College Football is finally here and people are foaming at the mouth to finally be able to bet on football again. There are some great matchups in the opening weekend. #2 Ohio State hosts #5 Notre Dame. #11 Oregon plays #3 Georgia on the road as well. What’s crazy about these matchups is that both favorites are favored by 17 points. Ohio State and Georgia are both (-17) in games that feel like they should be relatively close. So, what’re some of the best bets heading into week one of the college football season?
Here are my top 5 plays for week one of the college football season:
1. OVER (51) West Virginia @ #17 Pittsburgh
Pitt and West Virginia will face off in the “backyard brawl” which hasn’t happened since 2011 when WVU edged Pitt 21-20. During the offseason Pitt lost star WR Jordan Addison to USC, but added former USC QB Kedon Slovis who has the potential to be a leader at Pitt. In 3 years with USC, Slovis threw for over 7500 yards and 58 TDS. Pitt averaged 41 points/game last season which ranked 3rd in the FBS. WVU averaged 25 points/game last year which ranked 88 in the FBS.
51 points feels way too low for these two offenses that have the ability to march up and down the field. Though Pitt will not have Kenny Pickett leading their offense, Slovis has many weapons he’ll be able to spread the ball to. WVU’s QB JT Daniel’s has won the starting job and if he’s able to get protection from the o-line, there is no reason why WVU can’t move the ball on Pitt. My play in this game is OVER (51)…LOCK IT UP.
2. #24 HOUSTON (-4) @ UTSA
#24 UH will open up their football season facing UTSA on the road. UH is coming off of an impressive 12-2 record in the 2021 season, including a 17-13 win over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. UTSA also had an impressive 2021 season in which they went 12-2 despite having a relatively easy schedule. Houston QB Clayton Tune has shown the ability to sling it around to all of his receivers which is what gives UH the edge in my opinion. UTSA’s secondary was horrible last year allowing 258 yards/game in the air and if they want a chance at all in this game they are gonna have to clean that up. Overall, #24 UH has an edge on each side of the ball and will cover the 4 points easy. My play in this game is #24 HOUSTON (-4)…LOCK IT UP.
3. #5 NOTRE DAME (+17.5) @ #2 Ohio State
#5 Notre Dame squares off with #2 Ohio State in a thrilling opener that could have huge CFP implications. The Fighting Irish haven’t visited Columbus since the mid 90s and this game couldn’t be more important for each university. Though this may seem like a pick that is amateur…17.5 points is way too many for this game. Yes, Ohio State has its stars, QB Chris Stroud is going to make plays, but Notre Dame’s defense will hold on for longer than most people think. Though I feel that Ohio State will win this game, they won’t win by more than 17 points and that’s a fact. Hammer the Fighting Irish (+17.5) until you can’t anymore…LOCK IT UP!
4. #14 USC (-32.5) vs Rice
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#14 USC will take on Rice in their season opener. USC made several acquisitions in the offseason that have them looking like legitimate contenders. Former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley joined as USC’s Head Coach. The offense gained star WR Jordan Addison from Pitt along with former Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams. Both of these studs have the potential to be Heisman Finalists if they can stay healthy. The read on this game is simple…USC is going to try and come out and beat Rice by 70 if they can. 32.5 points doesn’t seem like nearly enough. Lincoln Riley is going to wanna run up the score as much as possible so USC is in every sports media outlet known to mankind. Don’t overthink this…#14 USC (-32.5)…LOCK IT UP!
5. #21 OLE MISS (-21.5) vs Troy
#21 Ole Miss will host Troy in their season opener. This one is an easy read…there is no possible way that Troy can keep up with the high-powered Ole Miss offense. Ole Miss will cover the 21.5 spread easily and similar the USC situation, Lane Kiffin will run up the score to show everyone how skilled this offense is. Last season, Ole Miss put up over 33 points/game and Troy put up under 24 points/game against teams who are much less talented than Ole Miss. Love this play…#21 Ole Miss (-21.5) vs Troy…LOCK IT UP!
