Ohio State covers; what about USC?
Top wagering picks for college football Week 2 based on lines from Tipico Sportsbook:
Washington (0-1) at Michigan (1-0)
This was supposed to be one of the marquee matchups of Week 2 ... until Washington lost a 13-7 stunner to FCS opponent Montana. The Huskies failed to reach 300 yards of total offense.
Michigan took care of business in a 47-14 win over Western Michigan behind efficient outings from QB Cade McNamara and RB Blake Corum, while the defense gave up just over 300 total yards. Washington will need a much better performance to keep this within a touchdown, which is far from a given.
Pick: Michigan -6.5
Stanford (0-1) at Southern California (1-0)
Stanford stumbled out of the gate in a 24-7 loss to Kansas State last week. Its once-vaunted rushing attack mustered just 1.8 yards per carry, while a two-QB rotation did little for its passing game.
USC beat San Jose State 30-7 behind 2 TDs from QB Kedon Slovis; however, the defense allowed nearly 400 yards and it was a 13-7 game entering the fourth quarter. USC should win here – it’d be the Trojans’ fourth win in this rivalry’s last five games – but this is a massive spread to cover.
Pick: Stanford +17.5
North Carolina State (1-0) at Mississippi State (1-0)
N.C. State looked sharp in its opener, beating South Florida 45-0 with a massive 525-271 edge in total yardage. That game took place on a Thursday, meaning the Wolfpack had two extra days to rest, recover and prepare for this week’s matchup.
Mississippi State barely avoided an embarrassing upset to Louisiana Tech last week. It had to rally for three fourthquarter touchdowns to win 35-34. Mississippi State committed 12 penalties and had six turnovers; similar sloppiness against a much tougher opponent in Week 2 will yield a far worse outcome. Pick: N.C. State -2.5
Ohio State (1-0) vs. Oregon (1-0)
It took Ohio State two quarters to get warmed up on the road against Minnesota last week, but their elite talent at the skill positions led to a 35-point explosion in the second half. Oregon was outgained in its Week 1 win over Fresno State, as it failed to show much explosiveness on offense while giving up nearly 300 yards in the air.
Maybe the Ducks were shaking off some first-game rust, but they’ll need to play much better to keep this one close.
Pick: Ohio State -13.5
Iowa State (1-0) vs. Iowa (1-0)
Perhaps Iowa State was caught looking ahead to this in-state showdown, but it barely won (16-10) as a 29-point favorite against FCS opponent Northern Iowa in Week 1. Iowa, on the other hand, gave up just 233 yards on defense in a dominant 34-6 win against Big Ten foe Indiana.
The Cy-Hawk Trophy, given to the winner of this rivalry, has been in the Hawkeyes’ possession since 2015. Look for it to stay that way.
Pick: Iowa +4.5