College football odds, picks, predictions for Week 2, 2023: Proven simulation backs Alabama, Cincinnati

Two historic programs, and future SEC foes, clashing highlight the Week 2 college football schedule with Alabama vs. Texas from Tuscaloosa, Ala. This is a rematch from Bama’s win in Austin last year, and the third-ranked Tide are 7-point favorites per the latest Week 2 college football odds over the 11th-ranked Longhorns. Texas vs. Alabama is one of several matchups this weekend featuring future conference rivals with the massive realignment coming in 2024. Others include the future Big 12 pairings of No. 12 Utah vs. Baylor and Oklahoma State vs. Arizona State.

Elsewhere, Colorado will look to keep its momentum going under Deion Sanders as the Buffs are 3-point home favorites over Nebraska. Colorado’s season-opening win over TCU was one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, and which other potential upsets should be on your radar before laying down any Week 2 college football bets? Before locking in any college football picks on those games or others, be sure to see the latest college football predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. The proprietary computer model is off to a fast 4-2 start on all-top rated college football picks this season. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds for Week 2 and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.

Top college football predictions for Week 2

One of the college football picks the model is recommending for Saturday: Cincinnati (+8) easily covers on the road against Pittsburgh in a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Both programs are coming off 9-4 seasons in 2022 and blowout victories in Week 1 over FCS schools. They also each have well-traveled sixth-year seniors at QB as both Cincinnati’s Emory Jones and Pitt’s Phil Jurkovec are on their third schools. However, Jones’ playmaking ability and Jurkovec’s carelessness with the football separate the two.

Jones totaled seven touchdowns (five passing, two rushing) in the Week 1 victory over Eastern Kentucky, showing off his dynamism with both his arm and legs. He also protects the ball and has just seven career fumbles, while Jurkovec is one of the most turnover-prone players in college football. The Pitt QB has 17 career interceptions and 16 career fumbles, despite essentially the same number of snaps under center as Jones.

With two evenly matched teams on paper, the difference often comes down to the most important position on the field, which gives the edge to Cincy. The SportsLine model has Jurkovec committing more turnovers than Jones, and that enables the Bearcats (+8) to cover in 70% of simulations.

Another prediction: No. 4 Alabama cruises to a blowout win as a 7-point home favorite against No. 11 Texas on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Jalen Milroe proved ready to take over for Bryce Young at quarterback with five total touchdowns in a 56-7 win over Middle Tennessee last week. The sophomore completed 13-of-18 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns while adding 38 rushing yards and two scores. Texas is certainly a much tougher opponent than Middle Tennessee, but Milroe passed his first test.

The Crimson Tide are coming off an 11-2 season and missing the College Football Playoff, their worst year since 2019, and you can be sure Nick Saban is reminding this year’s team of last season’s failures. Alabama defeated Texas, 20-19, in Austin last year but this will be the first time the two schools meet in Tuscaloosa since 1902. Alabama is 13-5-1 at home against the spread over its last three seasons. Texas is 2-5 in its last seven games against SEC opponents, including 0-4 in its last four regular-season matchups, which is one reason why Alabama is covering the spread in well over 60% of simulations. See which other teams the model likes here.

How to make college football picks for Week 2

The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every other FBS matchup in Week 2, and it’s calling for several underdogs to win outright. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So what college football picks can you make with confidence, and which underdogs win outright? 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 more than $2,500 in profit since its inception, and find out.