College Football Picks & Parlays: Tennessee-Pitt, Kentucky-Florida Highlight Week 2

Week 1 of the 2022 college football season featured some fantastic games; Week 2 has a lot to live up to. But there are some exciting matchups on deck for this weekend and plenty of markets for sports bettors to take advantage of.  The following are some of our favorite college football picks and parlays for Week 2 of the 2022 season.

Tennessee vs. Pitt Betting Lines: Point Spread, Total, Moneyline

Here are live odds for this interconference game featuring the Vols visiting the Panthers.

Tennessee (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) couldn’t have asked for anything more from their season opener against Ball State. The offense clicked, Hendon Hooker made plays, the defense forced turnovers, and the final score was a blowout victory (59-10). But everything that happened should have happened.

It’s not going to be nearly as easy to wrack up close to 600 yards of offense and score eight touchdowns against Pitt (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS).

The Panthers played a much more formidable opponent in West Virginia and performed well. On defense, the front got into the backfield early and often (three sacks, eight tackles for a loss), and the unit forced three turnovers (one interception, two fumbles). The offense did not run the ball well, but Kedon Slovis through for 308 yards and a touchdown.

Against Ball State, Tennessee’s defense looked much better than the year before. But it will not be easy to replicate that performance against Pitt. However, while Pitt’s defensive front will be disruptive, the secondary is prone to giving up plays.

Kentucky vs. Florida Betting Lines: Point Spread, Total, Moneyline

The Gators are solid favorites on oddsboards hosting the Wildcats in this SEC battle.

Star quarterback Will Levis got the Wildcats’ season off to a strong start with a 37-13 win over Miami (OH) last week. Levis connected on 21 of 32 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns (with one interception). The run game was dismal, scratching out a net of 50 yards on 26 carries.

On the defensive side of the ball, it was a solid outing for Kentucky (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) against an inferior opponent. Of course, Florida (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) is anything but inferior.

The Gators thought they had someone special in quarterback Anthony Richardson. After last week’s win over then-No. 7 Utah, they know they have a unique talent at QB. Richardson was efficient when he threw the ball (17-24 for 168 yards, but even more effective when he ran it (11 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns).

Florida could have an edge since the Gators are a little more battle-tested after beating Utah last week. But Kentucky’s Will Levis may be the best quarterback most college football fans have never heard of.

Houston vs. Texas Tech Betting Lines: Point Spread, Total, Moneyline

Texas Tech lays a field goal plus the hook, per lines as of this Thursday post. Live lines are here:

Houston (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) got the season off to an exciting start with a 37-35 3OT win over UTSA last week. At one point, the Cougars were down by 14, but Houston QB Clayton Tune was too much for the Roadrunners’ defense. Tune, a fifth-year senior, did it all, going 22-32 for 206 yards and three touchdowns while tacking on another 51 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

And he scored the winning two-point conversion in the 3OT period.

So, if Texas Tech (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) is going to win, they will need to find some way to slow down Houston’s veteran QB. To that end, they may fight fire with fire. Tyler Shough was injured last week, but Donovan Smith had an incredible day (14-16 for 221 yards and four touchdowns).

But Smith was not facing a talented defense as the Cougars have; he was facing a mediocre FCS team.

Texas Tech handed Houston their only regular season loss last year in the season opener, so revenge could play a role in the game’s outcome. The Red Raiders have struggled against ranked, non-conference opponents losing their last 13 to such teams (Houston is ranked No. 25).

Parlay No. 1

While sportsbooks have a greater edge with parlays than with straight bets, some gamblers like taking a shot at betting a little to win a lot, which is what parlays offer. Here’s a look at potential payout on a variety of parlays for Week 2 of college football.

• If you want to go with the favorites (odds via BetMGM): Tenn -6, Florida -6, and Texas Tech -3.5
• Parlay odds +595

Parlay No. 2

• If you want to go with the underdogs (odds via FanDuel): Pitt at +205, Baylor at +136, and Kentucky at +184
• Moneyline parlay odds: +1944
• Bet the spreads, and the parlay odds are +542

It is not hard to envision scenarios where all the favorites win and where the underdogs win. But it can be hard to judge just how good some teams are since they played soft opponents in Week 1. Is Tennessee as good as advertised? Did Florida score a fluke win over Utah? Can Texas Tech roll against a quality FBS team?

Good questions. Hard answers.

It is worth noting that the higher-ranked team in all three matchups is the underdog. Houston is ranked No. 25; Texas Tech, not ranked. Tennessee is No. 24; Pitt is No. 17. Baylor is No. 9 and BYU is No. 21.

Parlay No. 3

• Texas A&M-Appalachian State, Over 54; Baylor-BYU, Over 53.5; UNC-Georgia State, Over 64.5; Houston-Texas Tech, Over 63; Hawaii-Michigan, Over 67
• Parlay odds: +2321

The first four games listed all feature teams with high-powered, explosive offenses capable of scoring lots of points. Last week, Appalachian State scored 40 just in the fourth quarter! Texas A&M’s defense will be more challenging than North Carolina’s, but 54+ points could be easy between these two offenses.

UNC will probably not put up 60+ like last week, but they’ll do most of the work, with Georgia State doing enough in garbage time to cover the over. As for Baylor-BYU and Houston-Texas Tech, all four offenses are capable of doing some serious damage to opposing defenses and probably will on Saturday.

But Hawaii-Michigan—that one might be tricky. The Rainbow Warriors are on the struggle bus this season and will probably not put up much of a fight on the road. But Michigan will be looking to settle its quarterback controversy after this week. While the Wolverines would ease off the gas once the game is in hand—don’t count on it.

Michigan could score over 67 on their own, but look for them to get in the high 50s with Hawaii taking care of the rest in garbage time.

Also read: CFP National Championship odds | Heisman odds

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