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NCAAF Predictions: Go for Broke With Longshot Parlay

· Sep 04 - 5 minutes read

BYU visits SMU for a Friday night showdown.
Michigan State takes on Maryland in a Big Ten battle.
Illinois looks for a home upset against Kansas.
Check the latest BetUS college football odds and make your bets.

As it was said way back in the early 1980s in Tom Cruise’s hit “Risky Business,” sometimes, you’ve got to say “What the heck,” or something like that. Picking longshot underdogs can be some risky business for a bettor, but if it pays out, you’re going to be sitting pretty and having some bragging rights with your friends for years.

NCAAF Predictions: Go for Broke With Longshot Parlay — Wide receiver Keelan Marion #17 of the BYU Cougars | Brian Bahr/Getty Images/AFP

The second week of the college football season presents some opportunities for just such a longshot parlay. Teams are still finding themselves, and the college football predictions may not be set right off of season-opening contests.

Read on and take a look at our longshot parlay picks that could really make your Week 2 a lucrative one.

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3 Legs to Bet for Longshot Parlay

1. BYU Picks Up Road Win vs SMU

A pair of schools that might be overlooked in their respective conferences square off when BYU visits SMU on Friday night. Both teams are coming off season-opening victories, though they didn’t generate a ton of college football news.

The Cougars of the Big 12 and the Mustangs of the ACC are both looking to make some noise this season, and winning a non-conference tilt against a fellow Power 4 conference foe would certainly help.

BYU is +390 on the moneyline to pick up the win on the road on Friday, but there are reasons to like the Cougars in this one. Junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff was impressive in the season-opening 41-13 victory over Southern Illinois, completing 20 of 30 passes for 348 yards and three touchdowns.

“It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t even our best, but I’m really proud of the team and I am glad that we are 1-0 right now,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said after the win.

Beating SMU on the road won’t be easy, which is why the Cougars are underdogs. The Mustangs are coming off a 59-7 victory in their opener, though it was against Houston Christian, an FCS school.

SMU is the choice of some to win the ACC in its first season in the conference, with a lot of experience returning from last year’s 11-3 campaign. But BYU has a lot of experience as well, and it will pull off the upset in this one.

PICK: BYU Moneyline +390 vs SMU

2. Michigan State Gets Big Win at Maryland

It was a forgettable 2023 for Michigan State, with head coach Mel Tucker getting fired early in the season and the Spartans struggling to a 4-8 mark. But a duo from Oregon State – coach Jonathan Smith and quarterback Aidan Chiles – have expectations higher in East Lansing this season, with some making college football picks taking MSU to reach a bowl game.

The Spartans struggled a bit in earning a 16-10 home win over Florida Atlantic in their opener, but the potential showed. Chiles, just 18 years old, got over some opening-game jitters to lead the MSU offense to just enough. He’ll do better than his 114 passing yards in the opener against the Terrapins on Saturday.

Maryland is certainly looking for more of what it got in its opener from quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. The junior threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns in the Terrapins’ 50-7 rout of Connecticut, finding Tai Felton seven times for 178 yards and two scores.

“He may go all the way!”

Your @SiriusXM Call of the Game! pic.twitter.com/DXu1CduHfZ

— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) August 31, 2024

Michigan State will put up more resistance than the Huskies did, especially with a ferocious front seven putting pressure on Edwards. That and a little more Chiles magic will get the Spartans the surprising victory on the road.

PICK: Michigan State Moneyline +275 vs Maryland

3. Illinois Earns Big Home Upset vs Kansas

Both Illinois and Kansas had successful season openers, with the Illini defeating Eastern Illinois 45-0 and the Jayhawks topping Lindenwood 48-3. To say that both will be stepping up their level of competition this week is an understatement.

Kansas is No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, and the Jayhawks are hoping to build on last season’s 9-4 record. But if they’re going to move to 2-0 on the season, they need to be better offensively than they were against Lindenwood, which was playing its first-ever game against an FBS opponent.

Yes, quarterback Jalon Daniels was 9 of 15 for 148 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw an interception, with all of those stats coming in the first half. The junior is going to be facing a much tougher defense when he plays Illinois, and he has to be much better.

The Illini dominated EIU, rolling to a 31-0 halftime lead and allowing just 196 yards of total offense, including only 49 yards on the ground. Offensively, quarterback Luke Altmyer looked very good, passing for 213 yards and four touchdowns before giving way to his backup.

We like Illinois’ defense just as good against Kansas and the Illini to beat the NCAA football odds and come away with an upset win at home against the ranked Jayhawks.

PICK: Illinois +180 Moneyline vs Kansas

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