College Football Week 3 Odds & Cheat Sheet: Schedule, Injuries, Weather, Betting Notes

Week 3 of the college football season offers a packed slate of excellent matchups for CFB diehards. There’s no time to rest after a wild Week 2 – we’ve got rivalries aplenty on tap. Headlining the slate is Oregon at Oregon State (Civil War), Washington State vs. Washington (Apple Cup), Utah at Utah State (Battle of the Brothers), and Colorado at Colorado State (Rocky Mountain Showdown), among others. Before betting college football Week 3 odds at CFB betting sites, check out our full early-week college football betting guide below.

Included are the latest odds, notable line movement, matchup history, weather, injuries, trends, and much more. Dig in! Keep up with TheLines all week long for college football betting tools.

College Football Week 3 Odds

Browse college football Week 3 odds below. Click odds anywhere to place a bet.

Line Movement: College Football Week 3 Odds

Game of the Year odds for Week 3 matchups like Alabama at Wisconsin and Washington State vs. Washington have been up for some time. Check out early movers from those and opening lines below:

• Alabama re-opened as -15.5 road favorites over Wisconsin (was -8.5)
• Washington State re-opened at +4 after being lined at +8.5 this preseason
• Oregon State is +14 against Oregon after opening at +20.5
• Pitt moved through a key figure against West Virginia, from +4.5 to +2.5

Opening Lines from College Football Week 3 Odds

• UNLV began to move off its opening number of +7 to +6.5 at Kansas, albeit juiced
• Arizona moved through a key figure at Kansas State, from +7.5 at open to +6.5 on Monday morning
• North Texas took movement from +11 at open to +9.5 against Texas Tech
• LSU began to move off -7 road favorites at South Carolina to -7.5
• East Carolina took movement off +3 to +2.5 against App State
• Hawaii moved off its opening mark of +3.5 to +3 at many books at Sam Houston State
• Baylor took action from -13.5 at open to as high as -15.5 by Monday morning against Air Force
• UCLA will continue to straddle +3 home underdogs against Indiana this weekend, watch for it to play at +2.5 or +3.5
• Rice moved from its opening mark of +5.5 at Houston to +4.5

Note line movements through key figures of 3 and 7, like Arizona at Kansas State and Appalachian State at East Carolina.

Week 3 Coaching Notes & Matchup History

No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State, Friday (8:00 p.m., FOX)

• Arizona leads all-time series, 5-1-1 (last: 1978)
• This game does not count toward Big 12 standings. The game was scheduled before conference realignment and the two teams agreed to keep it non-conference.
• Chris Klieman is 41-24 ATS at Kansas State (63.1%)
• Arizona was without starters RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, C Josh Baker, and SAF Gunner Maldonado in a 22-10 win over Northern Arizona last week
• Arizona is 0-2 ATS this year, allowing 39 points to New Mexico and only scoring 22 against FCS Northern Arizona
• Kansas State is also 0-2 ATS, not covering -36.5 against UT Martin (W, 41-6) or -9.5 at Tulane (W, 34-27)

No. 4 Alabama at Wisconsin, Saturday (12:00 p.m., FOX)

• Teams have only met twice and split those meetings (Alabama won in 2015, Wisconsin won in 1928)
• Thanks to a 28-point 4th quarter, Alabama swept a struggle against USF under the rug. The Tide only led 14-13 heading in
• 82% of Alabama’s offensive production last week came after replacing its starting RT (moved to Elijah Pritchett)
• Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor missed last week with a shoulder injury
• Luke Fickell is 4-1 ATS as a home underdog at Cincinnati and Wisconsin
• Kalen DeBoer is 12-2-1 ATS against non-conference opponents (only ATS losses: 2024 National Championship, last week)

Memphis at Florida State, Saturday (12:00 p.m., ESPN)

• Florida State leads the all-time series, 10-7-1 (last: 1990)
• FSU head coach Mike Norvell held the same position at Memphis from 2016-19
• The ‘Noles come into the game with a rest advantage (had a bye last week). It’s the first of two consecutive opponents with a rest advantage for Memphis
• Since 2000, Memphis is 13-21-1 ATS against Power Conference teams
• Tigers are 2-0 ATS this year (-38 vs. North Alabama, -18.5 vs. Troy), while the ‘Noles are 0-2 both straight up and ATS (Georgia Tech, Boston College)

