College Football Week 2 Look-Ahead Lines: Texas at Michigan, Iowa State at Iowa Odds

Week 1 of the college football season is just kicking off, but it’s not too early to take a look ahead at next week’s odds. Several games headline a heavy week – No. 4 Texas at No. 9 Michigan, Iowa State at No. 25 Iowa, No. 15 Tennessee at No. 24 NC State, and Colorado at Nebraska. Multiple sportsbooks hung lines on the biggest games for next week and are already trading bets on them. Let’s take a look at CFB Week 2 look-ahead lines.

Here are the best available opening odds across several betting apps.

CFB Week 2 Look-Ahead Lines: Marquee Games

No. 4 Texas at No. 9 Michigan, Saturday (12:00 p.m. ET)

The defending champion Michigan Wolverines host the CFP semifinalist Texas Longhorns in one of the season’s biggest matchups. As of Thursday, Michigan is a +3.5 home underdog and the over/under sits at 48.5 points. Beyond Week 1 results – Texas (-32.5) hosts Colorado State and Michigan (-20.5) hosts Fresno State – a handful of factors could, and will, move this line. Who Michigan selects as its starting QB is chief on the list. Ahead of its Week 1 game, head coach Sherrone Moore insists there’s still an open competition. The mobile Alex Orji was the presumed starter but, throughout camp, former walk-on Davis Warren flashed and put his name in the mix.

How Orji and Warren shape up against Fresno State could move this line a field goal or more. Ideally, Moore has his starter cemented by Week 2.

Iowa State at No. 25 Iowa, Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET)

The CyHawk rivalry is one recently dominated by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa owns a 47-23 all-time lead over Iowa State, including seven wins in the last eight matchups. The Cyclones haven’t beaten the Hawkeyes by more than a field goal since 2005 (five wins). At the time of publish, Iowa is a -2.5 (-115) home favorite, shaded toward -3. The over/under sits at a very Iowa-esque 37.5 points.

Rather than the point spread, the point total could rapidly adjust. The Hawkeyes finally dismissed Brian Ferentz from his offensive play calling duties, bringing on former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester. Lester led some potent offenses at WMU, but head coach Kirk Ferentz ultimately dictates what his offense looks like. In short, don’t expect Iowa to come out in a wide-open spread look.

But should the offense start clicking and Iowa put up some gaudy offensive numbers in Week 1 against Illinois State, then maybe this total climbs. However, the CyHawk game itself is more likely to have an impact on future Iowa totals than a buy game against an overmatched FCS foe.

Week 1 Big Ten odds betting preview, notes

No. 15 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State, Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET)

Bettors interested in Tennessee-NC State are afforded the luxury of patience. At Vols -5.5 on Thursday afternoon, the spread sits in a nebulous void as of writing. Note this game is played in neutral Charlotte, N.C., at Bank of America Stadium. Both teams play FCS foes in Week 1 and, barring a disaster, it’s unlikely this spread moves too terribly much.

That said, we do get a look at two intriguing QBs: Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall (NC State) and rising redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee). Should either really falter in their respective game, it’s possible we see notable line movement one way or another. But given these two teams’ opening opponents – NC State hosts Western Carolina (Thursday) and Tennessee hosts Chattanooga – we won’t learn a lot about either.

Colorado at Nebraska, Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET)

Perhaps the most intriguing unranked, non-conference matchup of the season. Nebraska is a -6.5 (-105) home favorite at time of publish and the over/under sits at 56.5 points. The Huskers lost a sloppy, turnover-filled game to Colorado in Boulder last season, losing 36-14. QB Shedeur Sanders threw for nearly 400 yards on a defense that turned out to be pretty elite as the weeks rolled on.

This line above all could move quickly based on Week 1 action. Colorado hosts North Dakota State (Thursday) – a game sure to draw plenty of public action – while Nebraska hosts a new-look and up-tempo UTEP. True freshman QB Dylan Raiola gets his first start in the collegiate ranks. How Raiola shapes up against an opposing FBS team could alter the line, as could close games from either team.

College Football Week 2 odds

As more CFB look-ahead lines become available at sportsbooks, this odds comparison table will update.

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