College football odds, lines, picks, predictions for Week 3, 2021: Proven model backing Notre Dame, Cincinnati

The Week 3 college football schedule is highlighted by a trio of Top 25 matchups. The SEC on CBS game features No. 1 Alabama at No. 11 Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The latest Week 3 college football odds from Caesars Sportsbook give Alabama a 14.5-point edge in that SEC showdown. Out West, No. 19 Arizona State travels to take on No. 23 BYU (+2.5). And in an intriguing SEC-Big Ten matchup, No. 22 Auburn travels to take on No. 10 Penn State (-6).

Should you target any of those Week 3 college football spreads in your bets? And are there college football lines in some less-heralded matchups that bring value? Before making any Week 3 college football picks, 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 3 of the 2021 season on a 67-50 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 3 college football odds from Caesars and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.

Top Week 3 college football predictions

One of the top college football picks the model is recommending for Week 3: No. 12 Notre Dame (-7) covers at home against Purdue in a 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday matchup. The Fighting Irish have survived a pair of early-season scares against Toledo and Florida State. The biggest positive, however, has been the play of quarterback Jack Coan.

The Wisconsin transfer is completing 69.1 percent of his passes for 605 yards, six touchdowns and just a pair of interceptions. He needs more help from the defense and the rushing attack. SportsLine’s model projects good showings for both. Notre Dame holds Purdue to 24 points and the Irish pile up around 150 yards on the ground according to the simulations. That helps the Fighting Irish cover well over 50 percent of the time, while the under (58.5) also hits.

Another one of the college football predictions from the model: No. 8 Cincinnati (-3) covers at Indiana in a noon ET kickoff on Saturday. The Bearcats are aiming for the College Football Playoffs this season. But if they’re going to be serious contenders, they’ll need to make statements in the next two weeks with Indiana and Notre Dame on the schedule.

Indiana was overwhelmed by Iowa in its opener, and now the Hoosiers take on another talented and physical team in the Bearcats. SportsLine’s model sees this as a low-scoring game that stays in the 40s. That helps the under (51) hit with plenty of room to spare, while the Bearcats pick up the double-digit victory and cover almost 60 percent of the time.

How to make Week 3 college football picks

The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every other game on the Week 3 college football schedule, and it’s calling for a Top 25 favorite to go down hard. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So what college football picks can you make with confidence? And which Top 25 favorite goes 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.