Early College Football Week 1 Predictions: Best Bets For Season Openers
It's about 28 weeks until we get Arch Manning, Bill Belichick, and the first games of the college football season.
With the Super Bowl over, it's time to see what matchups we have brewing for Week 0 and Week 1 to scratch that football itch. We're getting a loaded slate out of the game that features several college football national championship odds contenders playing each other.
My early college football Week 1 predictions focus on the marquee games to start the season. While our best college football betting sites don't have lines for the whole slate yet, we'll stay on top of things to have you ready for the opening snap of the season.
College football Week 1 odds
(Odds via DraftKings)
- Week 0: Iowa State vs. Kansas State (-2.5)
- Nebraska (-6.5) vs. Cincinnati
- Utah (-3) vs. UCLA
- Texas vs. Ohio State (-3)
- Alabama (-9.5) vs. Florida State
- Auburn (-1.5) vs. Baylor
- Georgia Tech (-3.5) vs. Colorado
- LSU vs. Clemson (-2.5)
- Tennessee (-14.5) vs. Syracuse
- Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina (-10.5)
- Notre Dame (-2.5) vs. Miami
- TCU vs. North Carolina (-2.5)
College football Week 1 predictions
College football odds subject to change. Track the college football scores for the latest line movement and matchup info.
- Ohio State -3 (-110 via DraftKings) vs. Texas ⭐⭐⭐
- Georgia Tech -3.5 (-110 via DraftKings) vs. Colorado ⭐⭐⭐
- LSU +2.5 (+100 via BetRivers) vs. Clemson ⭐⭐⭐
- Miami +2.5 (+100 via BetRivers) vs. Notre Dame ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- North Carolina -2.5 (-108 via BetRivers) vs. TCU ⭐⭐
Ohio State (-3) vs. Texas ⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -110 via DraftKings | Implied probability: 52.38%
Talk about a doozy of a Week 1 game, it's the defending national champs against a Heisman Trophy odds contender in Manning. As if it could get any better, it's a rematch of a College Football Playoff game that will go down in Buckeyes history forever thanks to Jack Sawyer's strip sack and subsequent fumble return touchdown.
However, both these teams will look far different than they did in the Cotton Bowl. Both are losing double-digit starters to the NFL, and multiple will be top 100 selections. Obviously, the loss of Quinn Ewers opens the door for Manning, but this won't be an easy way to start his first season as Steve Sarkisian's QB1.
The Longhorns have to go to Columbus without their three best offensive linemen and three leading receivers from this past season, so much will be on Manning's plate, and he's still unproven. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs back, arguably the best offensive and defensive player in the country.
Assuming Ryan Day has new starting QB Julian Sayin ready to roll, the Buckeyes have a clear advantage. This has a chance to be one of the best games of the year.
Georgia Tech (-3.5) vs. Colorado ⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -110 via DraftKings | Implied probability: 52.38%
Now the pressure is really on Deion Sanders to show that he can continue to build Colorado in the right direction. With both Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders vying to climb the 2025 NFL Draft odds, the Buffaloes will be in desperate need of other playmakers to step up.
Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is expected to start in Boulder at QB over blue-chip freshman Julian Lewis, but Salter's coming off an iffy year in Lynchburg and the Buffs are losing their top four pass catchers to the NFL. That's on top of Sanders having to once again refresh his trenches via the transfer portal.
It's a completely different story for Brent Key and Georgia Tech, which nearly beat Georgia in "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" for the first time since 2016. The Yellow Jackets are riding the momentum of back-to-back bowl seasons in a decade and they return several of their most important players.
Quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes, and wide receiver Malik Rutherford give Georgia Tech one of the best three-headed monsters in the ACC, and they added FIU star Eric Rivers. The defense also returns its heart and soul in linebacker Kyle Efford.
LSU (+2.5) vs. Clemson ⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: +100 via BetRivers | Implied probability: 50%
Terms and conditions apply.
Texas vs. Ohio State will get the headlines, but this is the best game on paper of Week 1. Both quarterbacks, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Clemson's Cade Klubnik, are among the top Heisman contenders entering the season and both teams are expected to push for the College Football Playoff.
Though LSU is losing some key players to the NFL, Brian Kelly has absolutely cooked in the transfer portal, putting together the No. 1 transfer class in the country. That includes adding wide receivers Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) and Barion Brown (LSU), offensive linemen Josh Thompson (Northwestern) and Braelin Moore (Virginia Tech), defensive linemen Patrick Payton (Florida State) and Jack Pyburn (Florida), and cornerbacks Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech) and Ja'Keem Jackson (Florida).
That's on top of already bringing back Nussmeier, Aaron Anderson, Cade Durham, Harold Perkins Jr., Whit Weeks, and Ashton Stamps. This is one of the most talented rosters in the country. So while Clemson brings a lot back around Klubnik, Dabo Swinney still rarely using the portal could hurt the Tigers yet again.
If Kelly can get all the new talent in Baton Rouge to click, LSU should win this game straight-up. Clemson's roster is not 2.5 points better than LSU's, even at Memorial Stadium.
Miami (+2.5) vs. Notre Dame ⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: +100 via BetRivers | Implied probability: 50%
Notre Dame fell short in the national championship and now Marcus Freeman has to replace many of the key cogs that helped carry the Irish on that improbable run. Chief among them is QB Riley Leonard, who is expected to be replaced by either Steve Angeli or CJ Carr, the grandson of Lloyd Carr.
And though Notre Dame brings back Jeremiyah Love to help shoulder the load on offense, the defense could be in a rebuild. Defensive coordinator Al Golden took the same position with the Cincinnati Bengals, the team's three best defensive linemen are headed to the NFL, and superstar safety Xavier Watts is headed there with them.
Don't get me wrong, Miami is losing a ton to the pros too, but Mario Cristobal has once again rebuilt with portal acquisitions thanks to the Hurricanes exhaustive NIL spending. Cam Ward is being replaced by Georgia's Carson Beck, the No. 1 QB in the portal, and it doesn't stop there.
Miami has the fifth-highest-rated portal class thanks to additions like James Brockermeyer (TCU), CJ Daniels (LSU), Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin), and Zechariah Poyser (Jacksonville State). More importantly, Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor give Cristobal a devastating D-line duo.
North Carolina (-2.5) vs. TCU ⭐⭐
Best odds: -108 via BetRivers | Implied probability: 51.92%
It's hard to get a read on how the Belichick era in Chapel Hill will look, but everyone is going to be tuning into this standalone Monday night game in Week 1. Luckily for Belichick, TCU has been a bit of a disappointment under Sonny Dykes in the two seasons following its championship game loss to Michigan.
The Horned Frogs bring back starting QB Josh Hoover, but lose four of their five leaders in yards from scrimmage, including likely top 150 draft picks in receivers Jack Bech and Savion Williams. The defense is also losing several veteran starters to graduation, too.
That opens the door for Belichick to start his tenure as the Tar Heels bench boss with a bang. North Carolina has put in work in the transfer portal with the No. 14 class, which includes Thaddeus Dixon (Washington), Khmori House (Washington), Pryce Yates (UConn), and Daniel King (Troy), all of which are expected to start.
Just as important to adding talent, Belichick and Co. were able to retain it too by having linemen Aidan Banfield and Austin Blaske, and linebacker Amare Campbell withdraw from the portal. If Max Johnson is good to go, the Tar Heels should be capable of winning their opener at home.
College football betting odds pages
Here are our best college football betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission
Related pages
- Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)
Related Articles
