It’s the best time of year to be a college football fan, as the anticipation builds leading into the Week 1 college football schedule. While big games like Texas vs. Ohio State, LSU vs. Clemson and Notre Dame vs. Miami will dominate the headlines in Week 1, Thursday’s opening night is loaded with pivotal matchups, including Boise State vs. South Florida and Nebraska vs. Cincinnati. According to the latest Week 1 college football odds, the Broncos are favored by 5.5 points at USF, while the Bearcats are 6.5-point underdogs at home against the Cornhuskers.
Before locking in your Week 1 college football picks on your favorite betting apps, be sure to check out the top college football betting picks from SportsLine’s proven computer model. Claim the latest bet365 promo code here, where new users get $200 in bonus bets with the placement of a $5+ bet:
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and was a profitable 27-16 combined on money-line and over/under college football picks in 2024. Anybody following its college football betting picks on betting sites could have seen strong returns, and new users can also target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:
Week 1 college football best bets for Thursday, Aug. 28:
- Boise State -5.5 vs. South Florida (-112)
- Cincinnati +6.5 vs. Nebraska (-105)
- Over 43.5 points in Buffalo vs. Minnesota (-115)
Combining the model’s three picks into a Week 1 college football parlay would result in a payout of +589 (risk $100 to win $589).
Boise State -5.5 vs. South Florida
The Broncos ended last year on a high note, winning 11 of their final 12 games, but ended up losing to Penn State, 31-14, in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State won’t have the services of running back Ashton Jeanty, who finished with over 2,600 rushing yards last season. However, the Broncos do return seven starters on offense, including quarterback Maddux Madsen, wide receiver Latrell Caples, tight end Matt Lauter, and four of their five starters on the offensive line. In addition, the Broncos are 7-1 in their last eight games on the road, while USF is 1-5 in its last six games when playing as the underdog. SportsLine’s model predicts that the Broncos cruise to a 38-23 victory on Thursday, projecting Boise State to cover the spread in well over 60% of simulations.
Cincinnati +6.5 vs. Nebraska
The Bearcats struggled down the stretch last season, losing their final five games. However, Cincinnati proved to be a tough out at home, knocking off No. 7 Arizona State, 24-14, on Oct. 19, and beating Houston, 34-0, in September. Nebraska also struggled to close out games in the later part of the 2024 season, posting a 2-5 record over its final seven contests. The Bearcats have traditionally gotten off to fast starts as well, winning 10 of their last 11 games played in Week 1. Cincinnati is also 7-0 in its past seven games played in August. The model is expecting Nebraska to win, but the Bearcats stay within the spread well over 50% of the time.
Over 43.5 points in Buffalo vs. Minnesota
The Golden Gophers return their main rusher in running back Darius Taylor, who rushed for 986 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Taylor scored at least one rushing touchdown in five of his final seven games last season, and now he’ll look to dissect a Buffalo defense that gave up 26.23 points per game in 2024, which ranked 79th in college football. The model has also taken into account that the total has gone Over in eight of Buffalo’s last 10 games overall. The model is projecting these two teams to combine for 55 points, helping the over hit in nearly 70% of simulations.
Want more Week 1 college football picks?
You’ve seen the model’s Week 1 college football best parlay. Now, get against the spread, total and money-line picks for every Week 1 CFB game here, all from the model that’s simulated every game 10,000 times.
Also at SportsLine:
You can also see Week 1 college football picks from insider Thomas Casale. Visit SportsLine to see his best bets. SportsLine’s Micah Roberts, who is 9-2 in his last 11 spread picks involving Ohio State, has locked in his best bets for Ohio State vs. Texas right here.
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