CFB betting: Biggest games of Week 2
Week 2 of the college football season features two games that will pit top-20 teams against each other. One will see Texas A&M battling No.1 Clemson in Death Valley, while the other will feature LSU and Texas squaring off in a matchup with national title implications.
Here is the betting information for all of Week 2's biggest matchups.
LSU at Texas
Line: LSU -5.5
No. 6 LSU against No. 9 Texas in Austin is one of the biggest matchups of the season. When the Westgate LV SuperBook released its games of the year, Texas was a one-point favorite at home. However, the betting market is buying LSU after its impressive 55-3 win over Georgia Southern. The spread opened LSU -4 at most sportsbooks, but it's up to -5.5 at ScoreBet.
Texas was impressive in its opener as well, dismantling Louisiana Tech by a 45-14 scoreline. However, the Longhorns lost freshman running back Jordan Whittington to a sports hernia and will enter this game very thin at the position. It could be an issue on Saturday when Sam Ehlinger and Co. face an LSU defense that held Georgia Southern's option offense to just 74 rushing yards and a 1.9 YPC average.
While the early money came in on LSU, bet against Texas head coach Tom Herman as an underdog at your own risk. Herman is 14-2 ATS as an underdog with an astonishing 11 outright wins. This is a tough game to call, but with the line climbing and given Herman's success as an underdog, the value is with the Longhorns at home.
Texas A&M at Clemson
Line: Clemson -18
Playing in the ACC, Clemson won't face many tough tests this year. In fact, the Tigers' two best chances of losing a game in the regular season will come in the next two weeks - at home against Texas A&M and then a trip to Syracuse.
This week's line opened Clemson -18.5 but is down to -17 at many Las Vegas sportsbooks. Meanwhile, the Tigers are still laying 18 points at ScoreBet in New Jersey. The Aggies almost upset the eventual national champions last season in College Station, but fell 28-26 after a two-point conversion attempt in the final minute failed. Still, Kellen Mond was one of the few quarterbacks who figured out Clemson's defense last season, as he threw for 430 yards in the contest. Mond is off to a fast start in 2019, as he accounted for four touchdowns in a 41-7 Week 1 win over Texas State.
Clemson is on a 9-1-1 ATS run and has gone 12-4 ATS in its last 16 non-conference home games when favored by 20 points or less. However, Texas A&M won't be intimated after last season's close loss, while the Aggies are also 21-1 straight up in the second game of the season over the last 22 years. The public will be all over the Tigers, but expect sharp money to keep the spread around -17 or -18 up until kickoff.
Army at Michigan
Line: Michigan -22.5
In maybe the most interesting matchup of the week, Army will take its option offense and stellar defense on the road to the Big House against No. 7 Michigan. While big things are expected from the Wolverines in 2019, this is a dangerous game.
The Black Knights struggled in their opener, defeating Rice 14-7 despite being 21-point favorites. The vaunted Army rushing attack was held to just 231 yards, but don't read too much into that game. Army is 25-5 straight up in its last 30 contests, with only one loss by more than 20 points. The Black Knights have also excelled in the underdog role, going 17-6 ATS in their last 23 as a road 'dog of 21.5 points or more. They were in a similar spot last season as 30-point underdogs at Oklahoma, and almost upset the Sooners before falling 28-21 in overtime.
The Wolverines got off to a slow start last week against Middle Tennessee but pulled away for a 40-21 win. Quarterback Shea Patterson threw three touchdown passes but struggled at times in the new-look Michigan offense, recording just 231 total yards and fumbling twice. The Wolverines haven't been a profitable heavy favorite under Jim Harbaugh, going 1-9 ATS when laying at least 19 points. Harbaugh is also just 7-13 ATS overall in his coaching career when favored by at least 20 points.
Michigan opened -23 but is down to -22 at some sportsbooks. ScoreBet has Michigan -22.5, so the early money is coming in on Army. Expect the Black Knights to stay within the number in what looks like a physical, low-scoring game.
Thomas Casale is theScore's Supervising Editor of Sports Betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.