Week 3 of the college football season has some big games in the Big 12 conference, headlined by Kansas State taking on Arizona. Other Big 12 teams are in some notable non-conference clashes, with Arizona State facing Texas State a week after suffering an upset loss to Mississippi State and West Virginia hosting Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl rivalry game. Those three contests make up our three-leg Big 12 Week 3 parlay at Caesars Sportsbook.
College football Week 3 ACC parlay
- Arizona ML vs. Kansas State (+100)
- Arizona State -14.5 vs. Texas State (-110)
- West Virginia +7 vs. Pittsburgh (-100)
Final odds: +629 (wager $100 to win $629)
Kansas State vs. Arizona (+100)
It’s been a tough start to the year for Kansas State. The Wildcats entered the year ranked but are now 1-2 after losing to Iowa State in Week 0 and Army in Week 2. Kansas State did win in Week 1, but it was a late comeback win over North Dakota of the FCS ranks. Arizona, meanwhile, is 2-0 after a 40-6 win over Hawaii to open the year and a 48-3 win over Weber State last week. Kansas State is the favorite despite being a rough start to the year and this game being in Arizona. Noah Fifita looks strong at quarterback after a disappointing 2024 campaign and Kansas State just doesn’t appear to have it this year. I like the Wildcats — the Arizona Wildcats, that is — on Friday night.
Texas State vs. Arizona State (-14.5)
After a surprise College Football Playoff berth last year, Arizona State entered 2025 with high expectations and a target on its back. Last week, ASU went to Mississippi State and suffered a stunning late loss to the Bulldogs thanks to a deep touchdown pass from Blake Shapen to Brenen Thompson, who stormed 58 yards down the field with just 30 second to go to give Mississippi State an upset win. While that could signal that ASU maybe isn’t as good as expected, I think it lights a fire under head coach Kenny Dillingham’s squad to not just beat Texas State, but cover the 14.5-point spread. The Bobcats are 2-0 but have allowed 63 points on the year. Look for ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt to have a big scoring day for the Sun Devils in a dominant win. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every college football game 10,000 times, has ASU covering in over 60% of simulations.
Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia (+7)
Rivalry games are awesome and are a big part of what makes college football so great. Look no further than the Backyard Brawl between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, which has been decided by seven or fewer points in two of the last three matchups since this rivalry was renewed in 2022. The Mountaineers lost a stunner last year, blowing a 10-point lead to the Panthers on the road in a 38-34 loss. Pitt enters Week 3 at 2-0 while West Virginia is 1-1 after losing 17-10 to Ohio last week. The Panthers may very well win this game, but it’s in Morgantown and these games have historically been close. Look for WVU to cover +7, which the model has happening in 60% of simulations, good for an ‘A’ grade.
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