We’ve got two weeks – three for those that played in Week 0 – of the 2025 College Football season under our belts. We learned a bit more in Week 2.

South Florida just might be for real as the Bulls pulled their second straight win over a Top 25 opponent. South Florida upset then-No. 13 Florida 18-16. That came on the heels of a 34-7 win at home against then-No. 25 Boise State.

Who will it be in Week 3?

There is a huge game in the SEC this week. No. 6 Georgia travels to Knoxville to take on No. 15 Tennessee in a game that will likely have some effect on the College Football Playoffs. It’s no secret that the SEC will most likely get four teams into this year’s CFP. Who makes it will depend upon how conference play pans out. Georgia has won eight straight against the Volunteers.

Another huge game that will impact the CFB Championship is the Texas A&M-Notre Dame matchup on Saturday night. The Aggies enter ranked No. 16 and travel to South Bend to take on the No. 8 Irish, who were off last week after a Week 1 loss to Miami.

Once again, our College Football experts are here to bring you the best previews, picks, and predictions for college football Week 3. Keep it tuned to Scores & Stats all season long. You will find the best analysis and insight in the industry. On to Week 3!

College Football Week 3 Schedule

College Football Week 3 Odds

Keep an eye on the latest College Football odds from the top online betting sites and monitor how the lines change throughout the week.

Going into Week 3, there aren’t any crazy surprises. Most of the top 10 teams are massive betting favorites at the top sports betting sites. A pair of Big Ten teams – Iowa and Ohio State – are the biggest favorites of the week.

Iowa is favored by 35.5 over UMass and Ohio State is a 31.5-point chalk against the Ohio Bobcats. Oregon, Michigan, SMU, Missouri, and Illinois are all favored by 27.5 points in their Week 3 matchups.

The highest total on the board is an SEC matchup between Arkansas and Ole Miss. Both teams can run the football and put it in the end zone. The game total is set at 62.5 heading into this Saturday.

The lowest total on the board is 42.5 which we find in three different games. Colorado is at Houston, which has a solid defense in Year 2 of the Willie Fritz era. Michigan will host in-state Central Michigan and New Mexico State is at Louisiana Tech.

Of course, we’ll go over all of the College Football Week 3 spreads when looking at all of the top matchups below. Need more advice beyond my preferred picks and predictions when betting on College Football week 3 lines? Just check out the top sports betting handicappers before finalizing your bets.

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College Football Week 3 Predictions

Let’s take a look at the featured College Football Week 3 games and make our NCAAF Picks for each game.

Wisconsin Badgers @ Alabama Crimson Tide Odds

The Wisconsin Badgers get ready for just their fourth ever meeting with the Alabama Crimson Tide, who took them out in convincing fashion last year in a 42-10 drubbing. The Badgers have started the new season 2-0 while Alabama got a win last week to even its record at 1-1.

The Tide were embarrassed in Week 1 as Florida State had its way en route to a 31-17 victory. Last week, head coach Kalen DeBoer and company laid the wood on Louisiana-Monroe in a 73-0 bounce-back win.

Alabama isn’t the same title lock they used to be, but they remain uber talented and will have their sights set on producing a dominant season. That may be easier said than done after watching star quarterback Jalen Milroe head to the NFL, but the odds for this game suggest they’re a good bet to get the job done. Still, it seems a bit of an overreaction, though we could probably say the same about Wisconsin.

Beating Alabama on the road is no easy task and after the Badgers struggled with Miami (OH) in Week 1, oddsmakers like the Tide by three touchdowns.

Wisconsin Badgers @ Alabama Crimson Tide Predictions

The Badgers were counting on Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. under center, but he got hurt early in the Miami game. Enter another transfer – Danny O’Neil. He played last year at San Diego State and he led Wisconsin to a 42-10 win over Middle Tennessee State last week.

O’Neil went 23-for-27 for 283 yards and three touchdowns in the win last week. The Badgers also ran for 173 yards as their offense is trying to get back to the power run game for which it was known.

Alabama has turned to fourth-year junior Ty Simpson to run their offense. He wasn’t awful in the season opener and he was perfect last week. Simpson went 17-for-17 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. He scored another touchdown on the ground as Alabama ran away with the win last week.

Ultimately, the Crimson Tide have tons of skill talent and a defense that should be able to contain a Wisconsin offense that is nowhere near as dynamic as Florida State. Winning by three touchdowns, though, seems like a stretch. The Badgers know they’ll have to run the football to keep the ball away from a dangerous Alabama offense. That could lead to a lower-scoring game.

