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College football team total bets for Week 3

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Do you worry that one side won't hold up its end of the bargain for your totals bets to hit? In that case, individual team totals are probably for you.

They aren't as popular as standard spread wagers or combined totals, but team totals can be extremely useful if bettors find a specific matchup edge for one unit in a single game.

Here are five team totals to watch for in Week 3 once they're released on game day.

Maryland team total under (at Temple)

Play: 35 or higher

Maryland's offense is humming. The Terps followed up a 79-0 blowout win over Howard with a 63-20 rout of ranked Syracuse last weekend. However, Week 3 might be the perfect time to sell, given that it'll be Maryland's first road game of the season - on grass - against a Temple defense that was ranked inside the preseason top 50 by S&P+ and had two weeks to prepare.

Oklahoma team total over (at UCLA)

Play: 49 or lower

Can a team quit two weeks into the season? Asking for a friend. UCLA was supposed to improve after fielding one of the youngest rosters in the country a season ago, but the Bruins have dropped back-to-back games against Group of 5 programs. So much for the Chip Kelly reclamation project.

After mustering just 14 points at Cincinnati to open the campaign, it was the defense's turn to disappoint last weekend. The Bruins allowed 293 passing yards to a San Diego State offense that had scored a grand total of six points against Weber State the week prior. Now UCLA has to play Oklahoma? This one could get ugly.

Cal team total under (vs. North Texas)

Play: 31.5 or higher

Cal's lucky it has a defense, because it sure as hell doesn't have an offense. Remember when Jeff Tedford and Sonny Dykes had the Golden Bears at the pinnacle of the Pac-12 after dark chaos? Oh, how times have changed. Third-year head coach Justin Wilcox, who certainly hates fun, now wins game with his defense. At Cal!

North Texas' defense just allowed 56 points at SMU, but the test on Saturday will be much easier. Take the team total under on a Cal offense that's surpassed 27 points just twice in its last 13 games.

Air Force team total over (at Colorado)

Play: 27 or lower

This could be a brutal spot for Colorado. The Buffaloes are coming off a huge win over Nebraska and have Pac-12 play on deck. Their run defense hasn't been spectacular, giving up an average of 4 yards per clip against the Cornhuskers and in-state rival Colorado State. Air Force also has the benefit of a bye week, which means more time to prepare for a Colorado defense short on playmakers.

BYU team total over (BYU)

Play: 26.5 or lower

BYU's offense might be on the cusp of a breakthrough. The Cougars were stifled against one of the top defenses in the country in Utah to open the season, but then hung 29 on Tennessee last weekend. There's a substantial drop-off in talent come Week 3 when BYU hosts USC. The Trojans have a leaky defense that allowed 462 total yards to a young Fresno State team and had its lapses against Stanford's backup quarterback.

Expect a coming-out party for Cougars QB Zach Wilson this Saturday.

Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.

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