2026 Win Totals – Part 2
Welcome back for part 2! We’ll cover 5 additional win total bets in this article. For the other parts to this series see the links below.
Now for the next 5 picks!
Coastal Carolina – Over 4.5 (-140)
The teal chickens debut head coach Ryan Beard in 2026 who I think is a really great hire for them from his success at Missouri State. Additionally, they have a non-conference schedule where I could see them getting at least 2 wins against a weak West Virginia squad, Fordham, and Delaware. The team only returns 5 starters from their 6-win season last year but, Beard brings with him an influx of 11 former Bears to bolster the roster along with several other notable transfers. With an upgrade at head coach replacing Tim Beck, I don’t see how this team regresses in the win column year over year.
Baylor – Under 6.5 (-170)
Baylor brings in a strong transfer class in 2026 to try and rebound from a disappointing 5-7 campaign. That class of course features quarterback DJ Lagway coming to Waco by means of Gainesville. A coach on the hot seat betting on DJ Lagway to save his job? Now where have I heard that before? Lagway has the talent to completely transform this offense but unfortunately he also has the ability to sink it into the ground if things don’t work out. But Baylor can fallback on defensive guru Dave Aranda on the other side of the ball, right? Are we talking about the same unit that ranked 15th in the Big 12 in total defense last year? To get down to brass tacks, the Bears face stiff competition in what looks to be a very deep Big 12 this year with few games on the schedule that can be marked down as W’s in the preseason. With a team that feels like boom or bust especially with the volatility surrounding Lagway, I could see either 9 wins or 3 wins. I’m betting on the bust.
Michigan State – Over 3.5 (-170)
It’s been a brutal slew of years for the Spartans with few bright spots spanning the Mel Tucker and Jonathan Smith eras. Hope springs anew with the hiring of Pat Fitzgerald who has a history of success in this league. The roster, however, lacks the typical talent profile a Michigan State 2-deep usually possesses. Luckily enough, Fitzgerald has a pretty incredible track record of overachieving with a suboptimal blue chip ratio. With plenty of winnable games on the schedule like Northwestern, UCLA, and Rutgers along with slam-dunk victories against Toledo and Eastern Michigan, I think the Spartans have a shot at a bowl game in year 1 of the Fitzgerald era.
Temple – Under 5.5 (-120)
Temple is coming off of a 5-win 2025 season and is reassessing the viability of their football program. That doesn’t sound like the recipe for a bowl-eligible team to me. KC Keeler starts his 2nd year at Temple retaining 7 starters from last year’s offense, but importantly not quarterback, and only 2 from last year’s defense. The QB battle in fall camp between Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard does not seem too promising seeing it’s between 2 redshirt juniors with 0 starting experience. I just don’t see this program making the step to bowl eligibility this year with this set-up especially with out of conference games against Penn State and away at a solid Toledo squad.
LOCK: Georgia – Over 9.5 (-190)
I don’t know how much convincing I really have to do here that Georgia will win 10 games, but there have to be at least a few skeptics out there so I’ll do my due diligence. The Dawgs return veteran signal caller Gunner Stockton to captain the offense behind what should be an excellent offensive line. Georgia will be able to run the ball as always but will look for some emerging talents on the outside to enhance the lethality of the offense. Kirby’s defense is as sure enough to be a top 10 unit as there is in the country with studs like linebacker Chris Cole and DB Ellis Robinson IV and blue chippers throughout the depth chart. The schedule is tough with road games at Alabama and Ole Miss, but this program has proven to be the class of the SEC for the past decade. I’m going to trust that and Kirby Smart until I’m proven wrong.
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