College football odds, picks, top predictions for Week 2, 2024: Proven computer backs Oklahoma in best bets

The Week 2 college football schedule includes top-25 battles, conference games and in-state rivalries, but one matchup in particular stands out above the rest in terms of long-term significance. No. 10 Michigan is the defending national champion and the Wolverines will host the No. 3 Texas Longhorns on Saturday in a game with massive College Football Playoff implications. Texas is coming off a dominant 52-0 win over Colorado State, while Michigan beat Fresno State 30-10 in a game that was harder fought than the score would seem to indicate.

Now the Longhorns are 7.5-point favorites on the road over the Wolverines according to the latest Week 2 college football odds via the SportsLine consensus. In the only other top-25 matchup on the schedule, No. 14 Tennessee is a 10-point favorite over No. 24 NC State. So how should you be playing those games, and what other Week 2 college football lines should you be targeting? Before locking in any Week 2 college football picks, be sure to see the latest college football predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns. 

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds and Week 2 college football betting lines on the spread, money line, and over/under. Head here to see every pick.

Top college football predictions for Week 2 

One of the college football picks the model is high on during Week 2: South Carolina (+10) covers against Kentucky at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Wildcats got off to a strong start with a 31-0 win over Southern Miss in Week 1, but they barely played five minutes of the second half before the game was called off due to weather. They are facing a much tougher opponent this week, and that lack of game action could hurt them against a South Carolina team that rallied for a win over Old Dominion. 

Gamecocks freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers could wind up being one of the most electric quarterbacks in the conference this season, bringing a unique dual-threat ability to the table. He rushed for 68 yards and the game-winning touchdown last week, and he will create problems for Kentucky’s defense on Saturday afternoon. SportsLine’s model anticipates a low-scoring game between these schools, with South Carolina covering as double-digit underdogs in well over 50% simulations. See the rest of its Week 2 college football picks here. 

Another prediction: No. 16 Oklahoma (-27.5) easily covers the huge spread against Houston in a 7:45 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday. Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables saw his program improve from six wins in 2022 to 10 in 2023 and now the Sooners are making the transition to the SEC. They opened their season with a 51-3 win over Temple last week and it was Venables’ defense that was the main attraction, holding the Owls to 197 yards of offense and forcing six turnovers.

Meanwhile, Houston began its first season under new head coach Willie Fritz with a 27-7 loss to UNLV. The Cougars only managed 247 yards of total offense and starting quarterback Donovan Smith averaged only 4.5 yards per pass attempt while throwing two interceptions. The model is expecting this talented Oklahoma defense to feast on a Houston offense that is clearly in flux. It’s predicting that the Sooners cover in more than 60% of simulations despite the sizable spread. See picks for every other game in Week 2 here. 

How to make college football picks for Week 2

The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every FBS matchup in Week 2, and it’s calling for multiple underdogs to win outright. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So what college football picks can you make with confidence, and which underdogs win outright? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams 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.

College football odds for Week 2

See full Week 2 college football picks, odds, predictions here

Friday, Sept. 6

BYU at SMU (-11.5, 55.5)

Duke at Northwestern (-2, 37.5)

Saturday, Sept. 7

Texas at Michigan (+7.5, 42.5)

Arkansas at Oklahoma State (-7.5, 62.5)

Kansas State at Tulane (+9.5, 47)

South Carolina at Kentucky (-9, 42.5)

Iowa State at Iowa (-3, 35.5)

Baylor at Utah (-14.5, 55.5)

Michigan State at Maryland (-9.5, 44)

Virginia at Wake Forest (-1.5, 55.5)

South Florida at Alabama (-30.5, 64)

Western Michigan at Ohio State (-37.5, 54)

Colorado at Nebraska (-7, 56.5)

Houston at Oklahoma (-27.5, 49.5)

Tennessee vs. NC State (+10, 60.5)

Boise State at Oregon (-21, 60.5)

Mississippi State at Arizona State (-5.5, 59)

Utah State at USC (-28.5, 63)