College football odds, lines, picks, predictions for Week 3, 2021: Simulations back Notre Dame, Cincinnati

No. 11 Florida will be looking for revenge when it hosts No. 1 Alabama Saturday afternoon on CBS in a game that highlights the Week 3 college football schedule. The Gators came up short in the 2020 SEC Championship game and they are currently listed as 14.5-point underdogs in the latest Week 3 college football odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Another ranked matchup features No. 10 Penn State (-6) vs. No. 22 Auburn at 7:30 p.m. ET. In later action, No. 23 BYU (+3.5) hosts No. 19 Arizona State at 9:15 p.m. ET.

Which Week 3 college football spreads are the best bets? Caesars has Week 3 college football lines available on all of the games, including matchups between smaller schools. Before making any Week 3 college football picks on those games or others, 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 covers a seven-point spread at home vs. Purdue at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Irish have had two weeks to work out the kinks and integrate some new players, but they’ve looked shaky. Notre Dame went to overtime with a Florida State team that went on to lose to an FCS squad in Week 1 and needed a late comeback to defeat Toledo in Week 2.

But Purdue also enters the Week 3 schedule with question marks. Quarterback Jack Plummer has looked good so far, but has yet to face a defense that’s even average. And leading rusher Zander Horvath is out with a leg injury. Notre Dame covers in almost 60 percent of simulations, per SportsLine’s model, which also has the under 58.5 hitting in 60 percent of simulations.

Another one of the college football predictions from the model: No. 8 Cincinnati covers as a 3.5-point favorite at Indiana. The Bearcats have opened the season with a pair of blowout wins over Miami (Ohio) and Murray State, but neither of those wins are going to elevate them into the College Football Playoff discussion. They have a chance to turn heads on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington.

Indiana was ranked to open the season, but it was blown out at No. 18 Iowa in its opener. The Hoosiers have not faced a non-conference opponent that was ranked this high since hosting No. 2 USC in 1981. SportsLine’s model gives Cincinnati the edge, as the Bearcats cover this number in almost 60 percent of simulations. The under cashes well over 70 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.