College football picks, schedule: Predictions against the spread, odds for NCAA top 25 games in Week 3

The Week 3 college football schedule is not loaded with matchups between AP Top 25-ranked teams, but a closer look at the top games reveals a Saturday slate filled with upset potential. There are eight different games featuring a ranked team on the road against an unranked team, and four of those matchups feature in-state rivals. If there’s a Saturday in the season that is filled with multiple upsets — and there almost always is at least one — the Week 3 schedule offers plenty of opportunities to see a couple underdogs chalk up huge home wins. 

The day gets started with No. 4 Alabama hitting the road to face Wisconsin and the Camp Randall Stadium crowd, while No. 16 LSU gets its SEC schedule started in a showdown with South Carolina in Columbia. In the afternoon slate, No. 18 Notre Dame will look to bounce back at Purdue and No. 9 Oregon faces a hostile crowd at Oregon State as those two schools renew their rivalry for the 128th time. What follows is a night window that includes both No. 1 Georgia looking for its 42nd consecutive regular season win squaring off with Kentucky in Lexington and Colorado renewing its rivalry with Colorado State after last year’s overtime thriller. 

All of it sets up for the kind of Saturday where we learn much more about the top teams in the country and potentially get some memorable moments for underdogs looking to log an upset win. 

Be sure to stick with CBS Sports all day Saturday for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for the best games in Week 3.

Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern

No. 4 Alabama at Wisconsin

Noon | Fox, fubo (Try for free) — Wisconsin has been underwhelming offensively through two games with Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback. Alabama could barely get out of its own way in Week 2 against South Florida as an endless cascade of penalties hampered the Crimson Tide’s attack. Conversely, Alabama was solid defensively against a potent South Florida attack, holding the Bulls to 2 of 18 on third-down conversion attempts. Containing ‘Bama quarterback Jalen Milroe will be challenging for the Badgers. But even if he gets loose, it’s hard to imagine both teams scoring enough to surpass this point total. Pick: Under 51.5 — David Cobb

No. 16 LSU at South Carolina

Noon | ESPN, fubo (Try for free) — Honestly, I don’t love anything in this game. The total seems just about right, but while I’m hesitant to back LSU as a road favorite of this size, this matchup doesn’t seem to be too bad for the Tigers. LSU’s defensive weakness is its secondary, and I don’t know that South Carolina is capable of exploiting it like some other teams. Pick: LSU -7 — Tom Fornelli

No. 18 Notre Dame at Purdue

3:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Many successful coaching tenures at Purdue were highlighted with historic wins over Notre Dame, and this certainly appears to be a fallible version. If the Boilermakers can protect quarterback Hudson Card, he represents one of the best quarterbacks the Fighting Irish will defend this season. Notre Dame will pull away for a victory, but Purdue will give the Irish their best shot. Pick: Purdue +10.5 — Shehan Jayarajah

No. 9 Oregon at Oregon State

3:30 p.m. | Fox, fubo (Try for free) — Oregon has not yet come close to its top form, but the issues that have prevented the Ducks from meeting expectations are fixable. The offensive line struggles seemed to smooth out during the Boise State game thanks to a mid-game personnel shuffle. If Oregon can avoid the mental mistakes (penalties especially) that have popped up the last two weeks, it won’t take long for all the talented pieces to fall into place. I’m expecting this road environment to bring out the best in Dan Lanning’s crew as Oregon rolls. Pick: Oregon -16.5 — Chip Patterson

Colorado at Colorado State

7:30 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — Colorado is 2-5 under Sanders outside the friendly confines of Folsom Field. We’ve already seen how things can unravel for the Buffaloes on the road this season. They had nine penalties for a total of 104 yards against Nebraska last week and failed to find any sort of rhythm as their first five offensive drives ended in three punts, a turnover on downs and a pick six. It will also be interesting to see how Sanders’ team responds from adversity. The 2023 season showed us that the wheels can come off quickly if losses start stacking up. Not picking Colorado State to win, but the Rams should be able to keep it close.  Pick: Colorado State +7.5 — Will Backus

No. 1 Georgia at Kentucky

7:30 p.m. | ABC, fubo (Try for free) — The prospect of facing Georgia’s defensive line is daunting. Kentucky imploded last week against South Carolina, recording just 183 yards while allowing five sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The feeling here is Vandagriff will be having nightmares after facing his former team Saturday. Georgia’s longest winning streak against an SEC team is Kentucky, which has lost 14 straight to the Bulldogs. The average margin of victory: 19 points.  Pick: Georgia -24 — Brandon Marcello

Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 3? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned over $2,000 in profit since its inception — and find out.