Public college football bettors didn't fare well in Week 3 as the three most popular teams — Georgia, Tennessee and Houston — combined for only one win against the spread (ATS).
As is usually going to be the case, this week's most popular sides are all favorites, although only one team falls in the 30-point range for a change. Let's take a look.
Georgia (-14) @ Missouri
12 p.m. ET
For the second week in a row, Georgia is the most popular bet on Saturday's college football slate. The Bulldogs are receiving 85% of bets accounting for 91% of dollars to this point, and have moved from -13.5 to the key number of -14 as a result.
Why the public loves Georgia: Georgia has provided bettors with easy winners the past couple of weeks, covering the spread by an average margin of 11 points in its two most recent games. The Bulldogs were also the only one of last week's most popular bets to cover.
While Mizzou is off to a hot start of its own, the name recognition that surrounds Georgia is enough to make the Tigers' 3-0 record an afterthought.
>> All odds as of 3 p.m. ET. Download The Action Network App to get real-time college football odds and track your bets
Buffalo (-5) @ Rutgers
12 p.m. ET
The 83% of bets that are behind Buffalo make up only 64% of dollars wagered. Still, it's been enough to move this line from -3 to -5.
Why the public loves Buffalo: When a lowly team such as Buffalo is listed as one of the most popular plays of the week, you can bet that it has more to do with the opponent than the team itself.
Rutgers is coming off a 41-point loss to Kansas … in football. To the public, that's means for fading at any price, and against any opponent.
I don't mean to downplay Buffalo's solid wins over Temple and Eastern Michigan, but let's be honest, the Bulls owe their spot on this list to their opponent.
Ohio State (-37) vs. Tulane
3:30 p.m. ET
Like Buffalo, Ohio State has picked up 83% of bets throughout the week. Those bets account for 86% of dollars wagered, and this line has jumped up by a field goal from its opening number of -34.
Why the public loves Ohio State: The Buckeyes are no strangers to being a public favorite. They are on pace to draw more than an 80% backing for the second time this season.
Ohio State's three wins on the season have come by an average margin of 36 points, and they're coming off a statement win over TCU in Dallas. Tulane, meanwhile, enters this week after falling to UAB last week as a 3.5-point favorite.
