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The Week 1 college football schedule features games on five consecutive days, beginning with a marquee matchup between No. 14 Utah and Florida on Thursday night. No. 3 Ohio State opens its campaign as a 30-point favorite against Indiana in a 3:30 p.m. ET CBS matchup on Saturday. The Buckeyes have won 27 consecutive games against the Hoosiers, so they will be a popular selection among the Week 1 college football bets. Should you include them in your Week 1 college football picks?
No. 5 LSU is a 2.5-point favorite against No. 8 Florida State on Sunday night in the Week 1 college football odds. Which teams have the most value in the Week 1 college football spreads? Before locking in any college football picks for Week 1 of the 2023 season, be sure to see the latest college football predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds for Week 1 and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.
Top college football predictions for Week 1
One of the top college football picks the model is recommending for Saturday, Sept. 2: Colorado stays within the spread as a 21-point underdog at TCU on Saturday at noon ET. The Buffaloes are entering an exciting era under new head coach Deion Sanders, who led Jackson State to two straight SWAC championships. His son, Shedeur Sanders, threw for nearly 7,000 yards and 70 touchdowns in two seasons at Jackson State, and he is taking over as Colorado’s starter this year.
The Walter Payton Award finalist also rushed for nine touchdowns, giving the Buffaloes plenty of offensive firepower. TCU is coming off a surprising run to the College Football Playoff, but it lost star quarterback Max Duggan and running back Kendre Miller to the NFL. The Horned Frogs are going to have trouble preparing for Colorado’s unique offense, which is one reason why the model has the Buffaloes covering the spread in well over 50% of simulations.
Another prediction: Western Kentucky cruises to a blowout win as an 11.5-point home favorite against South Florida on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. South Florida was among the worst teams in college football last season, going 1-11 overall. The Bulls’ lone win came against FCS Howard in September, as they closed the year on a 10-game losing streak.
Western Kentucky is trending in the opposite direction after going 9-5 with a victory in the New Orleans Bowl. The Hilltoppers return quarterback Austin Reed, who threw for 4,744 yards and 40 touchdowns last season. Reed gives Western Kentucky more than enough offense to cover a double-digit spread, with the model picking the Hilltoppers to cover in well over 70% of simulations. See which other teams the model likes here.
How to make college football picks for Week 1
The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every other FBS matchup in Week 1, and it’s calling for several underdogs to win outright. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.
So what college football picks can you make with confidence, and which underdogs win outright? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $2,500 in profit over the past seven seasons, and find out.
College football odds for Week 1
See full Week 1 college football picks, odds, predictions here
Thursday, Aug. 31
Kent State at UCF (-37, 57.5)
Nebraska at Minnesota (-7.5, 43.5)
Florida at Utah (-6.5, 45.5)
Friday, Sept. 1
Miami (OH) at Miami (-17, 45)
Central Michigan at Michigan State (-14.5, 47.5)
Louisville at Georgia Tech (+8, 49.5)
Stanford at Hawaii (+3.5, 60.5)
Saturday, Sept. 2
East Carolina at Michigan (-17.5, 56)
Arkansas State at Oklahoma (-35, 58)
Colorado at TCU (-20.5, 60.5)
Virginia vs. Tennessee (-28, 57.5)
Ohio State at Indiana (+30, 60)
Boise State at Washington (-14.5, 58.5)
Washington State at Colorado State (+12, 54.5)
North Carolina vs. South Carolina (+2.5, 64.5)
Texas Tech at Wyoming (+14, 52)
West Virginia at Penn State (-20.5, 50.5)
Coastal Carolina at UCLA (-14.5, 65)
Sunday, Sept. 3
Northwestern at Rutgers (-6.5, 40.5)
Oregon State at San Jose State (+16.5, 54.5)
LSU vs. Florida State (+2.5, 58)
Monday, Sept. 4
