The East Carolina Pirates and Alabama Crimson Tide play on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, at Bryant-Denney Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in a game on the college football Week 1 schedule.
Which team will win the college football Week 1 game?
Check out these college football Week 1 picks and college football Week 1 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 9 a.m. MST on ABC (stream with FUBO).
Alabama is a 29-point favorite over East Carolina in college football Week 1 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Crimson Tide are -10000 on the moneyline, while the Pirates are +2000. The over/under (point total) for the game is set at 54.5 points.
College football Week 1 picks: UTEP vs Oklahoma | Miami vs Stanford | Fresno State vs USC | North
Texas vs Indiana | East Carolina vs Alabama | Ball State vs Ohio State | Tennessee State vs Georgia | Boise State vs Oregon | Texas State vs Texas | Marshall vs Penn State | Furman vs Tennessee | Northern Illinois vs Iowa | Missouri State vs Texas A&M | Clemson vs LSU | Western Michigan vs Michigan | Washington State vs Washington | Wisconsin vs Notre Dame | Louisville vs Ole Miss | SMU vs Florida State
Watch Alabama vs East Carolina on FUBO (free trial)
Sporting News: Alabama 38, East Carolina 13
Bill Bender writes: "Keelon Russell makes his debut for Alabama against the Pirates in Kalen DeBoer's third year. East Carolina was 3-1 ATS as an underdog under second-year coach Blake Harrell last season, but the roster is rebuilt through the transfer portal. These schools haven't met since 1998 – a game the Crimson Tide won 23-22 in Birmingham, Ala. Alabama is 10-3 ATS as a home favorite under DeBoer."
Bookies.com: Bet the under in East Carolina vs Alabama game
Bill Speros writes: "The Tide reached the playoff quarterfinals last winter, so Kalen DeBoer’s job is secure. Keelon Russell is QB by default, and the Tide’s running game needs work. Alabama’s defense, led by its top-five secondary, keeps the Tide in the SEC & Playoff conversation for now. Blake Harrell’s Pirates lost 21 starters. Tuscaloosa isn’t the best place to commence a rebuild. The Tide’s defense – and a push to work on the running game in this glorified scrimmage – keeps this total under the number."
Big 12 football Week 1 picks: Colorado vs Georgia Tech | Idaho vs Utah | Oregon State vs Houston | Coastal Carolina vs West Virginia | Baylor vs Auburn | Boston College vs Cincinnati | Oklahoma State vs Tulsa | Abilene Christian vs Texas Tech | Utah Tech vs BYU | NAU vs Arizona | Morgan State vs Arizona State | Score predictions | TV channels | Betting
Dimers.com: Alabama 40, East Carolina 12
It writes: "After extensive simulations, our model gives East Carolina a win probability of 3%, while Alabama has a win probability of 97%."
ESPN: Alabama has a 94.6% chance to defeat East Carolina on Saturday
The site gives the Pirates a 5.4% shot at winning the college football Week 1 game.
Sports Betting Dime: East Carolina 24.4, Alabama 23
The site's formula predicts that the Pirates will beat the Crimson Tide in a huge upset in the Week 1 college football game.
College Football News: Alabama 41, East Carolina 13
Pete Fiutak writes: "It’s the Keelon Russell show. He won a tough quarterback battle with Austin Mack to be Bama’s next big star, and he’s got the receiving corps to look magnificent right out of the gate. This won’t be a total wipeout, but the offense will be exactly what everyone is looking for after a few tough early series."
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Alabama vs East Carolina picks, predictions, odds for Week 1 game
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