The Ravens’ defense has been fantastic forcing 10 turnovers in their wins over the Bengals and Browns. Now, neither of those offenses should be confused with the Patriots, but you could say the same for the Jaguars, who continue to use Blake Bortles at QB. Jacksonville has scored 45 points this season against Houston and Tennessee, but I don't think the Jags are surprising anyone anymore. The passing game is mediocre without Allen Robinson and teams stack the box against Leonard Fournette. The good thing is that the Jags’ defense has been very good for the most part. It struggled against the ground game of the Titans, but the Ravens don't present the same challenges. Baltimore doesn’t have a game-breaker in the backfield so this could be a battle of field position and whichever team makes fewer mistakes. Add in the overseas factor and I think this one is a low-scoring affair. Baltimore has gone under in 28 of its last 36 games against the AFC South.

A pair of offenses waiting to bust out are on display as Western Kentucky hosts Ball State. WKU has played three unders as they've struggled to get things going with Mike White under center. He's got some talent around him, but they haven't gotten much done against La Tech, Illinois and Eastern Kentucky. Ball State's defense has had it's issues but the offense has been great. They've scored 21 or more on Illinois, UAB and Tennessee Tech. To me, I think this one is a higher scoring game. Western Kentucky is due and Ball State has the weapons to keep up. 

I'm a big fan of the Owls and think they should win this one outright. It started rough with Navy and Wisconsin, but we saw what the team can do against Bethune Cookman. The defense is a work in progress while the offense has a lot of talent that finally got to show off. Devin Singletary is a very good running back. Buffalo is along the same lines losing to Minnesota and Army before beating Colgate. Tyree Jackson is a good quarterback and their defense is alright although I think they'll struggle against FAU. Kendal Briles and Lane Kiffin are getting more and more time with the offense which will get more dynamic. Buffalo has been a favorite six times the last three seasons and has covered just once. As long as I am getting the hook, I'm taking the road team. 

Let's be honest...this game will be on no one's radar on Saturday.. A pair of winless teams play as Charlotte hosts Georgia State. The Panthers lost to Tennessee State and Penn State and this is road game number two of four in a row. Georgia State has committed nine turnovers and have forced none. The 49ers at least scored 31 in their loss to FCS North Carolina A&T. Haasan Klugh is a dynamic QB that has had problems with turnovers so far this season. Their defense has not been good either so far. Charlotte won this game on the road two years ago. I think the home team is worth a look. 

Purdue has been a huge surprise under Jeff Brohm. We'll see how far they've come when Michigan comes to town on Saturday. The Boilers defense has done some work against their lesser opponents. They held Ohio and Missouri to 24 points combined. Michigan's offense has been anemic this year at times. They have had success running the ball with Ty Isaac, but will lose Tarik Black due to an injury. Wilton Speight hasn't been great and could struggle in this one. Michigan's defense has been incredible, but this will also be the best offense they see. There are a ton of trends for the over, but this is a different Purdue team. I think they put a scare into the Wolverines in a lower scoring contest. 

Miami is playing their second game of the season on Saturday as they host potent Toledo. The Hurricanes beat Bethune Cookman 41-13 back on September 2nd and have been off since then due to the weather. They've got a very good defense and an offense that is led by a young QB and may be without Ahmmon Richards again. Toledo's got three games under their belt and they've been smoking hot offensively. None of the defenses were on the level of Miami, but you can see Logan Woodside having some success against a rusty Miami team. Toledo has covered in nine of their last 11 road games and 16 of their last 28 overall. If they can start fast, I think this game gets interesting.

I've often asked the question if Pat Narduzzi actually does coach defense. His Panthers are allowing nearly 500 yards per game and in comes the juggernaut Georgia Tech team that's gashing their opponents. The Yellow Jackets had the week off, but they are coming off a 37-10 win over Jacksonville State. These two have played close high scoring affairs the last two years with Pitt winning each by 3 in overs. The Panthers offense has been bad due to inconsistent QB play. They've put up 28, 14 and 21 points so far. Georgia Tech's defense is alright, but I don't think they shut down Pitt either. The Panthers have gone over in 11 of their last 15 games as an underdog. I think this one is played in the 30's with Georgia Tech getting the win. 

