After another action-filled weekend of college football action, the bright lights will be turned back on this Friday with two regional showdowns on tap. In our first game spotlight, Louisville travels to Florida to take on Central Florida in Orlando. After that, New Mexico welcomes Mountain West Conference rival Boise State to their home turf. For both of these contests, it features squads with one win and one loss apiece. After some tough first week action (technically there was a week zero this year as well), these teams are looking for more momentum in some early college football season action.
For this breakdown, SBS will go over what to look for from each squad, who will win each matchup and also more thoughts and notes about NCAA football wagering.
| NCAA Football Third Week Games | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCF vs. Louisville | UCF Knights -6 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Boise State vs. New Mexico | Boise State ML | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Team Spotlight: Louisville
The Cardinals are coming off a disastrous showing against Syracuse in New York last weekend. After getting pounded, 31-7, Louisville is looking for some answers as they stay on the road against UCF. There were few bright spots for the Cardinals last week and while Cardinals quarterback Malik Cunningham was an efficient 16-for-22, he only threw for 152 yards along with two interceptions. Though the passing attack was pedestrian, Louisville running back Tiyon Evans did have a nice afternoon with 89 rushing yards on 13 carries along with one score.
Team Spotlight: Central Florida
UCF is coming off an emphatic win over South Carolina State and stays home for the tilt against Louisville. In their season opening contest, the Knights were able to run roughshod over the Bulldogs and put together a 56-10 victory. In the season opener, the Knights were led by a fantastic dual-threat effort from quarterback John Rhys-Plumlee (308 passing yards, 86 rushing yards and five scores). In addition to a stellar showing from their signal-caller, UCF was able to allow only 91 total yards in the contest. While this was an inferior opponent, it still was a great victory to start the season.
Prediction: Louisville staying on the road against a solid UCF squad does not bode well for the Cardinals. Take the Knights to win by more than six here.
Team Spotlight: Boise State
The historic rulers of the Mountain West’s West Division, Boise State started this season with a thud with a 34-17 loss to Oregon State in Corvallis. In their season opening contest, the Broncos were unable to get past some early game miscues and fell behind 24-0 at halftime. Though they did make a more concerted effort in the second half, it was not enough to take down a Power Five foe. Boise State quarterback Taylen Green was unable to get much going through the air last weekend (155 yards) and also threw an interception. However, he was an effective threat on the ground, rushing for over 100 yards and notching a score during the game.
Team Spotlight: New Mexico
The Lobos, usually doormats in the Mountain West, opened their season with an excellent win over Maine. Though the Black Bears aren’t exactly world-class competition, it was still inspiring to see New Mexico put together a dominating 41-0 victory at home. During the contest, Lobos quarterback Miles Kendrick scored twice through the air, running back Sherod White scored twice and the New Mexico defense pitched an emphatic shutout over the FCS foe. However, this next contest against Boise State will not look like it did against Maine. For perspective, the Broncos blasted the Lobos, 37-0, in Boise last season.
Prediction: This will be an interesting contest in that sense that Boise State usually starts the season on a high note. They will be extra inspired to get in the win column this game and expect them to do so against New Mexico on the road.
Once you are done making all your preparations for this week’s slate of college football action, SBS has you covered with even more great information. One of the first pages you need to familiarize yourself with is our NCAA football betting sites guide which gives you all the latest college football betting markets. Another fantastic resource to plug into is our best bonus betting sites breakdown which goes over a great catalog of the latest bonus offers available. On a final note, if you are perhaps uncertain how to make deposits and withdrawals, our payment methods rundown has your back. This page goes over all kinds of traditional options along with some newer payment outlets like cryptocurrency.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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