West Virginia at Pitt, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

• Pitt leads the all-time series known as the “Backyard Brawl,” 62-41-3
• Home teams split the last two meetings, which revived the series. Home teams were also both favored, but WVU is 2-0 ATS in those games (+7.5, lost by 7 in 2022)
• WVU is 0-2 ATS this year (+10 vs. Penn State, -36.5 vs. Albany)
• Pitt completed a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter to beat Cincinnati 28-27 (+2.5)
• Panthers dealing with cluster injuries to the backfield. Starter Rodney Hammond is ineligible this year, Desmond Reid left Week 2 and did not return

No. 9 Oregon at Oregon State, Saturday (3:30 p.m., FOX)

• Oregon leads the all-time series, 68-49-10 (13-3 last 16 matchups), but lost three of last four in Corvallis
• Oregon is 0-2 ATS this year, failing to cover against Idaho (-49.5, won 24-14) and Boise State (-18.5, won 37-34)
• Dan Lanning is 7-2 ATS as a road favorite
• Oregon State held San Diego State to 179 total yards last week in a 21-0 road shutout win (closed -6)
• Beavers QB Gervani McCoy is completing 76.5% of his passes, adjusted for drops, with three Big Time Throws and no turnovers, per PFF

Washington vs. Washington State, Saturday (3:30 p.m., Peacock)

• Washington leads the all-time series, 76-33-6, including 12 of the last 14 (10-4 ATS)
• Game played at Lumen Field in Seattle, technically a “neutral site” matchup
• Washington State is 2-0 ATS this year with a 70-30 win over Portland State (-25.5) and 37-16 win over Texas Tech (-1.5)
• Washington posted the seventh-largest net EPA margin against Eastern Michigan last week (won, 30-9)
• Wazzu returns intended starting tackle Fa’lili Fa’amoe this week after he tore his ACL last season

Colorado at Colorado State, Saturday (7:30 p.m., CBS)

• Colorado leads the all-time series, 68-22-2, including each of the last six
• The first time this game is being played in Fort Collins since 1996
• Last year, Colorado won in double overtime, 43-35. Colorado State (+23) had 17 penalties for 182 yards while Colorado committed 10 of their own for 87 yards
• CSU out-gained CU, 499-418, but lost the turnover battle (-2)
• Shedeur Sanders made public comments dragging his offensive line after a 28-10 loss to Nebraska last week
• Sanders was pressured 22 times, 19 times of which were from three- and four-man pressures

Impact Injuries On College Football Week 3 Odds

All kick times below are listed in ET.

No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State, Friday (8:00 p.m., FOX)

Arizona was without three key starters in Week 2 – RB Jacory Crosky-Merritt, C Josh Baker, and SAF Gunner Maldanado. UA only scored 22 points despite out-gaining FCS Northern Arizona, 361-198. Baker, the team’s starting center, has not played yet this season.

North Texas at Texas Tech, Saturday (12:00 p.m., FS1)

Texas Tech’s Monday injury report featured nine starters. Two important players are done for the season, starting guard Vinny Scuiry and defensive end Joseph Adedire. Star back Tahj Brooks is also featured along with six defensive starters, four in the secondary. Tech may be down to safety No. 3 as C.J. Baskerville and Javeon Wilcox are listed; Wilcox is out.

North Texas scored 52 and 35 points to start the year while Texas Tech allowed 51 to FCS Abilene Christian and 37 to Washington State. QB Chandler Morris transferred to UNT from TCU and is familiar with Texas Tech. Backup RB Juwuan Price is out for the season with a broken leg, unfortunately.

Tulane at No. 15 Oklahoma, Saturday (3:30 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2)

Oklahoma is dealing with cluster injuries to the receiving room, one that’s getting worse as the weeks go on. Nic Anderson has yet to play this season, Jayden Gibson is out for the season, Jalil Farooq is out another 6+ weeks with a broken foot, and Deion Burks left Week 2 with an injury. The Sooners are also dealing with an injury to starting center Branson Hickman (missed Week 2).

A top receiver for Tulane, Shazz Preston, missed Week 2 with an injury.

