After five ranked teams were defeated in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, four more suffered losses in Week 2. Three of those clubs fell out of the top 25, while Michigan dropped from No. 15 to No. 23 with its setback against then-No. 18 Oklahoma, which climbed up five spots in the rankings.
Week 3 begins with one game on Thursday and features five more the following day before three contests between ranked opponents highlight Saturday’s busy schedule. Those matchups are No. 6 Georgia against No. 15 Tennessee in Knoxville at 3:30 p.m. ET, No. 18 South Florida visiting No. 5 Miami at 4:30 p.m. ET and No. 8 Notre Dame hosting No. 16 Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Georgia is a 4.5-point favorite against Tennessee at FanDuel Sportsbook, while the total is set at 49.5. South Florida is a 17.5-point underdog versus Miami and the total is 56.5, and Notre Dame is favored by 6.5 points over Texas A&M with an Over/Under of 49.5.
There is an abundance of possibilities for parlays in Week 3, as 70 games take place this weekend. SportsLine has revealed its top three-leg parlays, with one involving favorites and another consisting of underdogs.
SportsLine’s top three-leg favorites parlay would bring a return of +348, while the parlay involving three underdogs offers a +1222 return.
Money line favorites parlay for Week 3
Memphis (-178) vs. Troy
The Tigers (2-0) have begun the season with a pair of convincing victories as they routed Chattanooga 45-10 at home and trounced Georgia State 38-16 on the road. Memphis has scored at least 20 points in 42 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak of its kind in the nation.
Troy (1-1) opened with a 38-20 home triumph over Nicholls before being defeated on the road 27-16 by then-No. 8 Clemson. The Trojans are led offensively by running back Tae Meadows, who is sixth in the nation with an average of 131 rushing yards.
The Tigers won five of the previous six meetings between the programs, including a 38-17 victory in Memphis last season. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every FBS game 10,000 times, sees another triumph on Saturday as the Tigers win outright in 76% of its simulations. Expert Bruce Marshall also feels strongly about Memphis, suggesting it covers the spread behind quarterback Brendon Lewis, who has been living up to expectations after transferring to the Tigers from Nevada last December.
Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina (-196)
Both the No. 11 Gamecocks and Commodores are off to strong starts as they enter this SEC showdown with identical 2-0 records. South Carolina kicked off 2025 with double-digit victories against Virginia Tech and South Carolina State, while Vanderbilt cruised past Charleston Southern and the Hokies.
The Gamecocks are seeking their first 3-0 start since 2012, when they opened with six consecutive wins, and their ninth straight regular-season triumph. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers enters Saturday with only two touchdown passes thus far but has thrown for 11 scores over his last three home games.
Vanderbilt scored more than 40 points in each of its first two contests thanks in part to Diego Pavia, who has thrown five touchdown passes to five different receivers. Sedrick Alexander and Makhilyn Young have both recorded two rushing touchdowns for the Commodores, who haven’t won their first three games of a season since 2017.
South Carolina has dominated the all-time series, winning 30 of the previous 34 meetings and 16 straight since dropping a 24-17 decision in 2008. SportsLine’s proven model sees the streak continuing, as it has the Gamecocks winning in 70% of its simulations.
Duke vs. Tulane (-111)
The Green Wave (2-0) rolled past Northwestern 23-3 at home in their season opener before edging South Alabama 33-31 on the road last weekend. Jake Retzlaff has accounted for four of Tulane’s six offensive touchdowns this year, throwing for two while also running for a pair, and became the first Tulane quarterback since 1995 to rush for 100 yards (113) and a TD in a home game when he accomplished the feat against Northwestern.
Duke (1-1) got off to a strong start with a 45-17 rout of Elon but was thrashed 45-19 by then-No. 11 Illinois last weekend. The Blue Devils take to the road for the first time in 2025, but QB Darian Mensah will feel very comfortable in New Orleans as he guided Tulane to a 7-1 record during ACC play last season before transferring to Duke, with whom he has thrown for 723 yards and five touchdowns in his first two games.
Tulane won the first two meetings between these teams but the Blue Devils have taken the last three, including a 37-7 road triumph in 2015. SportsLine’s model feels the Green Wave will end Duke’s streak as it has Tulane winning 56% of the time.
Money line underdog parlay for Week 3
Colorado (+169) vs. Houston
The Buffaloes (1-1) look to pick up where they left off as they posted a 7-2 record during conference play in their return to the Big 12 last year. Colorado also is hoping to build off last week’s 31-7 triumph over Delaware after having dropped a 27-20 decision to Georgia Tech in its season opener.
Houston (2-0) has been stellar defensively thus far this campaign, blanking Stephen F. Austin in its first contest before limiting Rice to nine points last weekend. The Cougars are seeking their first 3-0 start since 2016 but are 5-13 in conference play since joining the Big 12 in 2023 and have lost three such contests in a row.
Colorado won the only previous meeting between these teams, posting a 29-17 victory in the 1971 Bluebonnet Bowl. The SportsLine Projection Model believes the Buffaloes will improve to 2-0 in the all-time series as it has them winning in 57% of its simulations.
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech (+134)
The No. 12 Tigers (1-1) bounced back from their season-opening 17-10 loss to then-No. 9 LSU with a 27-16 triumph over Troy last week. Clemson, which rallied from a 16-0 deficit in that contest, will be away from home for the first time this year. The Tigers won all four of their road games in 2024.
Georgia Tech (2-0) began the campaign with a 27-0 victory at Colorado before demolishing Gardner-Webb 59-12 at home last weekend. The Yellow Jackets, who have won six straight home contests, racked up 457 yards through the air against the Runnin’ Bulldogs – the second-most in a game in program history (486 versus Virginia in 2001).
Clemson has dominated the the Yellow Jackets of late, winning each of the last nine meetings and four straight on the road. However, SportsLine’s proven model is leaning slightly toward Georgia Tech to win outright, while expert Emory Hunt likes the Jackets to at least cover the spread as he feels the Tigers are struggling offensively and Georgia Tech has the edge at quarterback.
Minnesota vs. California (+110)
Both teams have gotten off to 2-0 starts with a pair of dominant victories. Minnesota opened the season with a 23-10 triumph over Buffalo before steamrolling Northwestern State 66-0 last weekend, while California cruised past Oregon State 34-15 and Texas Southern 35-3.
The Golden Gophers matched their highest point total since 1937 in the victory against the Demons and have won five consecutive non-conference games by an average of 33.6 points. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears are riding a five-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents during which they have won by 24.4 points per contest.
California is 4-2 in the all-time series and won each of the last two meetings, including a 35-21 triumph in 2009. SportsLine’s proven model feels the Golden Bears will extend the winning streak to three games as it has the club emerging victorious in 54% of its simulations.
Read the full article here
