Best NCAAF Week 2 Picks & Bets: Texas Enters the Big House

• Texas enters the Big House to face Michigan 

• Nebraska faces their first test of the season against Colorado 

Is Texas back? The Longhorns had a tremendous season in 2023, making a run to the College Football Playoff semifinal. 

Washington defeated the team, but their season made people believe that the Longhorns are back to being a legitimate National Championship contender. Texas is a 7.5-point favorite on the road against Michigan, which didn’t look great against Fresno State.

The other massive game on the Week 2 schedule is Colorado vs. Nebraska. Many people believe the Cornhuskers will roll the Buffaloes, but it’s hard to discount Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. 

We’re placing these wagers on bet365 Sportsbook. As a special offer, bet365 gives new users a $1,000 safety net bet or $200 in bonus bets.

#3 Texas vs. #10 Michigan Odds on bet365

• Date: Saturday, September 7

• Time: Noon EST

• Moneyline: Texas (-315) | Michigan (+250)

• Spread: Texas -7.5 (-105) | Michigan +7.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 43.5(-110) | Under 43.5 (-110)

Pick: Texas -7.5 (-110) at bet365

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The Texas Longhorns are expected to be one of the top teams in the SEC Conference this season. They started their year with a dominant win over Colorado State 52-0. The Rams have one of the worst teams in the Mountain West, so we can’t tell much about Texas by this victory. 

Yet, the team did the little things right throughout the game by limiting their penalties and winning the turnover battle. Quinn Ewers was 20-27 for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. 

Backup Arch Manning also looked good, throwing for 95 yards and his first collegiate touchdown pass. Texas has all the weapons to make a deep run, and they have two solid quarterbacks ready for the moment. 

While it may seem wild that Texas is a 7.5-point road favorite against #10 Michigan, the line looks relatively fair. It opened at four points in favor of the Longhorns and moved significantly after Week 1. 

The Wolverines may be coming off a National Championship, but this team is entirely different. Fresno State covered against Michigan and went into the locker room down just a touchdown. 

Michigan could have been upset if it weren’t for a 17-point fourth quarter. The Wolverines offense looked lethargic as they were just 4-11 on third down with 269 yards to a mid-major program.

The team also played undisciplined, with 70 penalty yards and a turnover. If Michigan can’t score, they won’t beat Texas. The Longhorns have first-round draft picks all over the offense, and these athletes should make life challenging for the home team on Saturday.

Colorado vs. Nebraska Odds on bet365

• Date: Saturday, September 7

• Time: 7:30 PM EST

• Moneyline: Colorado (+205) | Nebraska (-255)

• Spread: Colorado +7.5 (-110) | Nebraska -7.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 59.5 (-110) | Under 59.5 (-110)

Pick: Colorado +7.5 at bet365

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Colorado opened their season last Thursday against North Dakota State. The Bison have been an FBS killer, going 6-2 in their past eight games against the division above. 

They moved to 6-3 after Colorado took care of business at Folsom Field. However, Deion Sanders said after the game that his team had more points, but it felt like they lost. 

The Buffaloes' positive was that they have the two best players in the country, Sanders and Hunter. Hunter caught seven passes for 132 yards with three touchdowns while making three solo tackles on defense. 

Sanders had a massive day throwing the football and spread the ball to multiple receivers. Nebraska has a great defense but will struggle against these two superstars. 

Most teams with two potential Heisman Trophy winners usually win, but Colorado's defense could make this tough throughout the season. 

North Dakota State's offense wasn’t very explosive, but it dominated Colorado throughout the game. The Bison had 449 yards of offense and were 7-13 on third down. 

If Nebraska had this much success, it would cruise past Colorado because its defense was better than that of NDSU. We're leaning toward the Buffaloes to cover because Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola will make his first start in a big game. 

He was 19 of 27 for 238 yards with two touchdowns against UTEP last week. The Miners may have a better defense than Colorado in some regard, but the Buffaloes will force Raiola into more mistakes. 

If the quarterback is forced to push the ball downfield, it may not look great in his first big game. Colorado beat Nebraska last season, and they have the team to be within a touchdown in 2024.