There's a lot of uncertainty with Florida State who has played just one game this season. They are also playing their first game with James Blackman at quarterback so who knows what the offense will look like. NC State's defense especially their front seven is strong and has been holding teams down on the ground. You've got to expect them to stack the box against the run. NC State's offense is going to struggle against FSU whose secondary is all world and whose front seven has a ton of talent. To me, this is a field position game and don't forget the noon kickoff will slow both teams down. FSU has gone under in 11 of their last 16 conference games. NC State has gone under in 10 of their last 16 ACC games. I think the under is a good play here. 

Tulane is coming home after tough games at Navy and Oklahoma. The Green Wave showed well in the first contest and was predictably drummed out of Norman the next week. Still, the offense is getting better even with their backup QB in. There's a chance Jonathan Banks plays and if he does, I predict we'll lose a little value here. Army is coming off a physical 38-7 loss to Ohio State in which several players got hurt and may not make the trip here. We've seen already this Tulane team play a triple option so they won't be fazed by how Army runs it. Army will also be familiar with Tulane's style but Willie Fritz mixes in other principles with his option. I like them at home in a lower scoring lesser possession game. 

West Virginia's offense is steamrolling opponents so far. They've put up over 50 points in each of their last two games at home against East Carolina and Delaware State. The Mountaineers are rushing for over 200 yards per game and over 300 yards through the air. Kansas allowed 45 points to Central Michigan and 42 to Ohio. The good thing for the Jayhawks is that they've been able to score 25 points or more in all three games. The offense is no longer a drain on the team. West Virginia's defense can be beaten...heck they allowed 16 points to Delaware State. I can see the Mountaineers putting up over 50 giving us 2-3 touchdowns from Kansas to give the over. 

The Cavaliers hit the road for the first time this season as they play at Boise State. The Broncos have struggled to get much going this season on offense. They can run it well, but the air attack just isn't there right now. Brett Rypien is coming off a concussion two weeks ago but should be ready for this one. The Hoos went 2-1 in their opening homestand, but they won the games they were supposed to. The offense found a running attack to balance a pretty good aerial game. The Broncos play good defense themselves. This one figures to be a lower scoring game especially since neither side is consistent offensively. Boise is 2-11 at home against the spread the last three seasons and 9-17 ATS as a favorite. UVA has covered seven of their last 11 road games. I think the team out of the ACC can keep things close in this one. 

The Cavaliers hit the road for the first time this season as they play at Boise State. The Broncos have struggled to get much going this season on offense. They can run it well, but the air attack just isn't there right now. Brett Rypien is coming off a concussion two weeks ago but should be ready for this one. The Hoos went 2-1 in their opening homestand, but they won the games they were supposed to. The offense found a running attack to balance a pretty good aerial game. The Broncos play good defense themselves. This one figures to be a lower scoring game especially since neither side is consistent offensively. Boise has gone under in 11 of their last 14 home games while UVA has gone under in eight of their last 11 road games. To me, this one should be tight and low scoring. 

Jason Hammel has been rocked his last two outings giving up 12 runs and 21 hits to the Indians and these White Sox. He's 4-6 with a 5.14 ERA on the road this season. Hammel has a 4.50 ERA in six career starts against Chicago. The White Sox are hitting .267 in their last seven games and will face a Royals bullpen with 24 losses and 20 blown saves. Reynaldo Lopez has pitched well against KC in both of his starts. Lopez allowed five runs and 12 hits in 12 innings. KC has lost three of their last five games and have been inconsistent offensively. Chicago's bullpen is 16-6 with only six blown saves at home. I like the value of the runline. 

Masahiro Tanaka faced the Blue Jays once again. He's given up eight runs and 15 hits over his last three starts against them. Tanaka is 4-6 with a 6.14 ERA in 14 road starts with 10 of them going over the total. Toronto's offense gets real hot and cold so we're hoping that this is one of their good days. Marco Estrada is 5-3 with a 4.65 ERA in 13 home starts. He's seen New York several times this season and has struggled against them in two of his last three outings. New York is hitting .312 in their last seven games and are averaging almost six runs per game in the division. Toronto's bullpen is pretty bad. I think this is an over. 

