SEC Football: Key games highlight Week 3 schedule

In week three of the season,  SEC football teams play 12 games. Most of the contests will likely result in wins from double-digit margins to blowouts.

There are four games however in which the favorite has a predicted spread of less than a touchdown.

It is too early in the season to call any of those four games as must-wins. But they are important contests that can signal a trajectory. Losses in week three can quickly get teams to ‘must-win’ games in weeks four and five. Five SEC football teams play in the four games.

Important Week Three SEC Football Games

• Penn State (2-0) at Auburn (2-0) – The Nittany Lions are favored by 3.5 points as of Wednesday night. It is a huge game for Auburn to at least partly define its season. The Tigers are great against the run and the Nittany Lions are not a flashy passing team. Auburn is unsettled at quarterback, despite what Brian Harsin has stated.
• Mississippi State (2-0) at LSU (1-1) – The Bulldogs are a slight 1.5-point favorite. A win would be big for the Bulldogs. A loss would be a major blow to Brian Kelly and LSU.
• Miami (2-0) at Texas A&M (1-1) – If a must-win had to be picked this early, the game in College Station would be the one. Fans of the Aggies are asking if a Jimbo offense (minus a Jameis Winston) can be good enough. Fisher may have as much of a QB weakness as Bryan Harsin. The Aggies are favored by 5.5 points and beating A&M on the road might be too much for Mario Cristobal’s first Canes team – but maybe not.
• Northern Illinois (NIU) (1-1) at Vanderbilt (2-1) – The Commodores might be much better than in Clark Lea’s first season in Nashville. Beating the Huskies would surpass last season’s win total. It is hard to see the Dores winning more than five games and they will not if they lose to the Huskies. NIU is favored by 2.5 points.

The spread for Alabama’s game against ULM has lowered slightly to 48.5 points. Georgia is favored by 24.5 points over South Carolina. Ole Miss is a 16.5-point favorite against Georgia Tech. Arkansas is favored by 23 points over Missouri State. Florida is favored by 24.5 points against South Florida. Kentucky is favored by 27.5 points against Youngtown State. Missouri is favored by 34.5 points versus Abilene Christian. The Tennessee Vols are favored by a whopping 47.5 points against Akron.

The point spreads in this post were provided by FanDuel and WynBET.

Four worst teams SEC Football will face in Week 3

Based on the rankings by College Football News, they are No. 130 in the FBS, Akron; No. 124 ULM; No. 108 Northern Illinois and No. 105 South Florida.

Alabama football beat reporters know better than to ask Nick Saban about favorites in games.

So let’s keep the spread for the Crimson Tide against ULM quiet.