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College football Week 2 underdog plays: Bama facing historic spread

John Todd/ISI Photos / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Each week of the college football season, we'll highlight some of the best underdog bets, including some that could net sizable moneyline profits.

Last week, a crazy coaching situation and some costly turnovers sank our hopeful underdogs. Here are our best bets for Week 2:

No. 21 Syracuse (+2) at Maryland

Opening line: Syracuse -3

The fact that the Orange opened as road favorites is notable, but so is their dominant defensive performance from Week 1. Hugh Freeze may have been coaching from a hospital bed on the other sideline, but Dino Babers' crew still registered eight sacks and allowed -4 rushing yards in a 24-0 win as 19-point favorites.

Now Syracuse is getting points against a Maryland team that opened with a 3.5-game win total. The Terrapins' maligned aerial attack showed signs in last week's blowout win over FCS foe Howard, but their offensive line is susceptible along the edge, which is a poor sign against the Orange's ferocious pass rush.

As Thomas Casale outlined in his best bets, Babers is 19-9-1 ATS in career road games and 6-0-1 ATS following a double-digit win. Take Syracuse plus the points, and don't be afraid to grab the moneyline on the better team.

No. 23 Stanford (+2.5) at USC

Opening line: Stanford +2.5

The Battle of Backups hovered between pick 'em and USC -1 after news that Stanford's K.J. Costello and USC's JT Daniels would both miss Saturday's affair. Bettors have since wagered USC up to -2.5, which leaves enticing value on the road dog.

Stanford is 13-4 SU under defensive coordinator Lance Anderson when facing a quarterback with fewer than seven starts, according to the Mercury News. USC true freshman Kedon Slovis isn't a can't-miss prospect like Daniels was, and he won't have much of a run game to support him.

Former five-star recruit Davis Mills has never started for Stanford but is in his third year under head coach David Shaw, who's 6-3-1 ATS against USC and 3-1 ATS as an underdog. In a game that could get ugly between inexperienced QBs, take the points and the superior defense.

New Mexico State (+54.5) at No. 2 Alabama

Opening line: New Mexico State +54.5

I know what you're thinking: Why in the world would anybody bet against Alabama as massive favorites? Because despite what you might expect, the Crimson Tide have been horrendous in similar spots.

Alabama is 2-10 ATS as 45-point favorites or larger under Nick Saban and 0-6 ATS when favored by at least 49. The Tide failed to cover by an average of 13 points in those six games, and if Saturday's line of -54.5 holds, it'll be the second-biggest number in Saban's tenure.

New Mexico State is no juggernaut, but are the Aggies really that much worse than past iterations of Florida Atlantic, Western Carolina, Georgia State, Louisiana Lafayette, and the Citadel? You'd be bonkers to bet the moneyline here, but sprinkle some side action on a historic underdog.

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.

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