Week 3 is the first Saturday that actually prices talent instead of buy games, and the board reflects it: a genuine top-10 pick'em, two more ranked-vs-ranked lines, and a stack of top-five teams laying three and four touchdowns. Here's the whole ranked slate, then the four numbers we'd actually bet.
The full ranked & marquee board
Spreads and totals from bet365 as published by CBS Sports, as of Friday, Sept. 19. Times ET.
| Game | Line | Total |
|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Miami at Wake Forest (Fri) | Miami -21 | 55.5 |
| No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech (Fri) | Texas Tech -7.5 | 53.5 |
| No. 2 Georgia at Arkansas | Georgia -25.5 | 54.5 |
| North Carolina at Clemson | Clemson -3.5 | 44.5 |
| No. 6 Ohio State vs Kent State | Ohio State -52.5 | 58.5 |
| No. 14 Penn State vs Buffalo | Penn State -39.5 | 48.5 |
| Florida State at No. 10 Alabama | Alabama -20.5 | 49.5 |
| Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M | Texas A&M -16.5 | 49.5 |
| No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville | Louisville -1.5 | 59.5 |
| No. 12 USC at Rutgers | USC -23.5 | 59.5 |
| No. 4 Indiana vs Western Kentucky | Indiana -44.5 | 60.5 |
| No. 17 Utah vs Utah State | Utah -28 | 56.5 |
| No. 18 Iowa vs Northern Iowa | Iowa -31.5 | 48.5 |
| No. 19 Michigan vs UTEP | Michigan -35.5 | 48.5 |
| Mississippi State at South Carolina | South Carolina -3.5 | 58.5 |
| No. 20 Missouri vs Troy | Missouri -27.5 | 50.5 |
| Michigan State at No. 3 Notre Dame | Notre Dame -29.5 | 52.5 |
| New Mexico at No. 24 Oklahoma | Oklahoma -22.5 | 48.5 |
| No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss | Ole Miss -3 | 59.5 |
| West Virginia vs No. 25 Virginia | Virginia -10 | 53.5 |
| No. 1 Texas vs UTSA | Texas -29.5 | 52.5 |
The four bets we'd make
1. LSU +3 at Ole Miss
A three-point line between top-10 teams is the market saying the rosters are even and the home field is the whole margin. We'll take the points with the team that has the extra motivation — Lane Kiffin walking back into the building he built — and the belief that a coach knows the personnel he's facing better than anyone. In a game the books think is a coin flip, always rather have the field goal than lay it.
2. North Carolina +3.5 at Clemson
The most informative short line on the board. When a program with Clemson's ceiling can only lay a field goal and a half at home against an unranked opponent, the market is quietly flashing a warning. We'll take the points and the possibility of an outright upset in a game the number says is nearly even.
3. Houston +7.5 at Texas Tech
A ranked road dog getting more than a touchdown on a Friday night is exactly the kind of spot where the spread overshoots the storyline. Texas Tech is the trendier team, which is often how the favorite gets inflated. Give us the ranked underdog and the points.
4. Florida State +20.5 at Alabama
Three touchdowns is a heavy number in a game the total (49.5) says won't be a shootout, and Alabama in a "bounce-back" spot is priced for style points it doesn't always deliver. Take the points with a Florida State side that only has to keep it respectable to cash.
For the matchups behind these numbers, read the full College Football Week 3 preview.