The massive showdowns between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Texas and Michigan and No. 11 Oklahoma take center stage in Week 2.
But beyond the marquee matchups, there are plenty of games flying under the radar on this week’s slate that could offer some intriguing betting opportunities.
With that, here are five of the best sleeper games to watch, and wager on, in Week 2 of the college football season.
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Spread: Missouri -5.5
Moneyline: Missouri -205, Kansas +170
The Outlook: A prime-time rivalry game on FOX. Last season, the Border War returned for the first time since 2011, and Missouri picked up where it left off, defeating Kansas 42-31.
Both teams opened the 2026 season with dominant wins, scoring 50-plus points and racking up more than 500 yards of total offense. Those numbers might be difficult to replicate in a rivalry game, but Missouri had no problem moving the ball against Kansas last season, finishing with more than 500 total yards.
The Tigers rushed for 261 yards, led by Jamal Roberts, who had 143 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries. Standout running back Ahmad Hardy added 112 yards, but he won’t be available for this year’s matchup.
Missouri also threw for 334 yards in last season’s win, but there’s a new quarterback at the helm this time around. Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons impressed in his Tigers debut, throwing more touchdowns (four) than incompletions (two) while finishing with 252 passing yards.
If the Jayhawks want to pull off the upset, they’ll have to find a way to slow down Roberts on the ground and keep Simmons in check through the air. The 122nd edition of the Border War kicks off in Lawrence, Kansas on Friday night.
Expert Picks: FOX Sports experts are picking Missouri to extend its winning streak in the Border War to five games.
Spread: BYU -7.5
Moneyline: BYU -305, Arizona +245
The Outlook: BYU returned the third-most starters in the country this season, including eight on defense, Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Bear Bachmeier and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin.
After a dominant Week 1 win, the Cougars return home for an early-season rivalry matchup against one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country in Noah Fifita. The Arizona quarterback has made 22 career starts but is 0-2 against BYU, throwing more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three) in those two games.
BYU escaped Tucson with a 33-27 double-overtime victory last season. This time, the matchup shifts to Provo, where Fifita and the Wildcats will have to deal with a hostile road environment and an experienced Cougars defense.
Expert Picks: The FOX Sports experts are riding with the Cougars to keep rolling against the Wildcats in Provo.
Spread: Alabama -10.5
Moneyline: Alabama -395, Kentucky +310
The Outlook: Alabama hasn’t lost to Kentucky since 1997 and has only lost to the Wildcats one other time, back in 1922. The Crimson Tide opened Year 3 of the Kalen DeBoer era with a dominant 48-10 win over ECU in Week 1. Now, they hit the road to open SEC play against a Kentucky team entering a new era under Will Stein.
It will be a day of firsts for Alabama starting quarterback Keelon Russell. The former five-star recruit will make his first career road start and face an SEC opponent for the first time. Russell accounted for more than 300 total yards and a rushing touchdown in his debut.
On the other side, Kentucky got a breath of fresh air in Stein’s debut, beating Youngstown State 45-17. The Wildcats scored their most points in a season opener and recorded their most total yards (506) since 2021. Notre Dame transfer quarterback Kenny Minchey completed 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns.
Now, this revitalized Kentucky team gets a shot at a program that has dominated the series, while DeBoer looks to avoid another road upset as a favorite. In a matchup that has been this lopsided for this long, eventually the tide has to turn, right?
Player To Watch: Ryan Coleman-Williams is Alabama’s biggest playmaker at wide receiver, but drops have been an issue going back to last season. Still, Coleman-Williams finished with 130 receiving yards in the Week 1 win and should once again be a top target for Russell as the sophomore quarterback makes his first career road start.
Spread: Minnesota -1.5
Moneyline: Minnesota -112, Mississippi State -108
The Outlook: An early Big Ten vs. SEC showdown with conference bragging rights on the line. Mississippi State racked up a program-record 762 yards of offense in its 62-13 blowout win over ULM, with quarterback Kamario Taylor accounting for more than 400 total yards and five touchdowns in the season opener.
Head coach Jeff Lebby appears to have found the quarterback to orchestrate his high-powered offense. Now, we’ll see if that explosive attack can travel as the Bulldogs head north to take on Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers are also coming off an impressive season-opening win. Running back Darius Taylor found the end zone three times in Minnesota’s 59-7 victory over Eastern Illinois. The Gophers have faced an SEC opponent just once under P.J. Fleck, beating Auburn 31-24 in the 2020 Outback Bowl.
If Minnesota wants to protect its home turf and earn some early-season bragging rights for the Big Ten, it will have to find a way to slow down the nation’s top offense.
Player To Watch: Kamario Taylor passed for a career-high 354 yards in Mississippi State’s historic win last week. The four-star quarterback’s performance quickly earned him national attention, and for good reason. Taylor has a chance to emerge as one of the SEC’s breakout players this season.
Spread: Boise State -8.5
Moneyline: Boise State -355, Memphis +280
The Outlook: Memphis and Boise State have been two of the top Group of 6 programs in recent years, and now they’ll meet for the first time since 2023.
Boise State nearly pulled off a massive upset against No. 2 Oregon last week, staying within striking distance until a fourth-quarter touchdown finally put the Broncos away. Despite the loss, a performance like that should give Boise State plenty of confidence heading into another tough matchup.
Memphis presents a much different challenge. The Charles Huff era is off to a 2-0 start, including a big win over UNLV in Week 0. Last week, the Tigers rushed for 335 yards, led by Jaylin Carter’s 183 yards and four touchdowns.
If Boise State wants to make its way back to the CFP, it can’t afford another loss this early in the season. And if Memphis wants to establish itself as the top Group of 6 contender, a road win over the Broncos would make quite the statement.
Player To Watch: Jaylin Carter will need to be a major part of the Memphis offense if the Tigers are going to knock off Boise State on the road. If Carter can take some pressure off quarterback Marcus Stokes and come close to replicating last week’s performance, Memphis will have a real chance to pick up a massive win in the Group of 6 playoff race.
Expert Picks: The FOX Sports experts are backing the Broncos to bounce back with a big win against another Group of 6 contender.
