Arkansas would have been unbeaten heading into this weekend's game against Alabama, but they handed Texas A&M a win on a silver platter last week. With a fumble on the 1 and a top-of-the-goal post doink. Alabama, on the other hand, has been doing Alabama things, and they come into this game with a top-5 defense and offense, as well as a 3-1 record against the spread this season. The only game they've had trouble with thus far was against Texas in Austin, which they easily could have lost. Arkansas, on the other hand, has a defense that ranks 64th in the country and an offense that ranks in the 40s.

It's easy to see why they're getting 17 points from Vegas despite playing at home. While KJ Jefferson has been impressive, he lacks Bryce Young's arsenal going into Saturday. Young has started the season at roughly the same pace he began last year, with 12 touchdown passes to only two interceptions. Although I do not believe Arkansas will win the game, I believe they can keep it close enough with the 17-point spread to win in Vegas. Having said that, I believe Arkansas can do some of the things Texas did in week 2 to slow down Alabama. I believe the under is the play when it comes to Arkansas' ability to slow down Alabama using the same strategies that Texas used to do so.

Minnesota's 2022 season has gotten off to a scorching start. They have the best defense in the country, but with opponents like New Mexico State, Western Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan State, they haven't been put to the test. They are allowing 3.9 yards per play and a 17% completion rate on third downs. Although they haven't played anyone yet this year, the manner in which they are winning is impressive. They've scored 173 points while allowing 14 points in four games. They are 4-0 against the spread after dominating their opponents.

The game against Purdue on Saturday will be the Minnesota defense's first real test of the season because Purdue has the best offense they have seen so far. Purdue is 2-2 on the season, with losses to a mediocre Syracuse team and a close loss to a Penn State team that appears to be quite impressive this year. They did struggle last week against Florida Atlantic, a team they should have easily defeated, but that could have been due to their focus on this game. Purdue, unlike Minnesota, is only 1-3 against the spread but 3-1 when the over is hit.

Everyone knows Jeff Brohm enjoys having his quarterbacks throw the ball, so this is to be expected. Even though the spread is much closer than most predicted, I believe Minnesota will cover it due to the confidence they have built up this season and their incredible running game.

The ACC game this Saturday in Death Valley at prime time is probably the biggest ACC game thus far this year. The NC State Wolf Pack and Clemson go head-to-head in a clash of unbeaten top-10 teams. After Clemson's underwhelming campaign by their standards, NC State was is one of the contenders to unseat Clemson as favorites to win the ACC. Clemson's biggest surprise has been the play of DJ Uiagalelei, who has thrown for more than 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season. His total touchdowns for the whole 2021 season have already been surpassed.

Clemson's biggest problem this season, in my opinion, has been their defense. When they faced the only team with a pulse so far, their defense crumbled. This could be because their seasoned defensive coordinator left after the previous season. But giving up 45 points to Clemson was unusual. They struggled against a seasoned quarterback who was error-free, and NC State's Devin Leary fits that description. Leary and his longtime roommate, wide receiver Thayer Thomas, form a potent offensive duo for this NC State squad.

They were among the factors that contributed to people's high regard for NC State heading into this year. The weather, in my opinion, will be the most important factor in this game. If hurricane Ian's remnants are still present, the game on Saturday could be sloppy. People are expecting a slop fest because this week's point total is only 44. If the weather improves, I prefer the over, but if the forecast holds true, I prefer the low under. If the weather is bad, I wouldn't touch Clemson's -7 point spread. Although I believe they will win, if they play in unfavorable conditions, the Wolf Pack's +7-point advantage may be enough to win.

Big week for the Big 12, as two of the conference's other favorites, aside from Oklahoma, begin their games on Saturday in Baylor. Even though Oklahoma State's defense hasn't been the same since defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left last year, Spencer Sanders and the Cowboys' 7th-ranked offense have been able to score so far this season. The problem is that they've only played two games against weak competition, and Arizona State, their only defense-minded opponent, held them to 34 points. I know 34 points seems like a lot but with a point total of 54.5 this week and the way Baylor's defense plays, I'm not sure it'll be enough to go over if they repeat.

Baylor's defense, led by Dave Aranda, has been by far the best the Pokes have seen this season. They limit their opponents to 4.6 yards per play and are ranked 26th in total defense in the country. Baylor has gone 3-0 as a home underdog in its last three games against favorites. However, given the +2.5 point spread and their performance against BYU in week 2, I don't see them winning this one. My favorites are the Over and the Pokes.

The Wildcats will meet Texas Tech on Saturday after Texas Tech and Kansas State's surprising victories last week. Given that both teams came into the game with 3-1 records and victories over notable opponents, it will be intriguing to watch who disappoints on Saturday. Even though this game is not a top priority for primetime, it should be quite entertaining. Only Kansas State enters the game with a ranking in the AP poll of 25, and they are looking to repeat the offensive outburst Adrian Martinez directed last week. Martinez, a former Huskers quarterback, is one of those guys who appears to have played in collegiate football for ten years.

With 430 yards of offense each game on average, Tech isn't exactly a slouch in that department. Donovan Smith, a Tech sophomore quarterback who assumed leadership after serving as the backup quarterback for the bulk of the 2021 season, would be the one to claim credit for their accomplishments. Thanks to that offense and a defense that allows 30 points per game, Tech has been an overachieving machine so far this season.

Aside from their offensive outburst last week, the Wildcats and Tech couldn't be more dissimilar from one another; they haven't hit the over so far this year. Since you can't predict which team will play this week, I wouldn't wager on the point total. I favor Tech's +7.5-point spread going into Saturday because I don't believe Adrian Martinez will play as poorly as he did last Saturday. Despite having a very dynamic running game, he has only thrown for two touchdowns this year. Because it will take place in Manhattan, a difficult site to play, I anticipate a competitive game, but because it will start at 11 a.m., I don't believe either team will have the edge of momentum.