It has been a while, but Cap’n Kielar is back with some bets for Week 3 of the college football season! There are some very good games all throughout the day, starting at noon all the way until 12:30 a.m. EST Sunday! While you watch over 12 hours of football, you will probably want some skin in the game. With that said, let’s try to win some money together. All times are eastern time.
7 Cincinnati (-3.5) at Indiana – 12:00 p.m
Maybe the fact that this is a home game for Indiana is why the line is so small. But despite trouncing their opponent 56-14 last week (Idaho), the Hoosiers won’t be able to keep up with the Bearcats. Indiana got manhandled in Week 1 against Iowa, 34-6, while Michael Penix, Jr. threw three interceptions. Cincinnati has a much better defense than the Idaho squad Penix faced last week. They rank 18th in the country in total defense and allow just 3.74 yards per play. Slowing down the run game will be key for the Bearcats to force Penix to do it with his arm. Senior running back Stephen Carr ran for 118 yards on 22 rushes last week. Cincinnati allowed just 82 total yards on the ground over the first two weeks. Take them to cover easily behind the defense, Heisman candidate Desmond Ridder, and running back Jerome Ford.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bet: Cincinnati (-3.5)
Nebraska (+22.5) at Oklahoma – 12:00 p.m.
On the 50th anniversary of the “Game of the Century”, Nebraska meets Oklahoma for the first time since 2010. On Thanksgiving 1971, No. 1 Nebraska took down No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31. Their last meeting was in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game in which the Sooners squeaked out a 23-20 win over the Cornhuskers.
This time around, Oklahoma is a major favorite behind Heisman candidate Spencer Rattler. But Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez can make plays to keep this to within three touchdowns. He can do it with his legs and his arm, as he has 247 scramble yards this season. Fumbles are an issue, as Martinez had two in the Cornhuskers loss to Illinois and one against Fordham. Meanwhile, Oklahoma leads the nation in forced fumbles, so Martinez will have to have a clean box score to give Nebraska a chance. The Nebraska defense is solid, especially the front seven that averages more than 6.5 tackles for loss a game. Rattler and the high-scoring Oklahoma offense will be a tough test, but they will make enough plays to keep this one semi-close. With the explosiveness of Martinez and the Big-12 Sooner offense being in shootouts, you can also play the over.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bet: Nebraska (+22.5), Over 61.5
Purdue (+7.5) at Notre Dame – 2:30 p.m
This could easily be a trap game for Notre Dame, as they look ahead to their ranked matchup at current 18th ranked Wisconsin next week. Additionally, they have won each of their first two games by three points, not even coming close to covering. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers have fired out of the gate, covering as a 7-point favorite in Week 1 and a 35-point favorite in Week 2.
The Irish defense will have a tough time stopping the duo of Jack Plummer and David Bell, who connected for three touchdowns last week. Defensive end George Karlaftis is ruthless off the edge for Purdue which will cause all sorts of problems for the weak Notre Dame offensive line. Over their first two games, they have allowed 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. It is also a game-time decision whether or not second-string Michael Carmody will be good to go at left tackle, or it will be third-string Tosh Baker.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bet: Purdue (+7.5)
Auburn at Penn State (-5) – 7:30 p.m
While the Nittany Lion offense has been shaky at times, especially in Week 1 against Wisconsin, it’s their defense that has been mighty. They have allowed just a total of 23 points the first two games and will give Bo NIx fits. While Nix has completed 74 percent of his passes for 9.8 yards per attempt with five touchdowns and no interceptions the first two weeks, that was against Akron and Alabama State. He also does worse on the road than at home, as his completion percentage drops to 54.5 percent, his yards per attempt falls to 5.7, and he’s thrown more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine). Having to face a stout defense with over 100,000 screaming Penn State fans in the first white out in two years will not be easy. A player to watch for on defense is safety Jaquan Brisker as he works to stuff the box on Auburn. The Nittany Lions had a shaky offensive performance against a formidable team in Wisconsin, while their defense can keep the Tigers off the board. So the under of 52.5 is something to consider. But be light on that one, as both offensives can be explosive.
Cap’n Kielar’s Best Bet: Penn State (-5), Under 52.5
Other Bets
BYU (+3.5)
UCLA (-10.5)
Michigan-Northern Illinois over 54.5
Minnesota (+2.5)
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