Bet on LSU to beat Ole Miss in an SEC showdown in Week 3.

We're two full weeks into the 2026 college football season, and we're inching closer to conference schedules for most teams, with a handful of teams beginning this week.

As I do every week, I'm going to give you my pick to win each game involving a top-25 team. We don't care about point spreads in this article; all we care about is picking winners.

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

These two teams already have a common opponent this season. Houston beat Oregon State 33-20 in Week 1, and then Texas Tech beat the Beavers 35-24 in Week 2. What's more important is that Texas Tech gained just 352 yards of offense in that game, while the Cougars racked up 533 yards of offense, so when you look past the final score, it was Houston that was the more impressive team.

There have been enough red flags surrounding Texas Tech for me to stay away from betting on them in this game. A lackluster Week 1 33-10 win against an FCS team was disappointing, so I think this is a great spot to bet on an upset taking place.

The Louisville offense has been one of the best in the nation so far, averaging 6.6 yards per play and getting as close to upsetting Ole Miss as a team can get. With that being said, the difference maker in this game is going to be the two defenses, and I trust the Cardinals' defense at home more than I trust the Mustangs'.

I'll back Louisville in this ranked vs. ranked matchup.

The West Virginia offense will have to have an A+ performance to pull off the upset in this game, but I think they're up for the challenge. Michael Hawkins Jr. provides a unique challenge for the Virginia defense. The Mountaineers quarterback has thrown for 287 passing yards while also rushing for 199 yards on the ground. A duel-threat quarterback like that can flip a game on its head in a hurry.

I'm taking to take a shot on West Virginia pulling off the upset in this one.

I love this LSU team and I think they might just be a legitimate National Championship contender. They crushed Clemson in the opening week, whereas Ole Miss struggled to get past Louisville.

The Rebels' offense can hang with LSU, but the difference is going to be the two defenses in this game. Ole Miss has allowed 5.9 yards per play through the first two weeks, while no defense has allowed fewer yards per play than the Tigers at just 2.5.

Defense will lead LSU to not only winning this game, but comfortably covering this spread.

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