No. 12 Utah at Utah State, Saturday (4:30 p.m., CBSSN)

QB Cameron Rising existed Utah’s Week 2 win over Baylor with an injury to his hand. Kyle Whittingham said the injury isn’t concerning and was a “deep laceration” instead of something structural. However, the Utes did not score after Rising left the game.

Utah State hopes to return QB Spencer Petras after he missed Week 2 with a sprained ankle. The injury happened in Utah State’s Week 1 win over FCS Robert Morris. Under backup Bryson Barnes, who transferred from Utah this offseason, the Aggies went scoreless in a 48-0 loss to USC.

Gardner-Webb at Charlotte, Saturday (6:00 p.m., ESPN+)

Already supposedly suffering from widespread injuries, Charlotte lost five more starters in a 38-20 loss to North Carolina. QB Max Brown, C Jonny King, CB Dontae Balfour, LB Prince Wallace-Bemah, and DE Stone Handy all exited the 49ers’ Week 2 game. Watch for this roster to be truly depleted against Gardner-Webb, who just held James Madison to 13 points. The Runnin’ Bulldogs held Wofford to 21 points the week before.

Air Force at Baylor, Saturday (7:30 p.m., FS1)

Air Force is suffering cluster injuries to its backfield. Fullback Dylan Carson played just nine snaps in Week 1 before going down to injury; he missed Week 2. His backup, Terrence Gist, missed last week, as did running back Kade Frew (leg). The Falcons fell to San Jose State, 17-7, rushing for just 143 yards. It was Air Force’s worst rushing output against a non-service academy since 2014 (vs. San Diego State, 140 rushing yards). In Week 1, Air Force managed just 166 rushing yards against FCS Merrimack.

Other Impact Injuries

• Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama (shoulder)
• Peter Woods, DL, Clemson (leg)
• Shilo Sanders, SAF, Colorado (broken forearm)
• Graham Mertz, QB, Florida (concussion)
• Donovan McCulley, WR, Indiana
• Chip Traynum, RB, Kentucky (broken hand)
• Gerald Mincey, OT, Kentucky
• Jalen Rivers, OT, Miami (FL)
• Brett Norfleet, TE, Missouri (shoulder)
• Bryson Nesbit, TE, North Carolina
• Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State
• Jordan Watkins, WR, Ole Miss
• Tyreem Powell, LB, Rutgers
• Luke Watson, OT, Temple
• Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech (arm)
• Goose Crowder, QB, Troy (shoulder)
• Mason Cobb, LB, USC
• JT Clark, WR, UTSA (torn ACL last year)
• Jasheen Davis, EDGE, Wake Forest
• Jalen Buckley, RB, Western Michigan
• Kenneth Womack, WR, Western Michigan
• Tawee Walker, RB, Wisconsin
• Kahleil Jackson, WR, Florida (season)
• Jaylin Lucas, RB/KR/PR, Florida State (season)
• Sutton Smith, RB, Memphis (season)
• Kristain Phillips, OG, Michigan State (season)
• Collin Oliver, LB, Oklahoma State (season)

Other Roster & Staff Impacts on Week 3 Odds

Memphis at Florida State, Saturday (12:00 p.m., ESPN)

Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins returns to the booth after serving a two-game suspension for recruiting violations. Without Akins, FSU went 0-2, averaging 17 points per game (scored 21 in Week 0, 13 in Week 1).

Eastern Illinois at Northwestern, Saturday (7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network)

QB Jack Lausch will start in place of Mike Wright this week for the Wildcats. Northwestern scored 33 total points in its first two games combined and has zero passing touchdowns.

Weather Impacts On College Football Week 3 Odds

Weekly college football weather reports will be released later this week as forecasts become more certain. But here’s a few spots to keep tabs on early in the week.

The biggest weather storyline this week will be Tropical Storm Francine, which formed Monday morning. The storm, which is forecast to be a Hurricane by landfall, will impact southern Louisiana on Wednesday or Thursday. As it moves into the continental U.S., no FBS games are forecast to be in the way. However, do note time frames and storm intensity can change in the coming days.

No other major weather impacts are expected for Week 3 as of Monday. Check back Thursday for a more detailed and certain college football weather report.

