College Football Betting Picks for Saturday 9/9/23

After CFB Week 1 provided five separate days of thrilling action on the gridiron, Week 2 is here to offer a more traditional slate.

Scheduled for a marquee Saturday, we will see two different games featuring AP Top-25 teams facing off, the first of which between the No. 20 Mississippi Rebels and No. 24 Tulane Green Wave. However, in the evening window, all eyes will be the No. 11 Texas Longhorns and No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide -- especially after last year's tight meeting.

In the early window, I have a matchup between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and No. 22 Colorado Buffaloes boldly circled -- like most of us do after seeing the Buffs' historic upset of 2022 national runner-up TCU last week. Also at noon, I am eager to see the No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and their new-look offense when pitted against the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

It's time to get in the college swing of things again, only without the waitlisting. Week 2 is when we really get the ball rolling. Let's dive into Saturday's slate with emphasis on scoping out the most valuable of the traditional betting markets.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

College Football Week 2 Betting Picks (9/9/23)

Saturday's Full Slate

Nebraska Cornhuskers at (#22) Colorado Buffaloes

• Time: 12 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX
• Spread: COLO -2.5 (-124)
• Moneyline: NEB +128/COLO -154
• Total: 59.5

A football rivalry dating back to 1898, the 'Huskers and Buffs were once the fiercest of conferences foes. With Nebraska now in the Big Ten and Colorado in the Pac-12 (and headed to the Big 12 in 2024), the two universities don't meet on the gridiron as often as they did in previous epochs, but Saturday's upcoming contest will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable.

UNL leads the lifetime head-to-head series against Colorado by a record of 49-20-2, but it is the Golden Buffaloes that appear closer to the top at the moment. Last Saturday, Colorado notably sent the CFB world into frenzy by upsetting the TCU Horned Frogs, 45-42.

In that game, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter each had monster performances, propelling their names up the Heisman Trophy odds board at FanDuel Sportsbook. Sanders is now at +8000 while Hunter is 70-to-1 to win the award.

The Cornhuskers, who went 4-8 last season, had a much quieter start to the 2023 campaign compared to the Buffs. Nebraska -- in their debut under head coach Matt Rhule -- began slowly last Thursday night against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and ultimately lost 13-10. After seeing Colorado's speed and big-play ability, I think UNL could be in trouble.

Best Bet: Colorado -2.5 (-124)

The Buffaloes seem like a side that we should get behind early in the year. Clearly, most experts had Coach Prime's bunch pegged quite wrong. Colorado produced three touchdowns from at least 25 yards out in Week 1. With the Buffs returning to Boulder for their home opener in Week 2, I am taking them against the spread (ATS). Transparently, I would be more hesitant if they were headed into Lincoln's "Sea of Red". As is the case at every sportsbook this weekend, FanDuel Sportsbook is currently seeing major support for Colorado in this game.

Lincoln and Boulder are approximately 500 miles apart, so I'm sure some Nebraska support will be on hand at Folsom Field this Saturday. But, in Colorado's first home game under head coach Deion Sanders, I think the stampeding Buffaloes (who are coming off a game in-which they produced 565 total yards) roll over the 'Huskers. Covering less than a field goal at home should be well within Colorado's capabilities this week.

(#10) Notre Dame Fighting Irish at NC State Wolfpack

• Time: 12 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC
• Spread: ND -7 (-118)
• Moneyline: ND -300/NCST +240
• Total: 50.5 (-115/-105)

NC State managed to start 2023 in the win column, but they failed to cover on the road against the Connecticut Huskies, winning 24-14. For the No. 10 Irish, they are already 2-0 (both SU and ATS) this season and are currently averaging 49 points per game. So what will we see on the gridiron this Saturday in Raleigh?

Thus far into the year, Notre Dame has displayed a quarterbacking prowess not seen in a few seasons. Starting signal-caller Sam Hartman -- who transferred in from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons -- has already tossed six touchdowns in 2023, yielding the second-best QBR (97.1) in the nation right now.

On the other side, the Wolfpack started slowly last Thursday in East Hartford. NC State produced only one touchdown in the first half and surrendered a late 71-yard rushing score from the Huskies that made it a one-score game with less than two minutes to play. The group from Raleigh will need to tighten up its play against a strong Fighting Irish team.

Traveling to NC State will be the first true road test of 2023 for Notre Dame. Considering Pro Football Focus has N.D.'s offensive line ranked sixth-best in America, the Irish's offense should transition well at NC State. Hartman can make dynamic throws when given time in the pocket, and tailback Audric Estime is a physical runner when coming down hill.

Best Bet: Notre Dame -7 (-118)

Staying chalky, I like the Irish laying seven points against the Wolfpack this week. On ESPN's post-Week 1 SP+ rankings, Notre Dame earned an overall score of 24.0, which is eighth-best in the country. On the same scale, NC State produced a rating of just 7.2 (50th out of 133 FBS schools). Simply, N.D. seems to have their most well-rounded team of the decade right now.

I think the Irish's current jump on offense under head coach Marcus Freeman is substantial, but their consistency on defense is what can take them to the promised land. Over the past two years, Notre Dame has allowed just 20.35 points per game. Given their recent influx in scoring, they should be able to cover more than a touchdown against a Wolfpack team whose best offensive athlete seems to be quarterback Brennan Armstrong.

(#11) Texas Longhorns at (#3) Alabama Crimson Tide

• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Spread: ALA -7 (-114)
• Moneyline: TEX +235/ALA -295
• Total: 54.5 (-115/-105)

If you are only able to catch one college football game this Saturday, it undoubtedly needs to be No. 11 Texas at No. 3 Alabama.

The two powerhouse programs enter this meeting with high-profile talent all throughout their ranks. Considering this will be the Longhorns' final season before joining the SEC, Saturday's contest should be a physical clash to help lay the groundwork for what will be a long-standing rivalry. Over last year's four quarters in Austin, the Crimson Tide outlasted Texas behind two late scoring drives from Bryce Young. Naturally, Young is now a member of the Carolina Panthers.

Playing in Week 2 for the second consecutive season, the Tide and 'Horns are both strong up front. Referring back to PFF, Texas is considered to have the seventh-best offensive line nationally while 'Bama is fourth is the same category. Of course, we already know these head coaches have thorough familiarity with one another; Steve Sarkisian served in various offensive coaching roles last decade for Nick Saban's Crimson Tide.

According to ESPN's 2023 College Football Power Index, Alabama is ranked tops in the nation at 30.2 whereas Texas shows an FPI of 19.7 (9th of 133). Both institutions here blew out their oppositions last week; the 'Horns won by 27 while the Tide were victorious by a margin of 49 points.

Interestingly enough at FanDuel Sportsbook, Texas has received majority of the bets on the moneyline in this contest while Alabama has yielded a slightly higher handle in the same market.

Best Bet: Over 54.5 (-115)

With parallels and polarities, it can be tough to predict exactly which way this marquee matchup will trend. Both programs are built completely through at the moment, but I will lean on the offenses and their respective quarterbacks in this one. Quinn Ewers of Texas and Jalen Milroe of 'Bama have already combined to score nine total touchdowns through one week.

The defenses are high-quality in this one, but I think the offenses might be a notch better. On ESPN's most recent SP+ rankings, Alabama's offense is respected as the third-best unit in FBS. Receivers Malik Benson and Isaiah Bond complement Milroe's abilities cohesively while running back Jase McClellan provides experience. For UT, they return 2021 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in Xavier Worthy. The wideout has been a frequent scorer over two seasons in Austin, logging more than 20 touchdowns.

This Saturday in Tuscaloosa, over 54.5 points feels like the best to me. The game projections at numberFire also support the over, showing an estimated score of 32.85-22.66 in Alabama's direction -- good for 55.51 total points.

UCLA Bruins at San Diego State Aztecs

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Spread: UCLA -14.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: UCLA -650/SDSU +460
• Total: 49.5

Similarly to how Snoop Dogg professed at the 1995 Source Awards, let us close by shining a light on the West Coast.

With campuses sitting less than 150 miles apart, the UCLA Bruins will head south to battle the San Diego State Aztecs at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley. Throughout history, there have been 23 meetings on the gridiron between these respective programs, and the Aztecs only have 1 win to show for it. However, that one win for San Diego State came in the last head-to-head matchup, defeating UCLA at the Rose Bowl in 2019.

More recently, the Bruins played to a 9-4 record last year while SDSU closed the campaign at 7-6. In 2023, the Aztecs already have two wins under their belts as they prepare for their third consecutive home game. Across the field, UCLA is coming off a two-score victory against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers last week.

When glancing back at the ESPN CFPI, both the Bruins and Aztecs find themselves outside of the top-35 schools despite showing no combined losses to this point. Regardless, Saturday's Golden State affair will pit offense versus defense; respective head coaches Chip Kelly and Brady Hoke have well-established brands of football.

Best Bet: San Diego State +14.5 (-115)

I've gotten a comprehensive look at San Diego State over their two games this season. On par with other teams led by Hoke, the Aztecs play slow and steady behind a dynamic ground game (averaging 39.0 carries per game right now) coupled with discipline on defense. They have allowed only four touchdowns through eight quarters of action in 2023, and I believe that stinginess will translate well enough to keep them in the game this weekend against UCLA.

Kelly's Bruins might not have the same level of talent as a year ago, but the bunch from Westwood should still be solid in the upcoming campaign. UCLA's offense is ran by a quarterback not named Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the first time since 2017 (before Kelly was head coach). That brings in Washington Huskies transfer Ethan Garbers to start at signal-caller. Transparently, I'm not sure I have faith in Garbers and the Bruins to cover upwards of two touchdowns on the road against a quality defense.

numberFire's CFB Week 2 game projections are estimating UCLA to win this Saturday by a score of 28.44-16.04, which displays a victory margin of 12.4 points. San Diego State might not win this weekend, but we should be confident in a cover at home.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.