College Football Betting Odds & Player Props: 5 Picks for Saturday, Including Bijan Robinson, Stetson Bennett, Charlie Jones
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images. Pictured: Bijan Robinson (Texas)
- Week 3 of the college football season is here, and there are plenty of player props available on the board.
- Our staff has locked in five bets for Saturday, including picks for Texas running back Bijan Robinson, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones.
- Check out all five of our top player props for college football Week 3 below.
Here at Action Network, we are attacking Week 3 of college football from multiple angles. That includes player props, which are gaining popularity across the country — from PrizePicks to regular sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel.
With that in mind, our staff is diving into five different player props in five different games on Saturday, including stars at Georgia and Texas.
College Football Player Props for Week 3
In the table below, you'll find each of our college football staff's top player prop picks from Saturday's slate of games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Specific bet recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Georgia vs. South Carolina
 Noon ET Saturday, Sept. 17 ESPN  |
QB Stetson Bennett Passing Yards
By Cody Goggin
It seems as if Georgia has fully leaned into a Stetson Bennett-led passing attack this season.
After the departures of running backs Zamir White and James Cook, offensive coordinator Todd Monken has put the game on the shoulders of Bennett this season, even in blowouts.
Bennett threw for 368 yards and 300 yards in two games against Oregon and Samford, respectively. He had just over 30 passing attempts in both of those games. In the two games last season that Bennett had over 30 pass attempts (SEC Championship and CFP semifinal), he posted 340 and 313 yards.
Despite blowing out its two opponents so far and being in a positive game script for almost the whole season, Georgia ranks 23rd in the country in pass rate at 59.68%. For reference, it ranked 96th at 43.13% last year.
South Carolina’s defense is solid, but it’s on par with Oregon’s, which was not even close to slowing Bennett down. A week ago, Arkansas had a 93rd percentile Success Rate on offense against these Gamecocks and had a 72nd percentile EPA/dropback.
Georgia’s offense will likely be able to replicate and exceed the success that Arkansas found.
I think Georgia has shown its newfound propensity to throw the ball and the books have not yet caught up.
Pick: Stetson Bennett Over 272.5 Passing Yards (-115) · Play to 279.5
Purdue vs. Syracuse
 Noon ET Saturday, Sept. 17 ESPN2  |
WR Charlie Jones Receiving Yards
The Boilermakers’ top receiver has been a strong bet on a game-by-game basis the past few seasons. As Purdue’s top target last season, David Bell averaged 117 receiving yards per game.
There were a few reports during fall camp that Charlie Jones was ready to break out this season, but it appeared more likely that Broc Thompson or Tyrone Tracy would emerge as a true WR1.
Through two games, there may not be a more established top target in the entire nation than Jones.
Jones has three times the receptions and four times the yardage than Purdue’s second option through the air.
His 14 targets per game, without a single drop, make him my top play on the board against a Syracuse pass defense that has benefited from playing against a pair of shaky passing attacks.
I would play this number all the way up to 107.5.
Pick: Charlie Jones Over 99.5 Receiving Yards · Play to 107.5
Colorado vs. Minnesota
 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 17 ESPN2  |
QB Tanner Morgan Passing Yards
The Golden Gophers are expected to continue the dominance that we’ve seen over the first two weeks of the season. Minnesota outscored Western Illinois and New Mexico State by a combined score of 100-10.
Now the program is favored by 30 points against Colorado, which is the second-worst Power Five program, according to Collin Wilson’s Betting Power Ratings.
The Buffaloes have allowed 79 points and 850 total yards to their first two opponents in TCU and Air Force. Both opponents torched Colorado with rushing attacks averaging 9.2 and 6.2 yards per carry, respectively.
With that said, I anticipate Colorado to sell out and stack the box in an attempt to slow down Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim.
Tanner Morgan has averaged 230 passing yards through two games despite attempting only 18 passes per game. He’s completed 73% of his throws this season and finds explosive plays on such passes, averaging over a dozen yards per attempt.
The Minnesota offense ranks 24th in Passing Success Rate and third nationally in Havoc Allowed. Now it faces a Colorado defense that ranks 87th in Passing Success Rate and 125th in Havoc.
Morgan should have all day in the pocket to find receivers downfield, as the Golden Gophers own the 15th-best pass-blocking group in the nation. I expect a stacked box by Colorado, which is going to leave its defensive backs on an island. That’s a recipe for disaster.
I also love Morgan to go over his 0.5 passing touchdowns prop, but laying -270 is too much juice for me to get involved.
Pick: Tanner Morgan Over 176.5 Passing Yards (-115) · Play to 184.5
SMU vs. Maryland
 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 17 FS1  |
WR Rashee Rice Receiving Yards
Guess which defense ranks top-11 nationally in both Pass Success and tackling entering Week 3? Maryland.
Guess which defense will finish nowhere near the top 11 nationally in both Pass Success and tackling by season’s end?
11 of Action Network’s college football analysts, with a standard week of game prep, on a neutral field, could piece together a more formidable passing attack than the Terps have seen the last two weeks.
Buffalo — which lost to Holy Cross last Saturday — averaged a lousy 4.6 yards per pass against Maryland.
Last week, the Terps drew a couple Charlotte third-stringers, and they somehow combined to complete 28-of-41 passes for more than 200 yards and three receiving scores.
It’s been overshadowed by the cupcakes, but Maryland’s secondary in for a rude awakening; my bid’s on Rashee Rice to spoil the party in College Park.
I played Zay Flowers over the total in Week 1, banking on the coaching staff’s promise to force-feed the Boston College wide receiver. Last week, I alluded to hog share in submitting Kentucky’s Tayvion Robinson receiving yards over.
The handicap on Rice is much, much simpler: This is WR1 in a fast-paced, back-and-forth contest projected for more than 10 touchdowns, against a defense with regression looming.
Rice has been a one-man wrecking crew, ranking fifth nationally in reception yards per team attempt (4.26) for draft-eligible wide receivers; anything over three is considered above-average.
PFF also grades Rice, who has 17 catches, 298 yards and three scores, as the best receiver in the nation through the first couple of weeks.
The rest of the country may agree after Rice flips the turtles upside down and spins ‘em on their shells.
Pick: Rashee Rice Over 80.5 Receiving Yards · Play to 89.5
UTSA vs. Texas
 8 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 17 ESPN+  |
RB Bijan Robinson Rushing Yards
By Keg
After the Alabama game that saw Quinn Ewers leave with an injury and Hudson Card show obvious signs of playing with an ankle injury, we aren't sure who we’ll see Texas start at quarterback against UTSA.
Bijan Robinson also had his shoulder examined after the game on Saturday, but the running back appears to be fine and ready for UTSA.
This is a high number, considering Robinson has logged just 57 and 71 yards in the first two games this season, respectively. But with the questions at quarterback, it's reasonable to believe his carries will significantly increase.
It's also a number he surpassed in five of the 10 games he played last year.
UTSA’s defense has held its first two opponents to an average of 159.5 yards per game and just 3.24 yards per carry. But neither opponent has a dominant force quite like Robinson, who racked up 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns in a crowded running-back room last year.
Now as the lead back, I think this can be a breakout game for him after a slow start to the season against some tough competition.
I would take Robinson's rushing total at 110 yards or better.
Pick: Bijan Robinson Over 108.5 Rushing Yards (-115) · Play to 110
How would you rate this article?
Follow Us On Social