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Situational Spots To Watch With College Football Week 3 Odds

Arizona State at Texas State, Thursday (7:30 p.m., ESPN)

Arizona State, coming off a 30-23 win over Mississippi State, heads to San Marcos to play a frisky Texas State team. The Bobcats hammered rival UTSA, 49-10, last week to move to 2-0 (1-1 ATS). ASU is 3-6 straight up and 2-6-1 on the road against non-conference opponents (since 2009); under Kenny Dillingham, ASU is 2-4 against FBS non-conference opponents.

No. 4 Alabama at Wisconsin, Saturday (12:00 p.m., FOX)

Rather than a letdown spot for Alabama, look for the Tide to roll in this game. Once the change from Wilkin Formby at right tackle to Elijah Pritchett was made, Alabama’s offense again took off. Should Kadyn Proctor return, which sounds probable as of Monday, the Tide’s offense should be at full strength.

Wisconsin continues to struggle to implement the Air Raid system. That’s resulted in two disappointing offensive outputs against Western Michigan – who was just dashed to pieces against Ohio State – and South Dakota. Akin to Texas at Michigan and Tennessee vs. NC State from last week, this game could get out of hand early.

Louisiana Tech at NC State, Saturday (12:00 p.m., ACC Network)

NC State hosts Louisiana Tech right between its games against Tennessee and Clemson. LA Tech comes off a bye week and finds itself in an advantageous situation. The Wolfpack took a beating at the hands of the Vols, losing 51-10 and finishing the week with the ninth-worst net success rate. But with a big-ticket item on tap (at Clemson), NC State could stagnate against a lesser opponent (have we seen NC State do this before this year?).

Tulane at No. 15 Oklahoma, Saturday (12:00 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2)

Tulane vaulted itself back into the national conversation by nearly taking down No. 14 Kansas State last week. Now, the Green Wave travel to Norman to play Oklahoma in an opportune spot. The Sooners barely escaped last week, beating Houston just 16-12 at home. Next week, Oklahoma hosts No. 7 Tennessee in its SEC debut. Oklahoma is also suffering from major cluster injuries in its receiving room. Its top four options – Nic Anderson, Deion Burks, Jalil Farooq, and Jayden Gibson – are all injured. Anderson and Burks have a chance to play, while Farooq is 6+ weeks away from returning, and Gibson is done for the year.

The Green Wave generated 3.4 line yards per rush against a formidable Kansas State defensive front. Running back Makhi Hughes rushed for 124 yards and forced four missed tackles.

No. 13 Oklahoma State at Tulsa, Saturday (12:00 p.m., ESPN2)

Coming off a thrilling and emotional double-OT win over Arkansas, Oklahoma State must hit the road to play rival Tulsa. The Pokes host Utah in a blockbuster Big 12 matchup next weekend. This makes Tulsa both a potential letdown spot (especially in the first half, should Oklahoma State open up lethargic at smaller H. A. Chapman Stadium) and a look-ahead spot (to No. 12 Utah next week). Tulsa is 2-0 ATS against Oklahoma State the last two times out (2020, ’21). In 2019, Tulsa actually led at halftime before losing out in the second half and failing to cover its +14 spread.

Nevada at Minnesota, Saturday (3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network)

Nevada lost a close game at home to Georgia Southern last week, 20-17. The Wolfpack dropped to 1-2 with three one-score games under their belts. According to Bill Connelly’s SP+, Georgia Southern only had an 8.7% postgame win expectancy, suggesting a seriously misleading result in Reno. Nevada has been a surprise this season and a royal pain in the rear to its opponents, taking SMU down to the wire in Week 0 (+28.5).

Minnesota comes off an easy 48-0 win over FCS Rhode Island and opens Big Ten play with a rival on deck (Iowa). Look for an improved Nevada team to head into Minneapolis and keep the game closer than expected, as Minnesota could be looking ahead to Iowa.

No. 9 Oregon at Oregon State, Saturday (3:30 p.m., FOX)

The Ducks are coming off back-to-back sweaters. Oregon needed a bit of luck and a last-second field goal to avoid falling to 0-4 against Boise State all-time. Prior to that, Oregon only scored 24 points despite 487 yards of offense and a +1 turnover margin. Now, Oregon heads to Corvallis – a place which it is 1-3 in since 2016 – to play arch rival Oregon State. The Beavers famously were left for dead by Oregon and others as the Pac-12 dissolved.

Watch for exceptional motivation from Oregon State at home against an opponent with shown vulnerabilities early in the year.

No. 12 Utah at Utah State, Saturday (4:30 p.m., CBSSN)

With No. 13 Oklahoma State on tap, watch for Utah to play this game carefully. Cameron Rising is dealing with a “deep laceration” to his hand, something Kyle Whittingham insists isn’t a serious issue. Utah should easily overmatch Utah State here, but its offense failed to score on Baylor after Rising exited. Mostly, this is a spot where Utah could play ultra-conservatively as -21.5 favorites against an eager Utah State rival.

Kennesaw State at San Jose State, Saturday (7:00 p.m., truTV/MAX)

The Owls travel the furthest of any team in the continental U.S. (over 2,400 miles). This is the first time in program history (s/2015) that Kennesaw State travels to the West Coast and just the second time it travels beyond the Eastern & Central Time Zones. San Jose State handled its business in Week 1 (40-14 over Sacramento State) and beat Air Force 17-7. Ken Niumatalolo spent 14 seasons as the head coach at Navy, running the option. Expect the Spartans to be well-prepared for Kennesaw State’s option-adjacent offense this week.

New Mexico at Auburn, Saturday (7:30 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU)

New Mexico heads to the Plains, coming off a bye week. Auburn just dropped its Week 2 game to Cal, 21-14. The Tigers lost the turnover battle (-5) and time of possession battle (35:16-24:44). The Lobos showed offensive prowess in each of their two games despite coming away 0-2. Against Arizona, New Mexico posted 39 points on 471 total yards. However, New Mexico surrendered a ghastly 11 yards per play.

While UNM’s defense won’t be the unit to stop Auburn, a relentless and creative offensive attack could keep this game closer than it should be. Auburn opened a -28.5 favorite at home. The Tigers are 4-11 ATS against non-conference FBS opponents since 2020.

Indiana at UCLA, Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBC)

UCLA comes off a week of rest and just one game played so far to host Indiana. The Hoosiers travel backward three time zones and over 2,000 miles to play the Big Ten’s first cross-national conference matchup. Indiana was better off hosting another practice than playing Western Illinois – a team that hadn’t won more than two games since 2018 – and beating them by 74 points.

The Bruins didn’t instill much confidence in the new team when it barely beat Hawaii, 17-14. With a week of rest and two weeks of film on Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers, expect a better effort. Oddsmakers spotted UCLA three points at home, a number bettors took and moved to +2.5 by Monday morning.

San Diego State at Cal, Saturday (10:30 p.m. ESPN)

Cal returns home after a thrilling and emotional 21-14 win over Auburn. Next week, it has another long trip on tap at Florida State. Winless or not, FSU is a program that opponents, especially new ACC inductees, look to knock off. That puts San Diego State in an advantageous double spot of both a letdown (from Auburn) and a lookahead (to Florida State and ACC play). SDSU didn’t score a point against Oregon State, so look for an offensive rebound here.

Best of luck with handicapping college football Week 3 odds.

Week 3 Rivalries

GAME	RIVALRY NAME	TROPHY	MEETINGS	SERIES RECORD
Cincinnati at Miami (OH)		Victory Bell	127	Tied, 60-60-7
No. 13 Oklahoma State at Tulsa	Turnpike Classic		75	OKST, 44-28-5
West Virginia at Pitt	Backyard Brawl		106	PITT, 62-41-3
No. 9 Oregon at Oregon State	Civil War	Platypus Cup	127	ORE, 68-49-10
Washington vs. Washington State	Apple Cup	Apple Cup Trophy	115	WAS, 76-33-6
No. 18 Notre Dame at Purdue		Shillelagh Trophy	87	ND, 57-26-2
No. 12 Utah at Utah State	Battle of the Brothers		112	UTAH, 79-30-4
Virginia Tech at Old Dominion			5	VT, 3-2
FIU at FAU	Shula Bowl	Don Shula Award	21	FAU, 16-5
Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee	100 Miles of Hate		73	WKU, 37-35-1
Colorado at Colorado State	Rocky Mountain Showdown	Centennial Cup	92	CU, 68-22-2
Maryland at Virginia			79	UMD, 45-32-2
Rice at Houston		Bayou Bucket	45	HOU, 33-12

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