Bet: ML pass, Wisconsin +20.5 (-108), Over 46.5 (-108)

Oregon Ducks @ Northwestern Wildcats Odds

The Oregon Ducks are the rightful favorite when they take on the Northwestern Wildcats in week three. Northwestern gets a mild bump with this game going down at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, but Oregon will be fully expected to win.

Oregon was a title contender in 2024, producing one of the most explosive passing attacks and generating 35.7 points per game (8th). They are off to an outstanding start in 2025 with two blowout wins – 59-13 over Montana State and 69-3 over Oklahoma State last week.

Northwestern won the only meeting between these two teams (14-10) way back in 1974. The Wildcats lost their season opener at Tulane, but did rebound for a 42-7 win over FCS Western Illinois last week.

Oregon Ducks @ Northwestern Wildcats Predictions

Northwestern entered this season off a 4-8 campaign a year ago. The offseason didn’t bring head coach David Braun the type of talent that it brought to the Ducks. Preston Stone transferred from SMU and steps in at quarterback. He struggled against Tulane but played well (21-for-29, 245 yards, 3 TDs) last week.

The Wildcats play at home, but don’t consider that too much of an advantage. The Ducks added Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes (1,401 rushing yards and 15 TDs in 2024) and he gives the Oregon ground game a big boost with Jordan James gone to the NFL. The Ducks RB room is loaded with talent as is the rest of the roster. Just too much for Northwestern.

Bet: ML pass, Oregon -27.5 (-112), Over 50.5 (-112)

Georgia Bulldogs @ Tennessee Volunteers Odds

One of the top week 3 college football games is easily this clash between SEC rivals, the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers. The two sides have faced off 54 times in their history, with Georgia winning each of the last eight contests and holding a 29-23-2 series advantage.

While the Bulldogs have been hot in this series lately, Tennessee kept things relatively close in the last meeting; a 31-17 loss in 2024. Both teams enter this huge week 3 tilt inside the top 15. Both are 2-0 and the winner gets its first SEC win.

Tennessee’s offense has been a huge surprise with transfer QB Joey Aguilar running head coach Josh Heupel’s spread offense. Aguilar leads an offense that put up 45 points in Week 1 and then went off on FCS East Tennessee State for 72. Neither of the Vols first two opponents were Georgia though.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Tennessee Volunteers Predictions

Georgia had to start over under center with Carson Beck leaving this offseason, while they also lost star running back Trevor Etienne and wide receiver Arian Smith. Their new-look offense has played well thus far, scoring 45 in the season-opening win over Marshall and then 28 last week in the win over Austin Peay.

The difference in this game is likely to be which team plays better defensively. Tennessee’s defense is solid, but Kirby Smart is a master, similar to his former mentor Nick Saban. Tennessee hasn’t been this short of a dog at home against Georgia in a long time. Still, Smart and the Bulldogs have won these types of SEC road games in the past.

Bet: Georgia ML, Georgia -3.5 (-105), Under 50.5 (-115)

SMU Mustangs @ Missouri State Bears Odds

The SMU Mustangs and Missouri State Bears face off in week three, with the Mustangs coming off an overtime loss to Baylor. SMU led by 14 midway through the fourth quarter, but allowed two late Sawyer Robertson touchdown passes and the Bears tied the game.

Missouri State will play the host in their first season as an FBS member. The Bears went 8-4 in their last season in the FCS in 2024. Missouri State was USC’s punching bag in Week 1 and then pulled the upset, beating Marshall for the school’s first official win as an FBS member.

The Bears will have their hands full this weekend as SMU is one of the favorites to win the ACC. The Mustangs went 11-3 last season, played for the ACC championship, and made the College Football Playoff.

SMU Mustangs @ Missouri State Bears Predictions

This is an absolute bounce-back spot for the Mustangs. Despite being on the road, SMU will rally against a team that just doesn’t have the horses to compete yet with programs like SMU.

SMU QB Kevin Jennings had another outstanding day going 16-for-22 for 295 yards and three touchdowns against Baylor. The Mustangs also ran for 163 yards, led by T.J. Harden’s 119. The Mustangs offense could pull a USC on Missouri State.

The Bears will continue to build their program, but it’s a huge letdown spot after a big win last week. Don’t expect a similar performance from the Bears defense, which held Marshall to 274 total yards.

Bet: ML pass, SMU -28.5 (-115), Over 60.5 (-112)

UTEP Miners @ Texas Longhorns Odds

The UTEP Miners and Texas Longhorns will get after it in Week 3 of the 2025 college football season. UTEP will pick up the pieces of a disastrous 2024 season where they went 3-9 and couldn’t even stay afloat in Conference USA. The Miners lost their Week 1 game to Utah State but got a win last week over FCS UT-Martin.

