Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
And just like that, we’re back! The college football season really snuck up on us, and things are really about to get started properly. We got a taste last weekend with Week 0, but the real action starts on Saturday with this gigantic slate. We’ve got a seemingly endless list of games to pore over, with plenty of huge matchups. Why not celebrate the fun by going for a big payday? That’s right, we’re back with another college football mega parlay.
I just cashed the mega parlay I did for Week 0 at better than 10/1, why not make it two in a row to start the season? We’re going big and bold, so let’s not waste any more time. But before we dive in, don’t forget to check out our picks for the side and total on every big college football game.
Penn State ML (+185)
Georgia ML (+130)
Nevada ML (+145)
Parlay odds: +1506
Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
Penn State ML (+185) over Wisconsin
Penn State is a lot better than most people realize just based on last season. The Nittany Lions had the fifth-highest EPA of any team with a losing record in 2020, showing they got pretty unlucky. They’re the most glaring example of a team that just let the season get away from them because COVID-19 had sapped a lot of the meaning. After shockingly losing their first five games, they proceeded to win four straight to end the year.
That gave them plenty of momentum entering this campaign, and they’ve now got a very experienced quarterback in Sean Clifford. James Franklin has kept the cabinet stocked with a steady stream of four and five-star recruits. They’ve got a lot of talent in the defensive front, and should be able to slow down Wisconsin’s patented ground game as a result.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Penn State Nittany Lions vs Wisconsin Badgers
Georgia ML (+130) over Clemson
Penn State isn’t the only money-line underdog I like. In what is perhaps the biggest showdown of the weekend, I’m rolling with Georgia. J.T. Daniels looked amazing in limited action for the Bulldogs last season, and while D.J. Uiagalelei obviously has a ton of potential, the young Clemson passer will be making just the third start of his career here. Georgia had the top run defense in the SEC last year, which means Uiagalelei likely won’t have much of a ground game to rely on and will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
If Daniels had played a full season in 2020, his numbers would have had him with the 4th-highest QBR in the country. That kind of upside has been lacking from Georgia’s passing game in recent years, and with Daniels under center the sky is the limit for Kirby Smart’s team.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Georgia Bulldogs vs. Clemson Tigers
Nevada ML (+145) over Cal
Nevada has the chance to be one of the best Group of 5 teams in the country this season. They return quarterback Carson Strong, who I’m very high on. Strong broke out as a sophomore last year, tossing 27 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. Every year we hear that this is the season Cal will make a leap, but I’m skeptical.
Give me Strong (the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year) and a Wolfpack offense that averaged 31 points per game last year over Chase Garbers. Garbers was mediocre in 4 games last year, averaging just 5.7 yards per attempt while taking 15 sacks. Even in his ‘best’ season in 2019, he barely completed 60% of his passes. In 2018 he threw 10 interceptions on only 260 attempts.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Nevada Wolfpack vs Cal Golden Bears
Pickswise is the home of free NFL Predictions and NFL Odds. Check out the latest NFL Prop Bets and NFL Parlays as well as expert NFL Underdog Picks and NFL Computer Picks.
