- College football season officially starts August 24
- Bookmakers have some of the early odds on the big matchups of Week 1.
- Georgia Tech at Clemson ( -35 ), Texas State at Texas A&M ( -34.5 ) and South Alabama at Nebraska ( -35 ) are some of the big favorites.
The start of the 2019 college football season is still a few weeks away, but it’s never too early to get excited about the matchups that dot the Week 1 schedule. Officially the season starts on August 24 with a pair of games and teams will have 14 weeks to play their usual 12-game slate. That means most teams will enjoy two bye weeks this season. That could have an impact on wagering down the line, but we’re here to talk about the opening games and where those lines sit at this point.
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The college football landscape has changed over the years, read this guide to learn how to bet on football on these days. No longer is the won/loss record the only separator between teams. Programs looking to reach the CFP or a New Year’s Six bowl game need to win and they also need to take down strong opponents. That sets up for intriguing early season matchups and we have a few in Week 1. We also get cupcake games where Power 5 teams look to pad their stats.
Six games on the Week 1 schedule opened with a line of 32 or more points. And it’s the usual suspects that are favored to win big. Defending national champion Clemson overtook Alabama as the top team in the country with its dominant win in last season’s CFP title game. The Tigers open the season at home against Georgia Tech in an ACC tilt that has them favored by 35-points. That’s the highest spread currently on the board for Week 1.
OUR PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS ARE HERE! ?
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— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 5, 2019
Clemson and Alabama have owned college football during the CFP era with each school winning two national championships while playing each other three times in the title games. Bama is the only school to participate in all five playoffs. The Tide opens against Duke in Atlanta and is spotting the Blue Devils 33-points.
Here is a look at a few games on the Week 1 slate with opening odds from BookMaker.eu
College Football Week 1 Odds
Saturday, August 24
Miami vs. Florida ( -7 )
Arizona ( -11 ) at Hawaii
Thursday, August 29
Georgia Tech at Clemson ( -35 )
Texas State at Texas A&M ( -34.5 )
Kent State at Arizona State ( -25.5 )
Utah ( -5 ) at BYU
Friday, August 30
Rice at Army ( -23.5 )
Wisconsin ( -10.5 ) at South Florida
Tulsa at Michigan State ( -22 )
Colorado State vs. Colorado ( -11 )
Purdue ( -9 ) at Nevada
Oklahoma State ( -15 ) at Oregon State
Saturday, August 31
Florida Atlantic at Ohio State ( -27.5 )
South Alabama at Nebraska ( -35 )
East Carolina at North Carolina State ( -18 )
Mississippi State ( -22.5 ) at Louisiana Lafayette
Mississippi at Memphis ( -5.5 )
Georgia State at Tennessee ( -25.5 )
South Carolina ( -7 ) vs. North Carolina
Duke vs. Alabama ( -33 )
Boise State vs. Florida State ( -4.5 )
Middle Tennessee State at Michigan ( -33 )
Miami (Ohio) at Iowa ( -21.5 )
Georgia ( -20 ) at Vanderbilt
Missouri ( -14.5 ) at Wyoming
Oregon vs. