College Football Odds, Picks & Predictions: Week 2 (2026)

by Scott Bogman |
Sep 11, 2026

College football betting expert Scott Bogman will provide his top picks and predictions for every week of college football action. Let’s get ready for this weekend’s games with Bogman’s best college football bets for Week 2. Check out all of his top college football Week 1 picks and predictions below.

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College Football Week 2 Bets & Picks

(Odds and lines via BettingPros’ consensus betting information)

Let’s dive into our top college football picks and leans for Week 2.

North Texas vs. UNLV

Jackson Arnold has been less than impressive in his first two starts at UNLV. The Rebels scored only 21 points against Hawaii, lost to Memphis at home and now have to travel to Denton to face a surprisingly strong North Texas squad.

The Mean Green were overwhelmed by Indiana but still won the time-of-possession battle, committed only one penalty and gained 367 yards against a team that crushed even its strongest opponents in 2025. UNT quarterback Tayven Jackson completed 22 of 28 passes for 192 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while adding 22 yards on six carries. Running back Jahiem White recorded 97 yards and a touchdown against the defending national champions.

UNLV can win this game on the road, but its offense has yet to show signs of life. The Hawaii-to-Las Vegas-to-Denton travel schedule is brutal, and the heat will make conditions miserable for both teams. Arnold is unlikely to make the big throws Josh Hoover made against North Texas, and Neal Brown-coached teams have historically tackled well, earning top-25 tackling grades at West Virginia in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2024.

Arnold will need to show much more than he did in his first two games to keep UNLV competitive, and that might be too much to ask. Most markets favor the home underdog, and we agree.

Pick: North Texas +3.5

UCLA vs. SDSU

The total has ticked up throughout the week, and bettors appear to have been impressed by UCLA's scoring output last week. The Bruins scored 45 points, but 21 came in the fourth quarter after they broke several big plays late.

Bob Chesney led James Madison to a top-10 finish in scoring defense last season, with the Dukes ranking sixth at 15.4 points allowed per game. However, San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis took his team from 97th in scoring defense during his first season in 2024 to sixth in 2025.

UCLA should score, but it will also bleed the clock. JMU ranked 115th in pace of play last season, allowing an average of 28.4 seconds to run off between plays, and opened this season at 27 seconds per play in Week 1. San Diego State may pick up the pace slightly this week, but it has started even slower at 29.1 seconds between plays after averaging 27.7 seconds and ranking 101st in 2025.

The slow pace of both offenses should lead to fewer points. Expect plenty of rushing attempts on both sides and considerable clock-killing once UCLA takes the lead.

Pick: Under 55.5

Penn State vs. Temple

Penn State will have another opportunity to keep its offense humming on the road against Temple. This "road" game will probably have more PSU fans than Temple fans filling the Linc. Penn State put up 487 yards against Marshall in the opener while allowing only 147 total yards.

Temple has former PSU quarterback Jaxon Smolik splitting time with Ajani Sheppard. Smolik threw a touchdown but also had two turnover-worthy plays and took three sacks on nine dropbacks. Penn State should control the ball for most of the game after holding a better Marshall offense to 147 total yards, a 1-for-12 conversion rate on third downs, 23:37 in time of possession and zero points.

Temple has one of the better tight end prospects in Peter Clarke, but the Owls couldn't even get him the ball against Rhode Island because of abysmal quarterback play. With this being a renewed rivalry, Penn State should continue looking to score even after its backups enter the game. PSU will do most of the heavy lifting, while Temple's mistakes could give the Nittany Lions additional opportunities to push the total Over.

Pick: Over 49.5

Memphis vs. Boise State

Boise State is the No. 1 G6 team, while Memphis is considered No. 2, making this a massive early-season matchup for both programs. Memphis has already won in a tough road environment at UNLV and has found a nice rhythm on the ground. The Tigers are averaging 265 rushing yards through their first two games behind AAC Player of the Week Jaylin Carter and new starting quarterback Marcus Stokes.

This will be another difficult road game against a Boise State team that just played Oregon close, but the Tigers should be confident after opening the season with back-to-back wins. This is a brutal scheduling spot for Boise State. The question is whether the Broncos will carry over the disappointment of that narrow loss or gain confidence from taking a national championship contender down to the wire before returning home.

Memphis may need to beat Boise State to keep its hopes of earning the G6 playoff spot alive. The Broncos will likely be favored in every remaining game this season, with a road matchup against Western Michigan representing their only legitimate challenge if they stay healthy. New Memphis head coach Charles Huff will emphasize the importance of this game and has likely been preparing for it well in advance. Memphis is 2-0 against the spread this season and should keep the margin within a touchdown if it delivers a similar level of effort.

Pick: Memphis +8.5

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