College football Week 2 betting: Expert shares bets to make now or to wait on, including Michigan vs. Oklahoma

The first full Saturday of college football is behind us, but now it’s time to turn our attention to Week 2. The upcoming slate isn’t peppered with huge matchups like the first week, although the Michigan-Oklahoma headliner will have major playoff implications.

Each Sunday during the season, I will preview some of the bigger college football games early in the week, give my initial lean and recommend to either bet it early or wait for a better line. Just for clarification, I will always mention if I already bet the game personally so there is no confusion. 

My official Week 2 plays will be out later in the week, and I will also post all my picks in the SportsLine Discord as soon as I bet them. This article is more about giving advice so you can get the best number in the higher-profile games every Saturday. 

Here are my thoughts on the Week 2 matchups:

Oklahoma Sooners (-3.5) vs. Michigan Wolverines

The big game on Saturday features two teams looking to crash the College Football Playoff party. We have already seen early line movement in this game. The lookahead number was Oklahoma -2.5 at home, but as of Sunday, the Sooners had moved to -3.5.

I don’t know if I’m betting this one yet because there are a lot of variables, including freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood making his first start on the road. Underwood was impressive in his debut at home against New Mexico, throwing for 251 yards and a score, but Oklahoma isn’t New Mexico. 

I don’t see this number getting too high, or we will see some buyback on Michigan in what is projected to be a close, defensive game. However, given the initial move past -3, I don’t expect it to get below that number again, either. If you like the Sooners, I would bet it early. If you are on the Michigan side, wait for +4 or better. 

Bet: Oklahoma -3.5

Iowa Hawkeyes (+2.5) vs. Iowa State Cyclones

When Iowa and Iowa State get together, you can expect a close, low-scoring game, as nine of the last 13 meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Cyclones are at home on Saturday, although that might not be an advantage. Iowa has won the last six meetings in Ames.

Iowa State is playing its third straight game to start the season, with the first one being in Ireland. The Hawkeyes had just one tune up against Albany where they didn’t have to show much on offense with new quarterback Mark Gronowski. Yes, as scary as it sounds, Iowa was vanilla on offense, even by the program’s standards. 

This is always an interesting game that typically goes down to the wire. I might be interested in backing the Hawkeyes if the number gets to +3. You don’t have to run to bet Iowa early. I can’t see the number going much lower than 2.5. Wait and see where it settles. 

Wait: Iowa +3 or better

Vanderbilt Commodores (+3) vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

I’m writing this article on Sunday before the Virginia Tech-South Carolina game. DraftKings had Vanderbilt +3 in Blacksburg for Week 2. I believe the wrong team is favored here and there is value on the Commodores if you can get that number. 

Virginia Tech is more than a touchdown underdog at South Carolina. If they lose that game, I don’t believe you will be able to get Vanderbilt +3 on Monday. It’s a bit risky because the Hokies could pull the upset, although I honestly don’t see this spread going any higher regardless of the outcome on Sunday. 

I make Vanderbilt -2 on the road. We rarely get five points of value in college football. The Commodores +3 at DraftKings is the one early game I bet and gave out on SportsLine for Week 2. I believe we will see the line move quite a bit throughout the week. 

Bet: Vanderbilt +3 (DraftKings)