Texas, of course, went 13-3 last season and reached the Cotton Bowl. Like UTEP, the Longhorns lost in Week 1, but it was to the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The Longhorns have dominated UTEP (6-0) in all six of their meetings. None of those games have been remotely close, with the last clash in 2020 being a 59-3 bloodbath.

UTEP Miners @ Texas Longhorns Predictions

Texas is a huge favorite in this one (-41.5). That’s no surprise given the talent level of the Longhorns which we saw on full display last week in an easy 38-7 win over San Jose State. QB Arch Manning bounced back from a rough start in Week 1 with 295 passing yards and four touchdowns against the Spartans last week. He also added a touchdown on the ground.

The Texas offense will be too much for a UTEP defense that finished 110th in scoring last year, allowing 32.8 points per game. The Longhorns defense is no joke either. Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the nation and the Buckeyes only managed 14 points off the Longhorns. This one could get ugly.

It’s just a matter of whether or not UTEP gets on the board. Your best bet may be to use the Longhorns in an alternate line parlay with a team like SMU which is also a pretty big favorite.

Bet: ML pass, ATS pass, Over 50.5 (-118)

South Florida Bulls @ Miami Hurricanes Odds

The surprise of the young 2025 college football season is surely the Bulls who, as mentioned, have two consecutive wins over Top 25 teams. This Saturday, it’s No. 5 Miami. Can head coach Alex Golesh and his team do it again?

The Bulls played the Gators tough and it came down to a couple Florida mistakes that proved costly. A South Florida punt inside the 20 turned into a safety to give South Florida a 15-9 lead late in the third quarter. Florida went ahead 16-15 on a DJ Lagway touchdown pass to Eugene Smith III. Ultimately, USF QB Byrum Brown would lead the Bulls on an 8-play, 87-yard drive that culminated with a Nico Grammatica 20-yard field goal for the 18-16 win.

Now, the Bulls have to do it all again.

South Florida Bulls @ Miami Hurricanes Predictions

Miami grabbed an impressive 27-24 win over Notre Dame in Week 1. The Hurricanes defense played extremely well but did give up 17 points in the fourth quarter before a Carter Davis field goal won the game in the final two minutes.

The Canes stomped FCS Bethune-Cookman last week 45-3, but they cannot afford to look ahead past the Bulls. Florida, the team USF just beat, awaits next Saturday, Sept. 20, for the Hurricanes.

The Bulls have a solid playmaker in Brown who leads the team in both passing and rushing. The defense is also pretty good, holding Boise State to seven points and an explosive Florida offense to just 16. In the end, though, the Canes just have too much talent. Mario Cristobal will have his team ready to play and, eventually, Miami will pull away and cover.

Bet: ML pass, Miami -16.5 (-115), Over 54.5 (-115)

Ohio Bobcats @ Ohio State Buckeyes Odds

The Ohio State Buckeyes should have no issues with their in-state opponent. It’s not really a rival as the two schools have never played annually and have only played three times since 1999. The last meeting was in 2010. Ohio State was a 43-7 winner.

The Buckeyes started the 2025 season with an impressive win over then-No. 1 Texas. They cruised to a 70-0 win over Grambling last week. Don’t expect the Buckeyes to let up anytime soon. Ohio has never beaten Ohio State in six tries.

Ohio Bobcats @ Ohio State Buckeyes Predictions

The Bobcats are coming off a really good year that saw them put up nearly 30 points per game and dominate on the ground offensively (10th in rushing yards per game). Sustaining similar production against a defense like the Buckeyes is another story. Don’t forget, Ohio State owned the top-ranked scoring defense in 2024, as well as the third best defense against the run.

Ohio is also in its first season under new head coach Brian Smith has been at the school since 2022 and nothing much has changed. The Bobcats will still try to run the football, especially with the talented Parker Navarro at quarterback. Navarro leads Ohio in both passing and rushing yards and he’s scored 5 total touchdowns in Ohio’s two games. The Bobcats lost to Rutgers 34-31 and beat West Virginia 17-10 last week.

Like Texas, the question for the Buckeyes is when do they take their foot of the gas? However, even the Buckeyes backups are pretty talented as we saw last week in the win over Grambling. Ohio State scores early and often and don’t be surprised if Ohio gets on the board at least once.

Bet: ML pass, Ohio State -32.5 (-108), Under 53.5 (-112)

Texas A&M @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Odds

The Texas A&M Aggies takes to the road to battle No. 8 Notre Dame this Saturday night. The Aggies haven’t won more than nine games since Johnny Manziel was under center. They went 8-5 last year in head coach Mike Elko’s first season.