The Rams and 49ers get the Thursday night spotlight. San Francisco is still looking for their first touchdown of the season. Clearly Brian Hoyer is not the answer at quarterback, but the problem is that behind him isn't much either. Because of that, teams have stacked the box against them. Carlos Hyde was able to find some room in Seattle, but it still didn't help. The bigger surprise is that the 49ers defense has been very good holding Carolina and Seattle to 35 total points. The Rams came back to earth a bit at home losing to the Redskins last time out. They found a little bit of a running game, but they couldn't stop Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine and Rob Kelley. Sean McVay will fix that leak and have this defense ready for the quick turnaround. These two have played four unders in their last five meetings. The Rams have gone under in 12 of their last 16 road games and 21 of their last 34 overall. San Fran has gone under in 12 of their last 17 at home. To me, this one will be another ugly low scoring Thursday game. 

The Giants and Lions had different week one's in the NFL. The Giants offense managed just 233 yards against the Cowboys who have one of the worst defenses in the league. They were without Odell Beckham then and should have him for this one although who knows how effective he'll be. The Lions have one of the more underrated corners in Darius Slay who will probably follow him. The Lions held the Cardinals to 309 yards of offense in their 35-23 win. New York's defense struggled in the Cowboys game, but they were on the field a ton. They won't have to worry about the run with Detroit so they can focus on Matt Stafford. These two played last year with New York winning 17-6 at home in December. Detroit has gone under in 11 of their last 16 road games. I think they can keep this one lower scoring as well. 

Another overreaction after one week is that Dallas can suddenly play defense. This couldn't be farther from the truth considering the Giants offense is horrendous without Odell Beckham. Eli Manning was constantly on the run because his offensive line couldn't block either. Yes, the Cowboys offense did it's part, but it's very hard to throw on Denver. Cole Beasley and Dez Bryant won't find as many openings as they did in week one. Denver's run game worked and Trevor Siemian did enough to win on Monday night. I'm guessing some of the love for the road team is based off the short week for the Broncos. Denver has been a home underdog of 3 points or less 19 times since 1992 and have won 12 of those outright. The Cowboys have covered just eight of their last 18 games as a favorite. I'll bite on the potential trap.

Here's one of those games where the overreactions may take place. You've got a Rams team that demolished the Colts who are barely pro level with Scott Tolzien at quarterback. The defense played fantastic and they certainly will be a factor against Washington who struggled with the Eagles front seven. There's also the giant storyline of Sean McVay going up against his former team and who knows more about the other's tendencies. Kirk Cousins didn't do very well against the blitz so you have to think that Wade Phillips will be bringing the heat. Terrelle Pryor will have to improve especially since Josh Doctson is nowhere near ready. The Skins defense wasn't that bad against Philly either and I don't know if they'll be threatened that much by Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. Washington is 14-8 against the spread in their last 22 games as an underdog. I think this one is a Skins win.

Here's one of those games where the overreactions may take place. You've got a Rams team that demolished the Colts who are barely pro level with Scott Tolzien at quarterback. The defense played fantastic and they certainly will be a factor against Washington who struggled with the Eagles front seven. There's also the giant storyline of Sean McVay going up against his former team and who knows more about the other's tendencies. Kirk Cousins didn't do very well against the blitz so you have to think that Wade Phillips will be bringing the heat. Terrelle Pryor will have to improve especially since Josh Doctson is nowhere near ready. The Skins defense wasn't that bad against Philly either and I don't know if they'll be threatened that much by Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. Washington is 14-8 against the spread in their last 22 games as an underdog. I think this one is a Skins win.

The Browns hung tough with the Steelers at home losing 21-18. Cleveland's defense surprisingly played well against the run holding them to 35 yards on the ground. The offense struggled as one would expect for a group with a rookie quarterback to do. Now they hit the road to play the Ravens who shut down the Bengals in week one holding them to just 221 yards of total offense while forcing multiple turnovers. Baltimore relied on the ground game to get the win as their group of backs accounted for 157 rushing yards. Their passing attack doesn't scare anyone really. Baltimore has gone under in 18 of their last 33 games including nine of their last 16 at home. To me, this one is a lower scoring game continuing the early trend of Unders.

Vanderbilt and Kansas State look to move to 3-0 on the season on Saturday. The Commodores have an impressive road win at Middle Tennessee 28-6 and a 42-0 victory over Alabama A&M. Their offense still isn't that good, but Ralph Webb is running it well and Kyle Shurmur is not turning it over. They'll be challenged by Kansas State who has held Central Arkansas and Charlotte to a combined 26 points. KSU's put up 55 in each of those games, but this is their first challenge of the season. Vandy has gone under in 18 of their last 27 games including 14 of their last 20 as an underdog. 

