College football returns for a second week of action, and it’s time to examine the player prop market for Week 2.
Will Bryce Underwood live up to the hype? Is Mississippi State’s defense still an auto-fade? What’s BYU’s passing attack going to look like with a true freshman quarterback?
I answer those questions with my player props and college football picks for the evening games on Saturday, September 6.
Best college football player props for Week 2
Bryce Underwood u191.5 passing yards (-114)
Kyson Brown o62.5 rushing yards (-114)
Chase Brown o43.5 receiving yards (-114)
Prop bet #1: Bryce Underwood Under 191.5 passing yards
Bryce Underwood is getting a lot of hype after leading his team to … an uninspiring win over New Mexico. Any time that’s the case, it’s time to sell high.
Underwood is an uber-talented quarterback who will probably have a great career, but let’s be realistic about the surrounding circumstances. This is his first start against a high-caliber opponent; there’s a below-average receiving unit around him, and the Michigan Wolverines love to run the ball.
Playing on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners at night is simply a tough environment. Brent Venables is 21-5 against freshman quarterbacks in his career and will scheme up Havoc plays all night long to confuse the young signal caller, so it’d be very surprising if the Michigan Wolverines don’t look to establish the run early and often.
The Sooners have a disruptive defensive front that will look to create pressure. Once this defense started clicking last season, it held four of the previous five quarterbacks it faced below 165 yards passing. Michigan doesn’t have the receiving threats to consistently make Oklahoma pay for its aggressiveness.
I have questions about efficiency, volume, supporting cast, surrounding environment, and a hype-created line. All of those are reasons for me to side with the Under.
- Matchup: Michigan vs. Oklahoma
- Date/Time: Saturday, September 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Memorial Stadium
- TV: ABC
Prop bet #2: Kyson Brown Over 62.5 rushing yards
The last time these two teams faced each other, the Arizona State Sun Devils racked up an astonishing 346 rushing yards last season. Gone is Cam Skattebo, who ran for 262 of those yards, so there is a gaping hole in production to fill.
Enter Kyson Brown, who was the RB2 last year. The speedster proved that he’ll be a big part of this offense in the opener despite having his workload managed, handling seven carries for 73 yards and catching six passes for 72 yards (11.2 yards per touch).
Raleek Brown will be involved in the backfield as well, but it’s Kyson who has the leg up for now. That means he should get plenty of work against a Mississippi State Bulldogs defense that still has a ton to prove after being a doormat last season (133rd in success rate).
The Bulldogs notably made little headway at the line of scrimmage, ranking 134th in front-seven havoc while allowing 216.9 rushing yards per game. They didn’t make huge changes on that side of the ball, relying instead on continuity to lead to improvement. I’ll need to see it before I believe it.
- Matchup: Arizona State vs. Mississippi State
- Date/Time: Saturday, September 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Davis Wade Stadium
- TV: ESPN2
Prop bet #3: Chase Roberts Over 43.5 receiving yards
The BYU Cougars destroyed Portland State 69-0 in the opener, so we didn’t get a chance to see the wide receivers featured much as the game was out of reach soon after it kicked off. That creates some value in the betting market, as I believe we have a clear answer for BYU’s top receiver, and his stats didn’t show it in Week 1 for the books to adjust their Week 2 numbers.
Chase Roberts has been in Provo since BYU was an Independent. That level of experience and that feeling of familiarity are rare in today’s college football. I expect a massive season from the vet as true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier’s go-to target.
Bachmeier threw for three touchdowns on just 11 passing attempts in the opener and has received rave reviews since stepping foot on campus, so I hardly expect an anemic passing attack despite the youth behind center. With a matchup against the Stanford Cardinal, the Cougars should be able to move the ball, and it’s a good spot to acclimate the top receiving threat into the game plan.
Roberts averaged 65.7 receiving yards per game last season, so we’re getting a significant value in this line. This passing attack should be fine this season with Roberts leading the way, and this is a plus matchup, so there’s no reason for such a depressed line.
- Matchup: Stanford vs. BYU
- Date/Time: Saturday, September 6 at 10:15 p.m. ET
- Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
- TV: ESPN
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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