College football betting odds, picks for K-State, KU-Mizzou and more in Week 2
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas and Missouri enter Border War with momentum and high offensive output.
- K-State's inconsistency keeps Army close as Wildcats struggle in early games.
- Texas, USC and BYU expected to cover large spreads after Week 1 underwhelms.
Here’s some betting advice to file away for next season: Bet the under in Week 1.
Defenses ruled and offenses drooled over the weekend as most teams across the country played in their first games of 2025.
The marquee matchups were exceptionally low scoring. Ohio State beat Texas 14-7 and LSU defeated Clemson 17-10.
Worst of all was a pillow fight between Wyoming and Akron, which the Cowboys won 10-0.
Let’s hope for some more exciting scores in Week 2.
Kansas (+6.5) at Missouri in Border War revival
The timing of this rivalry game worked out well for both sides. Kansas is off to a 2-0 start that has featured dominant wins over Fresno State and Wagner. Missouri also looked strong in its opener against Central Arkansas. How cool is it that both teams are good when they finally decide to bring back the Border War?
The Tigers are understandably favored in this one. They will be playing at home, and they have a better track record than the Jayhawks in big games. But this point spread might be a smidgen high. Jalon Daniels has the KU offense humming. The underdog and the over (50.5) both have value.
Army (+17.5) at Kansas State
Neither of these teams looked good against FCS opponents last week. Army blew a 14-point lead against Tarleton State and lost in overtime. K-State needed a last-minute drive from Avery Johnson to avoid disaster against North Dakota.
Which team is poised for a bounce-back? If K-State can build an early lead it could easily cover this spread. But if Army finds early success with its triple-option offense it will be hard for the Wildcats to win by a significant margin. Given how mediocre K-State has looked through two games, it wouldn’t come as a surprise for Army to keep this one close.
My favorite college football bets for Week 2
1. San Jose State (+36.5) at Texas: Arch Manning and the Longhorns both looked mediocre last week, but that may have said more about Ohio State than it did Texas. I still think the Longhorns are one of the best teams in the country. And their offense is certainly capable of scoring more than seven points per game. Now that they are back home and not playing the Buckeyes, I expect the Longhorns to take out their frustrations on San Jose State. Pick: Texas.
2. Oklahoma State (+28.5) at Oregon: This point spread is downright insulting to Oklahoma State. The Ducks were favored by less than this number last week against Montana State. I am down on the Cowboys just like everybody else this season, but this spread seems too big. Mike Gundy will find a way to keep the score within four touchdowns. Pick: Oklahoma State.
3. Georgia Southern (+28.5) at USC: The Trojans scored 73 points against Missouri State last week. Lincoln Riley never takes his foot off the gas in games like this. Pick: USC.
4. Stanford (+18.5) at BYU: The Cardinal might be the worst power-conference team in all of college football this season. I am looking to fade them until further notice. Pick: BYU.
5. Michigan (+4.5) at Oklahoma: Both of these teams love to run the ball and are better known for defense than offense. That seems like a perfect formula for an under, especially early in the season when both teams may have nerves. Pick: Under 45.5.
Last week: 2-3 (-1.3 units).
Other bets worth considering
UAB (+21.5) at Navy: I couldn’t bring myself to include this among my best bets, because I can’t imagine that anyone reading this column is eager to put their hard-earned money on Trent Dilfer or UAB. But it’s extremely hard for a service academy to win by more than three touchdowns. Consider holding your nose and betting on the Blazers. Lean: UAB.
Iowa (+2.5) at Iowa State: The Cyclones have looked terrific so far this season. Not only did they beat K-State in Dublin but they backed it up with a blowout victory over South Dakota. I won’t be surprised if they keep the good vibes rolling against their cross-state rivals. Lean: Iowa State.
Middle Tennessee State (+28.5) at Wisconsin: The Badgers are going to beat up on Middle Tennessee State. There is no doubt about that after MTSU was unable to compete with Austin Peay last week. But can we trust Wisconsin to score more than 30 points? Lean: Wisconsin.
Arizona State (-6.5) at Mississippi State: This is the type of point spread that Arizona State should cover if it is truly the class of the Big 12. Lean: Arizona State.
Vanderbilt (+1.5) at Virginia Tech: Are we sure the right team is favored here? Lean: Vanderbilt.
Last week: 4-1 (+2.9 units).
Upset pick of the week
West Virginia at Ohio (+160): The last time a Big 12 football team traveled to Athens for a game against Ohio, things did not go well for the favorite. The Bobcats won that game 10-7 against the Iowa State Cyclones in 2023. A similar fate could be in store for West Virginia, which is adjusting to new coach Rich Rodriguez. The Mountaineers were far from impressive in their opening win over Robert Morris. Meanwhile, Ohio played Rutgers hard on the road. This feels like a good time to back the MAC team at home. Pick: Ohio.
Last week: 0-1 (-1 unit).