Texas A&M hasn’t been a legit program for some time, but a win over a top 10 program and one that played for a national championship last season would help Elko to continue to build something special.

Don’t let the scores of the Aggies first two games scare you. They beat UTSA 42-24 in Week 1 and Utah State 44-22 last week. They were ahead by far more but both teams scored late in the game to tighten up the scores.

This series has been fairly competitive, with Notre Dame holding a 4-2 edge all-time. The most recent battle went down last year in College Station, with Notre Dame pulling out a 23-13 win.

Texas A&M @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Predictions

Last year’s showdown was the first clash between these two teams in over 20 years, and it ended up being a pretty good game. Notre Dame was only up by a touchdown going into the fourth quarter and didn’t fully ice the game until 30 seconds were left on the clock.

Notre Dame is the better team and they’re at home. They’ve won five straight at Notre Dame Stadium and they are 13-2 in their last 15 games overall. CJ Carr started his first college game in Week 1 against Miami. It was a slow start, but he finished well, throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns. What hurt Carr was Notre Dame’s inability to run the football.

Elko is known for his defensive acumen. This should be an awesome game of strategy for both coaching staffs. It’s hard to pass up the Irish at home even if they are favored by a touchdown. The Aggies haven’t covered yet this season and they’re actually 0-7 ATS in their last seven games. With these two defenses, expect a close, low-scoring game.

Bet: Notre Dame ML, Texas A&M -7 (-110), Under 49.5 (-112)

Texas State Bobcats @ Arizona State Sun Devils Odds

The last game on our Week 3 card is this one in the desert between the Texas State Bobcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Bobcats were decent last year, going 8-5 overall and finishing second in the Sun Belt Conference. They are off to a fast start in 2025 with consecutive victories over Eastern Michigan and UTSA.

Arizona State is now unranked after an upset loss to Mississippi State last week. Sun Devils QB Sam Leavitt was outplayed by the Bulldogs’ Blake Shapen who threw a touchdown pass with 30 seconds remaining for the upset victory. The Sun Devils must now regroup. The loss was out of conference, so it doesn’t affect their quest for another Big 12 championship.

This will be the second meeting ever between these two schools. Last year gave us the first as Arizona State pulled out a surprisingly tight game, winning 31-28 in a shootout. While Arizona State is definitely the more hyped team, the Bobcats could once again find a way to keep this game close.

Texas State @ Arizona State Sun Devils Predictions

The Sun Devils enjoyed a strong 2024 season thanks to a potent offense that ranked 25th in scoring, 18th in rushing, and did a good job limiting mistakes. Arizona State essentially picked up where it left off in Week 1 when the Sun Devils beat Northern Arizona. Last week though, ASU struggled in the passing game against the speedier Mississippi State defense.

At home against Texas State, the Sun Devils offense should not have a problem with Texas State’s defense. The Bobcats have not been able to stop anyone consistently, but the offense has been good enough to offset the poor defense. Texas State gave up 27 and 36 points in its first two games. The offense is averaging 47.5 points per game.

Arizona State is a good bet to win and take a 2-0 series lead here. However, the Bobcats have the offense that could keep this one interesting. The best bet is likely the Over as both teams have the ability to score on any down.

Bet: ML pass, Arizona State -4.5 (-110), Over 58.5 (-110)

Best College Football Week 3 Bets

There are a lot of good week 3 college football picks to consider, but the following are my best bets for the week:

• Oregon (-27.5) @ Northwestern
• Georgia (-166) @ Tennessee
• Texas A&M @ Notre Dame (-220)
• Texas State @ Arizona State Over 58.5

The Ducks took care of business last week, beating Oklahoma State 69-3 as 28-point favorites. They should have no trouble with a weak Northwestern offense that probably won’t put up much more than Oklahoma State did last week.

Georgia has owned Tennessee, winning the last eight in a row in the series. You can bet Coach Smart has some things drawn up for Vols QB Joey Aguilar who may be even better than Nico Iamaleava.

Texas A&M will have its hands full at Notre Dame. Playing at Touchdown Jesus is never easy and Marcus Freeman and his squad had a full extra week to prepare for this game after losing to Miami in Week 1.

Finally, the two offenses in the Texas State-Arizona State game are just so explosive. It seems more likely that both teams will score in the 30s than not. Don’t forget, Texas State’s defense was horrible last season and has already given up an average of 31.5 points per game.

If interested, you can package these College Football Week 3 picks into a four-leg parlay or you can check out our other College Football parlay picks of the week.