I think we are getting Idaho at a good time here after their crushing loss at home to UNLV. The Vandals were terrible on both sides of the ball losing to the Rebels at home 44-16. They have the better offense in this matchup and maybe the better defense. The Broncos were gashed at USC and Michigan State this season. They also saw their passing offense manage less then 100 yards in both matchups. It's Western Michigan's first home game of the season and Idaho's first road game. WMU has the rushing attack capable of winning this game, but if you aren't afraid of the pass, you can stack the box against it. Idaho has covered in 17 of their last 27 games including nine of their last 13 on the road. I think the Vandals are a very live dog in this one.

Two potent offenses play in the Glass Bowl as Toledo hosts Tulsa. The Rockets have put up 84 points in two wins over Elon and Nevada. They have a balanced attack that can run or pass behind Logan Woodside. They also have a pretty solid defense that will be challenged by Tulsa in this one. The Golden Hurricane beat ULL last time out 66-42 at home. They lost in week one to Oklahoma State 59-24 as they couldn't slow them down. Toledo's along the same lines and should be able to get whatever they want. The Golden Hurricane have gone over in 17 of their last 28 games including 16 of their last 24 on turf. This one should be a shootout. 

Last week didn't work out well for me with the Mean Green, but this is a tough spot for Iowa. They are coming off a draining overtime road win at Iowa State and are hosting Penn State next week so here sits North Texas. Iowa's secondary was under siege in week two which is what we thought they would be like in week one against Josh Allen. Their front seven has done well against the run but UNT wants to throw it. They struggled to slow down Courtland Sutton last week in SMU. They probably stack the box against Akrum Wadley and make the Iowa passing game beat them. Iowa is 6-9 ATS at home their last three seasons. I think the Mean Green make this game a bit of a sweat. 

It's an early body clock game for UCLA who travels to play Memphis on Saturday. The Bruins offense has been very good this season especially Josh Rosen who led them to the week one win over Texas A&M. The problems have come on defense where they've been gashed on the ground. The Bruins have not traveled yet this year and have a road game at Stanford next week. Memphis lost their game last week due to the weather so they only have a 37-29 win over Louisiana Monroe. The Tigers ran for 319 yards and forced four turnovers in the win. UCLA is 10-16 ATS the last three seasons and 7-11 ATS as a favorite. To me, they struggle in this one as the Tigers have a good enough offense to keep up if this becomes a shootout. 

The Aggies need to break out or else the cries of their fans will continue. The team only beat Nicholls State 24-14 last week as a 37.5 point favorite. The run game has worked the last two weeks and should work against ULL who has allowed over 700 yards on the ground to SE Louisiana and Tulsa. The problem for the Aggies has been with their defense who has struggled to get on track. The Ragin Cajuns have played two shootouts so far this season and should be playing a third one. If ULL had a better defense, I'd consider taking them, but instead I think this one is an up and down affair with a lot of points and an over. 

Iowa State is coming off a draining overtime home loss to their hated rival Iowa and now has to head to Akron where they are going to be excited to get a Big 12 team. Not only that, ISU has conference play to begin next week so who knows where their focus will be. There's no doubting the Cyclones talent offensively as they've scored at will on both of their Iowa opponents. Akron is feeling good after beating Arkansas Pine Bluff. They got gashed by Penn State in week one and that's a concern, but this is at home. Thomas Woodson and Warren Ball aren't bad offensive players. You can't count out a Bowden in a big game too. Iowa State has won one of their last 11 road games, covering just three of them overall. I think this one is a struggle for the squad out of the Big 12. 

Two teams that want to forget their week one take on each other on Thursday night. Houston lost at home 29-7 to Jacksonville in a game that saw a quarterback change and a lot of sacks. Deshaun Watson is going to get his first start in this one and I feel like it's the right decision behind a bad offensive line. Watson gives the offense a boost with Lamar Miller and DeAndre Hopkins still being threats. The Texans defense is pretty good although they struggled against Jacksonville. Cincinnati got shut out by the Ravens last week 20-0 and Andy Dalton looked terrible. The Bengals defense also was beaten up on the ground. Houston has won the last two matchups winning in Cincy 10-6 in 2015 and 12-10 in Houston last season. The low total means it's going to be a close game and field position will be key. I believe the Texans defense is better and they are a juicy proposition especially if it gets to seven points.