College football odds, picks, predictions for Week 2, 2023: Proven simulation likes Alabama, Cincinnati

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The early weeks of the college football season can be daunting. Especially in recent seasons with the emergence of the transfer portal, additional eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and incoming recruits getting the opportunity to contribute immediately, it can be hard to keep track of where specific players are from year to year. Week 1 of the 2023 college football season reminded us of how powerful programs remain dominant on a year-to-year basis, but also how quickly things can change, as shown in Deion Sanders' transfer-filled Colorado team knocking off TCU, which reached the national title game last season.

What can sports bettors expect in Week 2 of the college football season? Will Sanders, paired with his son and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, continue to overhaul the traditional norms in college football? Colorado is a 2.5-point home favorite against Nebraska on Saturday in the latest Week 2 college football odds from SportsLine consensus. Before locking in any college football picks on that game or others, be sure to see the latest college football predictions from SportsLine's proven model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. The proprietary computer model is off to a fast 4-2 start on all-top rated college football picks this season. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds for Week 2 and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.

Top college football predictions for Week 2

One of the college football picks the model is recommending for Saturday: Cincinnati (+7.5) easily covers on the road against Pittsburgh on Saturday in a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Acrisure Stadium. Cincinnati has emerged as one of the most respected programs in the nation over the last three seasons. The Bearcats entered the season with a 31-6 record, including an 11-2 away mark, over the last three years.

This is Cincinnati's first season playing in the Big 12 and it has the recruits and transfers to show for it, including the quarterback and receiver tandem of Emory Jones and Xzavier Henderson, who were teammates at Florida. Pittsburgh didn't have success ATS at home last season despite winning five of six games straight-up. The Panthers went 2-4 ATS in those games. SportsLine's model projects that the Bearcats win outright, making them the strong choice at +222 on the money line and the clear value to cover, which they do in nearly 70% of simulations.

Another prediction: No. 4 Alabama cruises to a blowout win as a 7-point home favorite against No. 11 Texas on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Alabama has been the definition of the retool-not-rebuild mindset in college football over the last decade. Jalen Milroe became the fourth different Week 1 quarterback over the last five years at Alabama and he followed in the previous success of Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young. Milroe threw for three scores and added two rushing touchdowns as has the makings of being the program's first elite true dual-threat quarterback since Jalen Hurts in 2018.

The Crimson Tide defeated Texas, 20-19, in Austin last year and this will be the first time the schools meet in Tuscaloosa since 1902. They'll soon become SEC rivals and play frequently, but this is one final chance for Alabama to show off the power of the SEC in a non-conference setting against another marquee program in the country. Texas has lost its last four regular-season games against SEC opponents by an average of 14 points. Alabama, with one of the best rosters in college football, is covering the spread in more than 60% of SportsLine's simulations. See which other teams the model likes here.

How to make college football picks for Week 2

The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every other FBS matchup in Week 2, and it's calling for several other underdogs to win outright. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So what college football picks can you make with confidence, and which underdogs win outright? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $2,500 in profit since its inception, and find out.