College Football Week 1 Odds Analysis
Posted by Eric Williams on Monday,May 16, 2016 3:01, EDT in
If you’re looking to get your 2016 NCAA college football wagering campaign off to a positive start, then you’re in luck! While the official start of the regular season may still be months away from getting underway, collegiate gridiron gaming aficionados everywhere will be well-armed with valuable betting information thanks to the expert insight you’re about to get on a handful of Week 1 regular season matchups.
Odds for several Week 1 matchups were released less than 24 hours ago, so let’s get started.
College Football Week 1 Odds Analysis – Check Out Eye-Opening Odds Analysis on Six-Pack of Week 1 Pairings!
Friday, Aug. 26, 2016
California Golden Bears at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (+21)
Game to be played in Sydney, Australia
The Cal Golden Bears will have to overcome the loss of Jared Goff, but they still possess far more talent than Hawaii likely ever will. Still, I like the Rainbow Warriors to cover the spread at home based mostly on adrenaline and the fact that they’re playing a longtime rival.
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016
Charlotte 49ers at Louisville Cardinals (-39.5)
The Cardinals are ranked 19th in the AP preseason poll and they have plenty of talent. Still, covering the insane 39-point spread could be difficult even against a Charlotte team that won just two games last season.
South Carolina Gamecocks at Vanderbilt Commodores (+5.5)
The Gamecocks are looking to rebound after going 3-9 in head coach Steve Spurrier’s final season at his alma mater. Now, the Gamecocks will look to rebuild under the widely-respected Will Muschamp.
Vanderbilt is a also looking to bounce back from their underwhelming 4-9 campaign in 2015. If young quarterback Kyle Shurmur continues the maturation he showed late last season, the Commodores could surprise!
Friday, Sept. 2, 2016
Kansas State Wildcats at Stanford Cardinal (-16.5)
The Cardinal won’t have quarterback Kevin Hogan under center in 2016, but they still have the nation’s best all-around player in my mind in incomparable running back Christian McCaffery. K-State went 3-3 ATS in six road games last season and I believe they have a great chance to cover the high spread in this opener.
Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Michigan Wolverines (-41)
The Wolverines are expected to be national title contenders next season under Jim Harbaugh, but they’re not a high-scoring team by any stretch of the imagination, making the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors the right pick in this regular season opener.
South Alabama Jaguars at Mississippi Bulldogs (-36.5)
Can Chad Kelly lead the high-scoring Ole Miss Rebels to a five-touchdown-plus home win over tiny South Alabama? As the great Marv Albert is fond of saying….Yes!
Massachusetts Minute Men at Florida Gators (-37)
The Florida Gators will win this one with plenty of room to spare, but you should know that UMass has gone 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog of eight points or more.
Clemson Tigers at Auburn Tigers (+8.5)
Clemson has won two straight in this series, though these teams haven’t met since 2012. For me, Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson will be the difference in this huge opener. Beating Auburn by nine points looks a little high, but Clemson will win by a touchdown.
LSU Tigers at Wisconsin Badgers (+10)
It’s Leonard Fournette versus Wisconsin’s Corey Clement. Personally, I like the Badgers to cover the spread at home. Wisconsin has won eight of their L/10 home games and suffered their two home losses during that stretch by just six and four points.
USC Trojans at Alabama Crimson Tide (-10)
Game to be played at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
The Trojans and Crimson Tide will both have new starting quarterbacks in 2016, but Alabama is playing at home and will undoubtedly have the better defense. Will that equate into an 11-point victory? It could, but I’m going to say the Trojans cover by the slimmest of margins.
Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Texas Longhorns (Pick)
The Fighting Irish pounded the hell out of the Longhorns in their commanding 38-3 home win last season and are the easy pick to get the road win in this opener, mostly because Charlie Strong isn’t in the same caliber of head coaches as Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly.
Monday, Sept. 5, 2016
Mississippi Rebels at Florida State Seminoles (-3)
Quarterback Chad Kelly will lead the Mississippi Rebels to the outright road win over elite running back Dalvin Cook. Florida State will need to improve its passing attack and overcome some key losses on defense and I expect the Noles to be much better later in the season than early on.
