Each of these teams has exceeded expectations with their fast starts out of the gate to add even more importance to getting a win in this matchup. There has to be some genuine concern with AJ Dillon's playing status for this game. My lean with still be towards NC State playing at home as the better all-around team.

Even if Dillon can go, he will most likely be limited to take away a big chunk of BC's running game. This sets the stage for an NC State win at home both SU and ATS.

Rivalry games produce the unexpected, and you can rest assured that the Eagles will be looking to end Western Michigan's recent spate of supremacy in this series. This perhaps is one of their better chances to do so, and they will cash in. Eagles get the call outright.

We will step in here and take advantage of what appears to be a clear-cut underlay. For Marshall, this primetime spot is an opportunity for them to show audiences what they are capable of against an opponent that has garnered some notoriety. Marshall’s stout rushing attack will force Middle Tennessee State to be one dimensional which puts tremendous pressure on Blue Raiders quarterback Brett Stockstill to deliver in quite a hostile road environment. We don’t like that proposition by the least. Marshall wins big in H-Town.

Tulsa was outmatched by Temple's bruising style of play its last time out, and it will have a really tough time handling Houston's speed and finesse this Thursday night. The Cougars are less concerned with how many points they give up with the simple goal of outscoring their opponents.

Both teams are well rested coming off the bye, but the gap in talent swings heavily in Houston’s favor. Thursday night should turn into another one-sided track meet with the Cougars covering the 17-point spread at home.

We liked California as a dark horse to potentially vie for the Pac-12 Conference crown in 2018, and this venue will provide insight into why there was such optimism. California continues to improve on both sides of the football under Head Coach Justin Wilcox, and he will empower this bunch to take a step forward with a win against a traditional heavyweight. Bears outright get the call.

LSU should win this game because Ole Miss' defense is very iffy. But the Rebs are also capable of putting up 30 points on offense, which means the Tigers would need more than 40 to cover. Also, Ole Miss put on probably its best performance of this season in its only road game so far, while LSU is 0-2 ATS at home because it was favored by too much against Southeast Louisiana and Louisiana Tech. We're taking the points here with the Rebels.

Hawaii will probably get itself closer to bowl eligibility with another win, but this one will be a lot more difficult than perhaps many can imagine. A spirited San Jose State team will come out swinging in hopes of trying to notch a win and get off the funk. Warriors win, but Spartans cover.

The Eagles will take another step forward and end Northern Illinois’ dominance of this series to cement themselves as a contender for the MAC. The Eagles are the better team and will use this game as a platform to showcase their superiority.

Florida benefited from six turnovers last week; that probably won't happen this week. Mississippi State, meanwhile, played a downer previous week, but we expect a bounce-back effort this week. We're don't especially like going along with the betting flow, but we are going with the zig-zag here and giving the points with the Bulldogs for our free college football pick.

The loss of RB Jeremy Larkin is a big one for NU, but they have options. John Molten IV would be one of them. He's been primarily used as a short yardage back this season making his 1.8 yards a carry deceptive. Back in 2016 he picked up 340 yards on 57 rushes for a 6.0 average but missed most of last season with an injury. The Wolverines come into this game off of three dominating wins, but appear overvalued here on the road against a conference foe. Northwestern has extra rest are at home and may use the Larkin forced retirement as motivation.

It is a rare situation when a team from a major conference is a double-digit underdog against a Mid Major, but the gap in talent between the two on each side of the ball is rather apparent. Pitt can run the ball, but Central Florida can run it much better, and I would give the clear edge on defense to the home team.

This one could turn into a grinder to set up a play on the UNDER, but I am laying the 13.5 points with UCF winning this game by at least two touchdowns.

An upset is not out of the realm of possibility here but to play this one conservative, we suggest taking the points. Look for a fired-up Wildcats team to feed off an energetic crowd to render this affair into a physical one settled by once again, just a sole possession.

Buffalo will make an example out of Army and dominate them on both sides of the football. This one could easily get out of hand early in the game. Buffalo wins big and asserts it will in this New York state feud.

North Carolina is a different team playing at home so winning SU on the road would be a tall task. However, I am not sold on Miami as the No. 16 team in the nation. The Hurricanes have the talent to cover the 18 points at home, but there are still some issues on both sides of the ball that could give Miami some matchup problems against the Tar Heels.

The win against Pitt as a slight home underdog gives North Carolina some solid momentum heading into Thursday night. On a short week, I will take the points and the Tar Heels to cover.

Though it seems like a long swim back, this is one of those rare cases where swallowing the lumber will pay off. The Huskies are the superior team in this contest, and they will use this opportunity to end Arizona State's successes with an exclamation point. Huskies win this one by huge margins.

The Spartans had last week off to get back on track, but they're still dealing with injuries to their offensive line. Starting LT Cole Chewins and G David Beedle are both iffy this week, and if they don't go, we may have them repeating Week 2's offensive production. Hoosiers' QB Peyton Ramsey has shown dual-threat ability which should help Indiana sustain clock-eating drives.

With whatever support they can get, the Miners will come into this contest hungry to end their nasty losing streak. Fueled by acrimony for the invaders, the Miners find a way to get the W here. We’ll toss away the low-hanging fruit here and take UTEP outright.

This will likely be a basketball game on turf, and we can see 1,000 yards of offense easily generated in this affair. Given the probability we will see multiple ebbs and flows in this contest, the Red Raiders are positioned to come in under a likely lofty number.

At a point last year, the Warhawks looked like a team that was going to flirt with bowl eligibility. Sadly, ULM came up short thanks to a difficult out of conference schedule combined with bitter losses in the Sun Belt. However, if ULM gets a win here they are in a position to end the post-season drought as it is far smoother sailing after this with manageable fixtures against Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, Texas State, South Alabama, and of course the Battle of the Bayou with UL-Lafayette still on their schedule. Caleb Evans will come up big, and we can easily see an upset in Monroe.

With a contest against Conference USA power Louisiana Tech also looming on the horizon, there is also the possibility that North Texas will be caught looking ahead here. When you combine this with the let-down prospect and also with Liberty getting this fixture at home, we may not just see a cover here but perhaps an upset. Crazier things have happened. The Flames will give the Mean Green a scare here if UNT does not stub its toe.