The 2025 College Football season rolls on with a mini Friday night slate of Week 2 action. Welcome to our CFB Best Bets as we break down CFB free picks for this week’s games. Let’s focus on two matchups for our top CFB predictions. Plus, stay tuned for more college football bets below.  

The Week 2 college football slate features only 4 games on Friday night. Even so, we have plenty of ways to go for our CFB free picks. Note that all bets below are for one unit unless otherwise noted. Without further ado, let’s dive into our CFB Best Bets. 

 

 

 

CFB Free Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Friday, 9/5

Let’s kick off our Week 2 Friday night CFB Best Bets with Maryland hosting Northern Illinois. Plus, James Madison and Louisville face off in a potentially high-scoring game. Be sure to check out more CFB free picks for other games below. Let’s get to it. 

Northern Illinois vs. Maryland Prediction: Friday, September 5th

Maryland began its season in style last week with a 39-7 romping of Florida Atlantic. It’s an impressive start for a team that went 4-8 a season ago, including 1-8 in the Big Ten. The Terrapins now host Northern Illinois on Friday night in what should be another comfortable win. 

The Terps could have an exciting offense this season with true freshman QB Malik Washington at the helm. The highly-ranked prospect came to College Park with plenty of hype, and he backed it up in the season opener. Washington threw for 258 yards and 3 TDs while showing off his arm talent and confidence running the offense. 

Inconsistent and subpar quarterback play was an issue for Maryland last year. It appears Washington could be the answer to unlock head coach Mike Locksley’s passing attack. The Terps’ receiving corps also boasts multiple playmakers and weapons for Washington, led by transfers Jalil Farooq and Dorian Fleming.

NIU, meanwhile, barely held on for a 19-17 victory over Holy Cross in Week 1. It was an underwhelming performance as the Huskies put up just 289 total yards of offense at home against FCS competition. They also managed only 2 scoring drives until late in the fourth quarter. That’s not a good sign for an offense that had to replace a ton of starters and production from last year. 

Northern Illinois ranked 93rd in scoring offense last season (24.5 PPG). That team lost its top three pass-catchers to the transfer portal, as well as its top two rushers to graduation. Plus, the Huskies are working with a new QB this year. 

It’s hard to see NIU score much against a Maryland defense that was locked in last week. The Terps forced 6 interceptions and held FAU scoreless for the final 50 minutes of game time. Back the home favorites to cover en route to an easy win. 

 

 

 

James Madison vs. Louisville Prediction: Friday, September 5th

James Madison and Louisville both won in blowout fashion in Week 1. Now they face off on Friday night in what should be an exciting, higher-scoring matchup. The visiting Dukes could keep this one close, but let’s look at the total instead of the spread. 

Louisville had one of the most potent offenses in college football last year. Jeff Brohm’s squad ranked 7th nationally in points per game and 13th in total yards per game. That’s carried over into 2025 as the Cardinals put up 51 points and 545 total yards in their season-opening win over Eastern Kentucky. 

The Cards have an explosive offense with an efficient passing attack. USC transfer QB Miller Moss has some talented receivers to work with. Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy form one of the top WR duos in the ACC at their best. Plus, Louisville has a strong run game as Isaac Brown returns from a 1,000-yard season. 

On the other side, James Madison should also have success offensively. The Dukes posted 45 points and 458 total yards in their Week 1 win over Weber State. Yes, it was an easy matchup, but this is a team that averaged 33.3 PPG last year (26th in FBS). It now faces a Louisville defense that ranked 100th against the pass a season ago, while allowing 26.1 PPG to FBS competition (64th in the country). 

Talented dual-threat QB Alonza Barnett III headlines JMU’s offense. Last year, he threw for 2,598 yards and 26 TDs with 442 rushing yards and 7 rush TDs added in. Plus, George Pettaway returns as one of the top Group of Five running backs this season. The Dukes’ attack will be tough for Louisville to game-plan for on a short week.

Let’s take the over in this one. Both offenses should set the tone throughout. There’s also this interesting trend. Since Brohm took over in 2023, Louisville is now 4-0 to the over when facing non-power conference teams, averaging 54.5 PPG in those games as well. 

 

 

 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks for Friday Week 2

 

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