Stanford Steve and The Bear: Week 2 college football picks, bets & nuggets

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Stanford Steve and The Bear: Week 2 college football picks, bets and nuggets​

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"Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Chris "The Bear" Fallica preview Week 2 of the 2022 college football season as only they can, offering their top bets, nuggets and totals worth wagering on.

Odds and lines are from Caesars Sportsbook unless otherwise noted.

Records:
The Bear (Last week: 3-1-1. Season: 4-1-1)
Stanford Steve (Last week: 2-3. Season: 2-3)

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The plays​

Appalachian State Mountaineers at No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies (-19, 54)

The Bear: The Aggies weren't great last week, and this typically is a spot where I would fade a team with a big home game the following week, like A&M does with Miami. But Appalachian State's near upset of North Carolina after appearing completely beaten likely has the Aggies' attention. The Mountaineers probably won't find the A&M defense as soft as UNC's, and that could mean we get the blowout we were on the way to getting last week.



Pick: Texas A&M -19

No. 10 USC Trojans (-8.5, 67.5) at Stanford Cardinal

Stanford Steve: Both teams did the job last week, each scoring over 40 points versus inferior competition in nonconference games. This matchup, I feel, sways toward the Trojans when you look at the film. The number of toys Caleb Williams has to play with in Lincoln Riley's offense is plentiful, and the team speed for Stanford's defense doesn't look great. The other problem is Stanford's D-line lacks what you need to disrupt the Trojans. Can Stanford keep up with the USC offense? The Cardinal sure have a capable offense, led by QB Tanner McKee, but I think the Trojans have too much. I'll lay the points with the road team.

Pick: USC -8.5 (USC 41, Stanford 24)

Akron Zips at No. 14 Michigan State Spartans (-34.5, 56)

The Bear: Akron's opener was ugly; there's no way around it. But catching roughly five TDs versus a Michigan State team that led Western Michigan 21-13 entering the fourth quarter last week and has a road test at Washington next week has me on Joe Moorhead's bunch for an ugly hold-your-nose cover.

Pick: Akron +34.5

Kent State Golden Flashes at No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners (-33.5, 72.5)

Stanford Steve: Taking the over in Oklahoma games might turn into a weekly occurrence. Oklahoma scored 45 last week, while Kent State gave up 45. I'll take the over.

Pick: Over 72.5 (Oklahoma 55, Kent State 20)

Mississippi State Bulldogs (-10.5, 60) at Arizona Wildcats

The Bear: I think last week's result might prove to be more in line with San Diego State being bad, as opposed to Arizona being that good. This number has come down some, and Arizona has the look of public underdog. I like that. I don't think the Arizona passing game will have the type of success it did last week, and the Wildcats will face a far better offense this week, as well.

Pick: Mississippi State -10.5

Stanford Steve: How can you not be excited for Mike Leach and his Bulldogs heading out to Tucson for a late kickoff versus the Wildcats. Will Rogers was fantastic last week in a weather-delayed win over Memphis, throwing for 450 yards and five scores, while Arizona pulled off the upset versus the Aztecs thanks to their QB, Washington State transfer Jayden de Laura, who threw for 299 yards and four TDs. You know things will get weird late at night in Tucson. We'll take the over.

Pick: Over 60 (Mississippi State 45, Arizona 28)

Boston College Eagles at Virginia Tech Hokies (-2.5, 46)

Stanford Steve: Both teams are coming off tough losses; BC blew a fourth-quarter lead at home versus Rutgers, and Virginia Tech lost at Old Dominion. And both look to get right in a conference game. But it feels as if each might not be strong on the offensive side of the ball, as the Eagles only ran for 29 yards, and VaTech turned the ball over five times. So, the expectation is that it will be a low-scoring affair and tightly contested. I do believe Eagles wideout Zay Flowers will be the best player on the field and he will be the difference. I'll take the road team getting the points.

Pick: Boston College +2.5 (Boston College 21, Virginia Tech 20)

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The Bear's money-line parlay​

$100 returns $109
Last week +100

Alabama Crimson Tide -1400
Miami Hurricanes -3500
Penn State Nittany Lions -2800
Texas A&M Aggies -950
West Virginia Mountaineers -500
Nebraska Cornhuskers -2100
Auburn Tigers -2100
Mississippi State Bulldogs -380

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The Bear's underdogs to play on the money line​

Last week -0.65 units

Ball State Cardinals +195
Houston Cougars +130

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Bear bytes​

Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors at No. 4 Michigan Wolverines

Since 1979, there have been 17 games in which an FBS team was favored by at least 51.5 points over another FBS team. Those teams went 5-12 against the spread (1-7 past 25 years).

In 2019, there were two games that were this big: Ohio State -52 vs. Rutgers (didn't cover) and Alabama -55 vs. New Mexico State (didn't cover). Prior to that, one has to go back to 2013 to find this big of a spread.

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at Texas Longhorns

Under Nick Saban, Alabama has been a favorite of at least 20 points away from home 26 times. Alabama is 26-0 in those games, and only once has the contest been decided by seven points or fewer. That game was at Auburn last year, when Alabama was a 20.5-point favorite and survived 24-22. Alabama is 18-8 ATS in those 26 games.

Iowa State Cyclones at Iowa Hawkeyes

Since 2015 when Iowa played for the Big Ten championship, it has been favored by fewer than six points 20 times. The Hawkeyes have won 19 of them, with the only loss coming at Purdue in 2020. Sixteen of the 20 games saw a spread of 3.5 or less. Iowa is 15-1 outright and 12-4 ATS in those games. Four of those wins came over Iowa State.

Kansas Jayhawks at West Virginia Mountaineers


Saturday's contest will be the 110th straight Big 12 game in which Kansas is an underdog. The last time KU was favored in a Big 12 game was 2009 versus Kansas State when Mark Mangino was still the coach. However, things are looking up. This is the first time KU is a 'dog of fewer than 14 points in a Big 12 game since 2019, when it lost 38-10 to Kansas State.

KU has covered three straight as a Big 12 underdog, losing last year to West Virginia by six as a 15.5-point 'dog, losing to TCU by three as a 21-point 'dog and beating Texas by one as a 31-point 'dog.

No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats at No. 12 Florida Gators

UK has won two of the past four meetings and is 4-0-1 ATS in the past five. Prior to UK's win in 2018, the Cats lost 31 straight to the Gators.

No. 10 USC Trojans at Stanford Cardinal

Stanford has lost seven straight versus FBS opponents, averaging 14.3 points in those seven games.