It’s time for another jam-packed Saturday of college football action.
For Week 3 of College Football, the menu is filled with appealing options. We’ll see ranked teams throughout the all-day slate, many of which are installed as hefty favorites. There’s also a slew of rivalry games, and conference play kicking off for several programs.
Attempting to find the upsets among dozens of games can be incredibly challenging. For some potential clues on what’s to come, public betting trends, odds movement, and current lines make for a great starting point.
BetMGM data on Week 3 underdogs
The first two weeks of regular season action are in the books. Betting attention shifts toward what’s to come in Week 3. According to BetMGM Sportsbook, several of this week’s heavy favorites have been popular among bettors.
“SEC games are always heavily bet and have taken the most action in Week 3. Alabama is the most popular team to cover on Saturday. Bettors are confident Texas and Georgia go over their number as well. Any of these teams not covering would be good for the sportsbook.” – Michael Ranftle, Senior Trader, BetMGM
However, betting insight data provided by the sportsbook also points to several underdogs that are capturing interest for this week’s games.
Popular underdogs on the spread
For college football Week 3, there are a number of double-digit underdogs. Several of them are playing at home and have been attracting interest from bettors at BetMGM.
Oklahoma State at Tulsa (+19.5)
Oklahoma State needed double overtime last week to escape with a 39-31 victory over visiting Arkansas. The Cowboys are 2-0 straight up and 1-1 against the spread as they travel to face Tulsa as hefty 19.5-point favorites.
The Golden Hurricanes enter at 1-1 overall and ATS after dropping a 28-24 road decision to Arkansas State. The most recent meeting of the two programs happened in 2021, a 28-23 win for Oklahoma State. At BetMGM, 75% of the total handle is looking for a Tulsa cover.
Oregon at Oregon State (+20.5)
The latest round of college football conference realignment has separated these two programs, but the rivalry continues this season. Oregon is 2-0, but had to dig deep to pull out victories over both Idaho and Boise State.
Oregon State is also 2-0, with victories over Idaho State and San Diego State. At BetMGM, 68% of total bets call for the Beavers to cover, but the handle on the game is split down the middle. The teams have split the last four meetings, with Oregon winning last year 31-7.
Notre Dame at Purdue (+10)
Notre Dame is a -10 favorite for the trip to Purdue, but bettors at BetMGM are leaning toward a Boilermakers cover. The line has tightened from 12.5 since the initial release. A total of 64% of bets and 65% of the total handle are on Purdue to cover.
The Fighting Irish dropped a 16-14 stunner to visiting Northern Illinois last week after entering as massive 28.5-point favorites. Now 1-1, they’ll try to get back on track on Saturday. Purdue is 1-0 and had last week off following a 49-0 victory over Indiana State.
Popular moneyline underdog bets
Beyond the popular point spread bets for this week’s matchups, a handful of underdogs are attracting moneyline wagers at BetMGM to win the game outright.
LSU at South Carolina (+220)
LSU is 1-1 and begins SEC play with a trip to take on South Carolina. The Tigers fell to USC in the opener and rebounded with a win over Nicholls last week. The Gamecocks are a perfect 2-0 with victories over Old Dominion and Kentucky.
Bettors at BetMGM are leaning toward South Carolina pulling out the upset as home dogs. A total of 71% of handle and 65% of moneyline bets have landed on that side of the ledger. LSU has won the last seven over South Carolina, taking the last one 52-24 in 2020.
Boston College (+550) at Missouri
Boston College has opened the season at 2-0, picking up an upset over Florida State in the opener and following with a dominant shutout over Duquesne. The Eagles were ranked 24th in the latest AP Top 25 poll and hit the road to take on No. 6 Missouri.
The Tigers are off to a sizzling 2-0 start, racking up 89 combined points against Murray State and Buffalo while holding both opponents off the scoreboard. Boston College is a heavy road underdog, but 79% of bets and 73% of handle at BetMGM is on the Eagles to win.
Colorado at Colorado State (+220)
This rivalry has produced some memorable contests through the years. Last season, Colorado escaped with a 43-35 overtime win over Colorado State. The Rams get home field this time around, and 86% of bets and 83% of the handle at BetMGM call for an upset.
The Buffaloes enter at 1-1. They pulled out a close home win over North Dakota State in the opener and struggled through a 28-10 loss to Nebraska last week. Colorado State is also 1-1, rebounding from a shutout loss to Texas with a 38-17 victory over Northern Colorado.
Were there any big college football upsets last week?
Last week’s most stunning upset saw the fifth-ranked team in the nation go down to defeat at home. Notre Dame walked onto the field as a 28.5-point favorite over visiting Northern Illinois. The Fighting Irish were stunned 16-14 on a late 35-yard game-winning field goal by the Huskies.
On the spread, Oregon survived another scare while failing to cover. A week after having a rough time with Idaho after entering as double-digit favorites, the same scenario happened as they hosted Boise State. The Ducks escaped with a 37-34 win, missing the cover as -17.5 favorites.
