CFB Week 2 Best Picks and Predictions

The 2025 college football season is off to a chaotic start, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Week 1 certainly delivered plenty of excitement, with several high-profile games coming down to the wire and a couple of upsets that have already shaken up the College Football Playoff picture. What surprises will Week 2 have in store? It’s almost time to find out.

With Saturday’s massive slate nearly upon us, let’s dive into our experts’ college football predictions and best bets.

CFB Week 2 Saturday Predictions

Pick #1: Baylor ML (+110) vs SMU Click Here to Bet

Pick #2: Iowa +3 (-110) vs Iowa State Click Here to Bet

Pick #3: Virginia Tech ML (-112) vs Vanderbilt Click Here to Bet

PICK #1: Baylor ML (+110) vs SMU

While Baylor suffered a defeat in its home opener against Auburn, the Bears had little idea of what to expect in that contest. In fact, Baylor struggled most against Auburn's ground game, and it was clear that the Bears didn’t have much film on Auburn’s new-look offense, especially with Jackson Arnold now in the fold at quarterback.

Therefore, while the Tigers held a 72% success rate on the ground, with the bulk of the damage coming from Arnold at the quarterback spot, we should not expect similar results from SMU on Saturday. Yes, the Mustangs can put up points in a hurry, but SMU struggled to get any explosiveness in that department against a poor FCS opponent in Week 1. Additionally, it was not a clean game for Rhett Lashlee’s team at all, as the offense finished with three turnovers and was poor on third downs.

On the other side of the ball, considering that the Mustangs allowed over 350 yards of offense and nearly five yards per play, despite forcing a trio of turnovers, Baylor’s potent offense should see plenty of success throughout Saturday’s contest. The Bears already faced an SEC unit and moved the ball pretty well in that game, so the SMU defense should not be a step up in class at all. Ultimately, this game projects to be a back-and-forth affair with plenty of scoring, so let’s grab the underdog to pull the slight upset on the road.

PICK #2: Iowa +3 (-110) vs Iowa State

This Saturday, the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry takes place in Ames, Iowa. While Iowa State has won two of the last three meetings, Iowa has held the long-term edge over the last decade. Regardless of what team wins, the score is generally very close, as seven of the previous 13 meetings have been decided by just three points or less. Additionally, the road team has won five straight games in this series, which suggests that the underdog is the likely choice on Saturday.

For starters, Iowa should hold an edge on both lines of scrimmage, with the Hawkeyes bringing back plenty of pieces on their offensive and defensive lines, two units that were among the best in the Big Ten a season ago. Former South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski is a massive upgrade over what the Hawkeyes had at the position last season, and he should make a significant impact against an Iowa State team that is a bit inflated in the market following a couple of strong performances to open the campaign.

PICK #3: Virginia Tech ML (-112) vs Vanderbilt

Virginia Tech has been an extremely frustrating team in the Brent Pry era, often floundering in close games and failing to get over the hump against quality opposition. However, Saturday’s contest gives us a perfect chance to back the Hokies in a buy-low opportunity following their loss to South Carolina. It also happens to be an ideal revenge spot, with Virginia Tech hosting a Vanderbilt team that knocked them off in overtime a season ago in a game that featured plenty of self-inflicted blunders from the Hokies.

What we do know about Virginia Tech is that they should have an elite defense. In fact, if it wasn’t for a special teams touchdown in the fourth quarter of last week’s game, Pry’s team had a real shot to knock off South Carolina.

Now, they’ll get to play a much weaker opponent in Vanderbilt. While Diego Pavia and Tim Beck snuck up on the college football world a season ago, it’s hard to imagine that the Commodores will have the element of surprise in this showdown. Rolling into Blacksburg for a night game is a tough assignment for any team, so let’s take Virginia Tech to exact some revenge at home.