With the return of college football comes the return of spreads, points, moneylines and props!
We’ve got our own set of picks for the first full slate of college football games, courtesy of the odds at FanDuel. Check out the picks below and let us know your own picks in the comments.
Charlotte +6.5
The Charlotte 49ers take on Appalachian State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic to open the 2025 season. Charlotte feels like a place that has a lot of potential but hasn’t put it all together yet. Meanwhile, Appalachian State has had
to hit a hard reset on its program after a disappointing run of seasons in Boone.
Two new coaches take over for this one, but it’s Tim Albin at Charlotte who I feel has the higher ceiling, and so I’m taking Charlotte to cover in the first week of the season.
Texas at Ohio State under 47.5
This massive season-opening matchup sees the #1 Texas Longhorns head to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. A lot has been made about the offensive players in this one, particularly the two starting quarterbacks, Arch Manning and Julian Sayin. However, I’m more interested in the defensive talent in this one.
Caleb Downs at safety for Ohio State may very well be the best player in college football. Simmons and Hill for Texas represent two of the best players in the country on the defensive side of the ball as well.
I think those two new quarterbacks struggle to find their footing in a big game environment, and the defenses will dominate the day. For that reason, I’m taking the under.
Clemson -3.5
I have the Clemson Tigers making their way to the College Football National Championship. That journey starts with an opening weekend win at home over the LSU Tigers.
While both offenses should be able to produce points, I trust Clemson’s defense to limit the LSU offense more than I trust LSU to stop Clemson. I like the ACC version of the Death Valley Tigers to cover.
UTSA +24.5
I talked about it a bit in my trenches preview, but I think UTSA is a tougher team than the books are giving them credit for. I think the Roadrunners hang around with Texas A&M into the second half.
I’m looking at a final score of 42-21 for the Aggies in their season opener. Texas A&M will clearly be the better team, but UTSA will put up a fight in this one.
Notre Dame -2.5
I’m not buying the hype for Miami this year. I watched Cam Ward will the Hurricanes to multiple victories in 2024. I don’t think Carson Beck is a bad QB, but I don’t believe he has it in him to completely take over a game like Ward.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame has to replace Riley Leonard, but they bring back the best running back in the country, Jeremiyah Love. I think the Irish will be able to dominate in the trenches, opening up massive running lanes for Love. The Irish roll in Miami, even with quarterback questions.
