Over recent seasons Alabama has shown a tendency, on occasion, to ease up once games were in hand, and come up short against large spreads. However, that has not been the case this season. The Tide are just stomping people and covering big numbers. Meanwhile, Texas A&M rallied for the money against Clemson, but they got outplayed for much of that game. If Alabama gets the Aggies down here, there will be no comeback. We don't usually like going with the betting flow, and we've often taken the points on underdogs in Tide home games, but we're giving the points here with 'Bama.

This should be a good matchup in each team's AAC opener. Either team still lacks the consistency on both sides of the ball early into their 2018 campaign, but they have each showed the ability to step up their game against tougher competition. I would still give the overall edge to Temple at home and coming off a huge win.

Look for a big dose of the Owls’ running game on Thursday night along with the continued strong play on defense in a home victory that does cover the current seven-point spread.

Very simply, a touchdown-plus is an inappropriate measure to differentiate the two squads. This is a game that can easily be settled by a last-minute field goal or on a defensive stand. This one will go the distance, and given the factor of location and the points on the table, Utah has the value.

It would not be a surprise by any stretch here if the Horned Frogs actually pull an upset outright. Be that as it may, this game will be a hard-fought one and we are given plenty leverage here in what is a hearty helping of points. Dig in.

It still remains that the books are reluctant to give the Aggies a touchdown-plus conversion here which speaks to us considering New Mexico State has lost by no less than 22 points in their three early season losses. Not only can the Aggies cover here but it is likely another upset in the making. Nothing can salvage a season more than a win at home against a hated rival.

We are going to go ahead and call for an outright upset by the Broncos on the Cowboys. Given the low-hanging fruit in this contest as a whole, it would be imperative to trade away the field goal here to take a more profitable option in the Money Line. After all, this game is expected to be back and forth contest. Ultimately, Boise State’s 10 returning defensive starters will make a few key stops get the Smurfs yet another win over a Power Five opponent.

Auburn is the better team here, favored by a touchdown more than home-field advantage. Also, the Tigers coughed up a 20-point lead in this match-up last year, a sting that probably still burns today. Meanwhile, LSU did not exactly impress last week against an inferior foe. Give the points here with Auburn.

You have to give USF credit for their win over a good Georgia Tech team, but they got some breaks along the way. The Yellow Jackets top RB KirVante Benson went down early in the game and didn't return and dual-threat starting QB TaQuon Marshall lasted just two plays in the second half before being sidelined with a toe injury. This was anyone's game until the 4th when South Florida out-scored Georgia Tech 21-7 to pull away. This week’s opponent is dealing with some injuries of their own, with starting QB AJ Bush dealing with a quad injury that took him out of last week's game, but apparently, the quad has been coming around, and he's expected to be back in uniform this week. More good news is that last season's leading WR Ricky Smalling should be back in the line up after being held out last week and I'm expecting the Illinois suspended players to be back. This is just too many points to lay away from home (Soldier Field) against a team with experience on both sides of the ball and a rising star behind center.

There is little question that Hawaii will be back in a bowl game this season and that the 3-9 mark they attained in 2017 will be a distant memory. However, this one is shaping up to be an ugly afternoon for the Warriors. Swallow the touchdown.

With a possible hurricane taking aim at North Carolina later this week, the situation bears watching in relation to where this game is being played. At the very least, it should be a sloppy track at BB&T Field this Thursday night. Each of these teams has shown the ability to move the ball on the ground, but poor field conditions would throw the edge to the Eagles.

Look for Boston College to avenge last year’s loss to Wake Forest with a victory this time around both SU and ATS.

If there was one thing we can deduce, it's that Hawaii's defense is not built to hold big leads. After all, we saw this team nearly vanquish a 30-point lead against Colorado State two weeks ago. Rice's offense is undoubtedly potent, and even if somehow Hawaii gets out to a big enough lead we have backdoor potential anyhow. However, Rice won't likely need to resort to that.

Michigan State remains a top-15 team across the board in many polls, the Sun Devils are un-ranked. This in itself will inflate the point spread and allows us to take advantage. This game has all the makings of a shootout, and in such affairs, the academic move is to take the touchdown-plus. Don't be shocked if ASU pulls the upset.

The hangover from Appalachian State's near-historic upset of Penn State in Happy Valley will follow the Mountaineers to Charlotte where the Niners will be lying in wait. The Mountaineers are in the quintessential let-down spot, and we get two touchdowns to work with here. Charlotte should keep this one close and come in under the number.

The Gamecocks have a nice team, and we'll give them a 30 percent chance of pulling the outright upset here. That said, the Bulldogs are the better team, and the spread is friendlier with them in the visitor role. We're going with UGA for our free college football pick on this contest.

History has a funny way of repeating itself. Kansas will come into this contest with a chip on its shoulder after losing a game it feels it should have won. Combine this with the lack of respect shown by the market and KU will not only cover here but win outright. You can back this play up with a Money Line play if you are feeling bold.

The Owls have already put last weeks thrashing in the rear-view mirror. FAU will use home field advantage to remind their fans just how good this team indeed as and take out last weeks loss on the Falcons.

This is the kind of spot where Kansas State could sneak up and create trouble. The Wildcats are off the radar and prone to be overlooked and undervalued by virtue of what transpired last week. However, they could have been guilty of looking forward to this event. K-State has the coaching advantage in this contest, and it will become influential if the game is kept close (which it should). We'll take the points, but K-State may be worth a look as well on the Money Line here.

Liberty will hone the momentum from its Week One victory to offer up a spirited performance in what will be another enormous opportunity for this program. Look for the Flames to make yet another statement and scare the Knights on their own field.

TCU is looking to give Oklahoma a run for its money in the Big 12 this season, and it has to win the games it is supposed to win in order to keep climbing in the national polls. SMU should win a fair amount of its games in the AAC this season, but it is losing this one both SU and ATS.

The Tide are 11-0 SU, 10-1 ATS in 11 previous season openers under Coach Saban. However, 'Bama is often favored by a bit too much regardless of the situation, and under Saban, they've actually got a bit of a history of easing up in certain spots, against certain opponents. Also, we'll give Coach Petrino a measure of respect in believing he'll get some production from Jackson's replacement, sophomore Javon Pass. Alabama will most likely win this game, but we're taking the points with the Cardinals.