Caleb Wilfinger
Show Bio
At long last, Week 1 of college football is finally here! Sure, Week 0 was a nice appetizer, but this week truly marks the start of the 2024 college football season. The action kicks off with a plethora of games on Thursday before getting into a weekend slate that features a number of high-profile matchups including Clemson vs Georgia, Miami vs Florida, Notre Dame vs Texas A&M and LSU vs USC on Sunday night.
With Week 0 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to turn our attention to the first full week of games. Outside of the top games, this slate isn’t as deep as some of the weeks to follow, but there is still plenty of compelling action for college football fans to enjoy. These lines opened months ago and have already seen plenty of movement, so let’s take a look at the college football Week 1 odds and lines, and give our first impressions. You can also find our college football picks for all of the week’s biggest matchups.
Want more college football picks? Check out our NCAAF futures betting guide for EVERY Pickswise prediction for the 2024 CFB season
NCAAF Week 1 opening lines and odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.
- North Carolina +2 (-110) vs Minnesota – Thursday, August 29
- North Dakota State +9.5 (-108) vs Colorado – Thursday, August 29
- Temple +43 (-110) vs Oklahoma – Friday, August 30
- FAU +12.5 (-110) vs Michigan State – Friday, August 30
- TCU -8.5 (-110) vs Stanford – Friday, August 30
- Clemson +13.5 (-108) vs Georgia – Saturday, August 31
- Penn State -8.5 (-108) vs West Virginia – Saturday, August 31
- UConn +20.5 (-110) vs Maryland – Saturday, August 31
- Virginia Tech -13.5 (-110) vs Vanderbilt – Saturday, August 31
- South Dakota State +10 (-110) vs Oklahoma State – Saturday, August 31
- Miami -2.5 (-115) vs Florida – Saturday, August 31
- Colorado State +32.5 (-110) vs Texas – Saturday, August 31
- Akron +50.5 (-110) vs Ohio State – Saturday, August 31
- Northwestern -2.5 (-110) vs Miami Ohio – Saturday, August 31
- Western Kentucky +31 (-110) vs Alabama – Saturday, August 31
- UNLV +1 (-110) vs Houston – Saturday, August 31
- Notre Dame +2.5 (-105) vs Texas A&M – Saturday, August 31
- Fresno State +21.5 (-110) vs Michigan – Saturday, August 31
- UCLA -12.5 (-110) vs Hawaii – Saturday, August 31
- Wyoming +6.5 (-108) vs Arizona State – Saturday, August 31
- LSU -4.5 (-110) vs USC – Sunday, September 1
- Boston College +17.5 (-110) vs Florida State – Monday, September 2
We’ll have NCAAF predictions for all the big games this season!
Best early bet for college football Week 1
Florida Gators ML (+120) over Miami Hurricanes
One of the marquee games of college football Week 1 takes place between a pair of in-state rivals in the Sunshine State, and it comes at a time when both coaches could desperately use a victory. Billy Napier is in the midst of a do-or-die season as Florida’s head coach and the Gators’ brutal schedule (the toughest in the nation by far according to any metric) certainly doesn’t help matters. Given the ferocity of Florida’s schedule within the SEC, this could be a situation where Napier gets fired if there aren’t wins early in the year. I don’t entirely think the same is true over in Coral Gables, but the Miami Hurricanes have had ACC Championship and College Football Playoff expectations placed upon them after an offseason where they spent a ton of money to acquire high-end talent to complete an already strong roster. If head coach Mario Cristobal can put his game management struggles behind him, this could be a season to remember for the Hurricanes. For now, I’ll believe it when I see it.
This is a game where I anticipate both offenses to have success throughout the contest. Cam Ward and Damien Martinez lead a dynamic Miami offense that should certainly have its moments on Saturday. However, the same can be said for a Florida offense that is the healthiest it’s been since last September and is led by a quarterback in Graham Mertz that improved drastically a season ago. Mertz was quietly one of the best QBs in the SEC in 2023, and I’d expect him to continue that momentum against a Miami secondary that both James Williams and Kamren Kinchens to the NFL. As long as the veteran signal-caller can get the ball out fast and make quick decisions in the passing game, this should neutralize a Miami front seven that is the strength of its defense. Overall, this is a game that I fully expect to come down to the wire and I’d much rather have the underdog in that scenario. I’ll take Florida on the money line to pull the small upset in the swamp.
Find out our Heisman Trophy predictions for this season, including a 100-1 longshot pick!
