These are in order from my most confident pick to least confident. Lines are based on the current spreads at the Caesars Sportsbook.

Pittsburgh (-7.0) vs. Cincinnati- 6:30– I think the gap between these teams is massive, as Pitt should be an upper echelon ACC team that is hosting a bottom of the barrel Big 12 squad. The Panthers will roll in this one.

Maryland (-24.5) vs. Charlotte- 7:30– I realize this is a lot of points to cover, but I think Maryland will be one of the top surprise teams in the country and Charlotte is awful. Expect a least a 4 TD win for the Terps.

Vanderbilt (+10.5) at Wake Forest- 11:00 AM– As a Wake fan, this game really scares me. The Deacs did not look good in their opener against Elon, and this Vandy program is on the rise under Coach Clark Lea. Expect a tight game that the Commodores may find a way to win outright.

California (+6.5) vs. Auburn- 10:30– This line really surprised me as I thought Cal is the better team here who is playing at home. The Tigers also have to make a cross country road trip for a 10:45 PM Eastern time kickoff. I think there is quite a bit of SEC bias baked into this line.

Liberty (-10.5) vs. New Mexico State- 6:00– The Aggies lost at home to lowly UMass in their only game against FBS competition this season, and now they have to go on the road and across the country to play a well-coached Liberty team that should contend for the C-USA title. Expect a blowout here.

Northwestern (+1.5) vs. UTEP- 3:30– This may be the Wildcats best (and perhaps only) chance at a win this season so they should be motivated for this one. Also, the Miners have already lost this season to a team playing its first-ever FBS game in program history, so I don’t see how you can make them a road favorite against a Big Ten team.

App. State (+19.0) at North Carolina- 5:15– This game was a fast paced shootout last season that came down to a thrilling final minute of play. I don’t think either of these teams is different enough from the 2022 version of themselves to justify a near 20 point spread.

Virginia (+6.0) vs. James Madison- 12:00– I can’t believe an ACC team is a 6 point home dog against a Sun Belt team that is transitioning to FBS! If that doesn’t motivate the Cavs to pull the upset, then nothing will.

Ole Miss (-7.5) at Tulane- 3:30– I liked like this line a lot better when it was at 7, but I still think Ole Miss is explosive enough to win this game by at least a couple of touchdowns, even on the road.

Miami-OH (-7.0) at UMass- 3:30– The Minutemen have showed some early promise in 2023, but they are still one of the weaker squads in the nation. Meanwhile, the Redhawks are legitimate MAC title contenders in 2023.

Last Week’s Record: Don’t Ask, Overall Season Record: Don’t Tell