BATON ROUGE - It’s the first full weekend of college football, and last week we kicked off the season with the bang going 3-0 on our picks. This week we have 5 picks we believe are going to hit in our Channel 2’s Best Bet$. 

1. West Virginia at Pitt: Over 52

We start with a Thursday night matchup. It’s the first Backyard Brawl since 2011, and emotions are going to be running high. I like the over in this one for a few reasons: one, both teams have an experienced quarterback with a chip on his shoulder to prove themselves. Georgia transfer JT Daniels is now a Mountaineer, while Pitt added USC transfer Kedon Slovis. Both of these offenses also return their entire offensive lines. I think a lot of points will be scored.

2. Colorado +13.5

Yes, Colorado has struggled for the last decade and a half, but being 13.5-point masters at home against a team with a lot of questions with a new head coach seems like much. I still think TCU is going to win, but not by two scores. Colorado is going to make this game close, just as they did vs. Texas A&M last year.

3. Arkansas -6.5

There are high expectations for the Razorbacks this season as many believe they could be the second or third best team in the SEC West, but that is all going to rely on returning quarterback KJ Jefferson. Cincinnati is losing a lot of talent, like star cornerback Sauce Gardener and quarterback Desmond Ridder among others. If Arkansas is going to compete, they should handle Cincy pretty easily on Saturday. 

4. Notre Dame +17.5

I just think this line is way too high for Notre Dame. Ohio State is going to win — they’re one of the best teams in the country. I also think new head coach Marcus Freeman is going to have the Irish ready to play, though. Notre Dame has 13 returning starters with a lot of big-game experience, and I don’t think they will be shocked in the Horseshoe. They'll keep it under 17 points.

5. LSU -3

And finally, the game we’ve all been waiting for. Brian Kelly is kicking off a new era of LSU football in the Superdome against Florida State. I’m confident the Tigers are going to cover for a few reasons: one, Brian Kelly knows Florida State, he’s played against them quite a bit over the past few years at Notre Dame; two, Florida State has no idea what to expect from LSU. Who’s gonna be the starting quarterback? what is Matt House’s defense going to look like? He hasn’t called a game since 2019. I also think there are way more questions about FSU than the Tigers. Yes, LSU has a lot of questions, but it’s in the Dome. They’re going to be juiced and ready to go.