College football odds, lines, picks, predictions for Week 2, 2021: Computer model backing Iowa State, Michigan

The Week 2 college football schedule has something that was missing from last year’s schedule, and that’s a large selection of non-conference matchups. Oregon will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State in the week’s marquee game, while former Southwestern Conference rivals Texas and Arkansas will tangle in Fayetteville, Ark. Meanwhile, in a Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup, Iowa will take on Iowa State with bragging rights for the Hawkeye State on the line.

The Cyclones are 4.5-point favorites over Iowa, per Caesars Sportsbook, in what’s one of the closest Week 2 college football spreads. On the other end of the spectrum is Ohio State, who is a 14.5-point favorite in the latest Week 2 college football odds. With so many non-conference matchups, there’s lots of unfamiliarity between the teams, so these games could go in any direction. Before making any Week 2 college football picks or predictions, be sure to see the latest college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 2 of the 2021 season on a 63-45 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest Week 2 college football odds from Caesars and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.

Top Week 2 college football predictions

One of the top college football picks the model is recommending for Week 2: Iowa State covers as a four-point favorite against in-state rival Iowa. Few teams have the returning star power of the Cyclones with four-year starter Brock Purdy under center and consensus All-American Breece Hall in the backfield. The two of them combined for 326 of Iowa State’s 335 yards last week, and while Iowa may be able to contain one, stopping both players will be too much to ask for.

Both players are expected to shine in this heated rivalry as the model projects Purdy to pass for over 200 yards and a touchdown, while Hall rushes for 100 yards and a score. Meanwhile for Iowa, the Hawkeyes should continue to struggle to move the ball through the air after QB Spencer Petras could only muster 145 yards on 48.1 percent passing last week. The model’s projections show the Cyclones covering the spread in over 50 percent of simulations.

Another one of the college football predictions from the model: Michigan (-6.5) covers at home against the Washington Huskies. The Wolverines took care of business in Week 1 against Western Michigan and showed off an improved defense under first-year coordinator Mike Macdonald. Michigan limited Western Michigan to a 54 percent completion percentage and held the Broncos’ running game to under 4.0 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, last week the Huskies had arguably the worst showing out of any FBS team in Week 1. They suffered a humiliating home loss to FCS school Montana, which was Washington’s first loss to a non-major program since 1973. Things aren’t slated to get much better versus Michigan as Washington is expected to be without its top three receivers, as well as its best defensive player in Zion Tupuola-Fetui, who led the Pac-12 in sacks last year.

Washington has just one road victory versus a Big Ten school over the last 30 years and that was against lowly Rutgers (2017). The model sees Washington’s depleted roster struggling to get much going against the Wolverines, who are projected to win 32-21. SportsLine’s projections also have Michigan covering the 6.5-point spread in over 60 percent of simulations.

How to make Week 2 college football picks 

The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every other game on the Week 2 college football schedule, and it’s calling for multiple outright upsets. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So what college football picks can you make with confidence? And which favorites go down hard? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned $3,500 in profit over the past five-plus seasons, and find out.

Week 2 College football odds (via Caesars)

Here are the college football lines for some of Week 2’s most notable matchups:

Friday, Sept. 10 

Kansas vs. Coastal Carolina (-27, 53)

UTEP vs. Boise State (-27, 55.5)

Saturday, Sept. 11

Oregon vs. Ohio State (-14, 63.5)

Tennessee vs Pittsburgh (-3, 54.5)

Colorado vs Texas A&M (-17, 52)

UAB at Georgia (-26, 44.5)

Navy vs Air Force (-6.5, 40.5)

Iowa State vs. Iowa (+4, 45)

Arkansas vs. Texas (-6.5, 57)

Washington at Michigan (-6, 50.5)

Stanford at USC (-17.5, 51.5)