Under: 68
Moneyline: Penn State -1200 vs Pittsburgh +825
This game isn’t as big as the previous two, but it does carry plenty of playoff implications and the bragging rights in Pennsylvania.
The Panthers just barely escaped with a win against Youngstown State, which was too close for comfort. Somehow, they managed to blow a 21 point lead and had to take the game into overtime to win.
Obviously, they cannot afford to do this against the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley if they want to come out on the winning end. Needless to say, as well, Pitt will be pushed to the limit against a top ten Penn State team that is among the favorites to make a run for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
It doesn’t get better for the Panthers considering that most of last year’s players who led the way for a win over Penn State are no longer in the ranks. The absence of Nathan Peterman, James Conner, Dorian Johnson, Ejuan Price, and Adam Bisnowaty, will make it hard to win this year.
Penn State meanwhile steamrolled over Akron in their first game 52-0 and gave a glimpse that they might be one of the teams to beat this year.
The Lions opened the scoring with a DeAndre Thompkins' 61-yard punt return midway through the first quarter; then, took a 35-0 lead into halftime and it was all downhill from then on.
The Nittany Lions outgained the Zips 569-159. Running back Saquon Barkley accounted for 226 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, while fellow Heisman contender Trace McSorley threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another.
Last year’s loss to the Panthers ended up losing Penn State’s chance to make the playoffs, so expect them to head into this game with vengeance on their minds.
Betting Trends For The Nittany Lions vs Panthers
- Pittsburgh is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games
- Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 11 of Pittsburgh's last 13 games
- Penn State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
- Penn State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Penn State's last 8 games
Expert Pick: Penn State is the 20.5-point favorite. While the Nittany Lions are good, I think the spread is bloated and don’t see them covering the spread. I’m taking the Panthers plus the points.