Friday night's college football three-game slate offers some intrigue for bettors, with high-powered offenses littering the card.
Oh, and Kansas. The Jayhawks play too.
Below we'll provide some betting notes and angles to pay attention to for Friday's games — UNC-Wake Forest (-3), Kansas-Boston College (-20) and Washington State (-9) vs. Houston — along with the bets we've made.
All odds as of Thursday at 4 p.m. ET and via PointsBet, where Action Network users get an exclusive 200% deposit match (deposit $50, bet with $150).
Friday College Football Betting
Kansas at Boston College
- Spread: Boston College -21
- Over/Under: 51
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ACC Network
OK, can we skip to the late game? No? Alright, let's touch on Kansas-Boston College.
You may be shocked to learn that despite playing FCS Indiana State and Coastal Carolina through two weeks, Kansas is 1-1 and has scored just 31 total points.
It ranks outside the top 100 in yards per play so far this season. The Jayhawks have been pretty run heavy, despite its ineffectiveness.
Boston College has hung 35 and 45 points on Virginia Tech and Richmond, respectively, relying on the ground game to do most of the heavy lifting. But quarterback Anthony Brown has made some big plays, averaging 11.0 yards per attempt, which ranks No. 7 nationally.
Kansas has shown no signs of life on offense through two games, and I don't see that changing here. The Jayhawks seem content to run the ball and then get on the bus.
I think the under is worth a look here, but it's lost too much value going from 54 to 51, and Boston College's pace (sixth nationally in seconds per play) is always a little worrisome. You're relying on Kansas doing nothing on offense to hit the under, which is certainly possible, but I won't put my money behind it on Friday night.
I'll pass and focus on the late game.
Washington State vs. Houston
- Spread: Washington State -9
- Over/Under: 73
- Time: 9:15 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Location: NRG Stadium in Houston
If I told you Houston was playing at the same pace offensively as Navy and Rutgers this season, would you believe me?
Doesn't matter, because it's true!
The Cougars have played lightning fast in recent years (No. 1 in seconds per play last season) but new coach Dana Holgorsen has pulled back on that.
Through two games, Houston ranks 100th of 130 FBS teams in plays per second at 28.4.
Why does this matter, you ask?
The lofty total for this game has been bet down from 74 to 73, and I agree with the move.
Washington State has never been a fast-paced team in a vacuum, but because Mike Leach loves to throw the ball so much, the clock doesn't bleed quite the same. The Cougs offense has looked great through two weeks, putting up 58 and 59 points against New Mexico State and Northern Colorado, respectively, and ranks second nationally in yards per play. Houston at least has a little more talent on defense than those two.
But most importantly, Houston is still being treated like its offense wants to push the pace, and I'm just not sure that's the case.
These coaches worked together at Texas Tech in the early 2000s and know each other's Air Raid concepts well, which I also think favors the defenses.
There will be points, but this is too many.
Picks: 1H under 37.5, full-game under 73 or better
North Carolina at Wake Forest Betting Odds
- Spread: Wake Forest -3
- Over/Under: 66.5
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
We covered this game in-depth here, but there are three key things to pay attention to.
First, North Carolina's offense has been insanely explosive, ranking 12th nationally in plays of 20+ yards.
That's even more remarkable considering it has played two Power 5 teams, while many of the schools ahead of UNC on that list haven't played anyone.
Second, it's been profitable to forgo the points and bet the moneyline on small road underdogs like UNC, if you do like the Tar Heels.
The first-half moneyline has also been profitable under similar criteria that North Carolina meets on Friday.
Third, UNC lost cornerback Patrice Rene for the season against Miami. He was the No. 1 ACC corner in passer rating when targeted last season, which will be a big loss for the Heels against Wake's big wide receivers and potent passing game.
