Texas vs. UL Monroe odds, spread: 2024 college football picks ...

The top-ranked Texas Longhorns will take on the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas is 3-0 overall and 2-0 at home, while UL Monroe is 2-0 overall and they finished last season 2-10. Redshirt freshman Arch Manning will get his first start as Quinn Ewers is out due to an abdominal muscle injury. This is the first time Texas has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll since 2008.

After opening at -48, the Longhorns are now favored by 43.5 points in the latest Texas vs. UL Monroe odds via SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is up to 54 points after opening at 52.5. Before entering any Texas vs. UL Monroe picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks and is off to a 5-2 start on over/under picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.

The model has set its sights on UL Monroe vs. Texas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines on the spread, money line and over/under for this Texas vs. UL Monroe game:

• Texas vs. UL Monroe spread: Texas -43.5
• Texas vs. UL Monroe over/under: 54 points
• Texas vs. UL Monroe picks: See picks here

Why Texas can cover

The Longhorns have been perhaps the most impressive team in the nation, winning and easily covering in all three games thus far. They leapfrogged Georgia in the AP Poll this week after the Bulldogs got a scare at Kentucky. Normally the star quarterback being out would be a huge deal, but the Longhorns have one of the most talented backups in the nation ready to go in Manning.

The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch Manning represents the third generation of the famous quarterback family. He was tremendous in relief of Ewers last week, completing 9-of-12 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 53 yards and a score on the ground. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why UL Monroe can cover 

UL Monroe is also off to fast start with two wins and two easy covers. The Warhawks handled Jackson State 30-13 in their opener, covering as 4.5-point favorites. They then beat UAB 32-6 in Week 2 despite being 12-point underdogs. That win had to be especially satisfying for head coach Bryant Vincent, who was the interim head coach at UAB in 2022 but was ultimately passed over for the full-time gig in favor of Trent Dilfer, who was on the losing side of that matchup. 

Oklahoma transfer General Booty is the quarterback for UL Monroe and he is 19-of-30 for 191 yards and a touchdown this season. The running back duo of Ahmad Hardy and James Jones has combined for nearly 300 yards on the ground, and a strong running attack would keep the clock moving and give the Warhawks a great chance to stay within the number. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make Texas vs. UL Monroe picks

The model has simulated Texas vs. UL Monroe 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Who wins UL Monroe vs. Texas, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out, all from the model that's up more than $2,000 on top-rated college football spread picks.