Welcome on into my Week 3 edition of CFB best bets! We had another successful week last time out, but we were oh so close to making it even better. 

A garbage-time touchdown in Texas vs. Michigan pushed the total over by half a point, Iowa took a 13-point lead into half and LOST, let alone failed to cover, and the typically-dependent Travis Hunter was held out of the end zone.

 

 

 

We were able to counter that though with some plus-money wins with Ohio defeating South Alabama and Billy Edwards Jr. scoring a touchdown. Overall, my CFB predictions from Week 2 went 4-4, but we were able to rack up another whole unit in total. 

Which brings us here: my CFB best bets for Week 3! It’s a bit of a better slate this week than the last, so I’m confident I’ll be able to find some value for us all to cash in on. 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Saturday, 9/14

Get ready to discover my top CFB best bets for Week 3 of the college football season! In this Saturday's piece focused on CFB predictions, we’ll be tapping into the exciting games lined up for September 14th.

That said, below you will find my Memphis vs. Florida State prediction, Notre Dame vs. Purdue prediction, Oregon vs. Oregon State prediction and more. I'm excited to share my CFB picks for this Saturday with you, as a common theme this week will be playing the underdogs. Let’s get this money!

  • Season Record: 12-9
  • Units W/L: +3.5 Units

*All CFB best bets to be placed at 1 Unit unless otherwise specified. Be sure to follow me on X/Twitter @stevenw_hall!

 

 

 

Memphis vs. Florida State Prediction: Saturday, September 14th

Surely Florida State wouldn't let their season be ruined by their Week 0 loss to Georgia Tech, right? A nice rebound game against Boston College at home is just what the doctor ordered. Right? Apparently not! 

The FSU offense again looked abysmal last week against the Eagles as QB DJ Uiagalelei has tossed for just one touchdown through 8 quarters and is completing only 58% of his passes. What may be even more concerning is the fact that their defense is letting up an average of 226.5 rushing yards per game, good for all the way down at 117th in the country. 

Enter the Memphis Tigers, a team off to a hot 2-0 start and look to be the team to beat in the AAC. In their first game, Memphis tossed for 308 yards, while in their second, they ran for 211. They’ve shown balance thus far, and should be able to capitalize on the putrid run defense of FSU. 

The Tigers defense also ranks inside the top 35 in the country in many statistical categories, though – one would like to think – this is going to be a step up in competition. Neither team has been an underdog this season, and both have entered their respective games as double-digit favorites. 

The Seminoloes are 0-2 both SU and ATS, while Memphis is 2-0 in both of those categories. I’m not really sure why the books, or anyone, for that matter, are willing to trust Florida State right now.

 

 

 

Notre Dame vs. Purdue Prediction: Saturday, September 14th

Full disclosure here, I expect the Irish to bounce back and head out of Week 3 with a victory. But by double digits? That I’m not so sure of. 

Northern Illinois had the biggest upset last weekend after defeating ND, and in that game, QB Riley Leonard looked lost. He threw two picks and failed to toss for a score, meaning he has yet to even throw a single touchdown pass through two games this season. 

Notre Dame was solid defensively in Week 1 against Texas A&M, but average-at-best against NIU. Either way, their offense is going to need to pick it up if they want any chance at winning this game, let alone covering. 

On the other side, Hudson Card is a veteran gunslinger for the Boilermakers who gets some solid help with his options out of the backfield. They’ve played just once so far – a 49-0 win over Indiana State – but they should be amped for this chance to put themselves on the map. 

We’ve seen ranked teams come into Ross-Ade Stadium and struggle countless times before, and I think this could be another matchup where ND is tested right up until the final snap.

 

 

 

Oregon vs. Oregon State Prediction: Saturday, September 14th

Another underdog to round out my CFB best bets for Week 3, because why not? I 100% believed in the Ducks entering this season and thought they were, at their very worst, the 3rd best team in college football. 

So far, I couldn’t have been more wrong as Oregon has simply just managed to escape with a couple victories over Idaho and Boise State – both matchups being played at Autzen Stadium. Now for their first road game of 2024, they play at their in-state rival; not usually a recipe for success. 

The Beavers beat a solid San Diego State team a week ago and their defense looks legit, allowing just 7.5 per game so far. Oh yeah, they also have run for 299.5 yards per game (5th in college football) at this point, and Oregon just let up 221 against Boise in Week 2. 

The Ducks offense was clicking, but their defense was not. In Week 1, it was the opposite. This is to say that we haven’t seen Oregon yet play a complete game on both sides of the ball, and counting on doing so in a rivalry game is a tough ask. They SHOULD win, but this is a lot of points in this case. 

Of their last 11 matchups, 7 of those were decided by 16 or less. Of those 7, 6 were decided by 10 or less. And, when this game’s been played in Corvallis, as it is on Saturday, OSU has won the last 2 contests outright and 3 of the last 4. We don’t even need them to do that here; just keep it competitive.

 

 

 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks - Saturday, 9/14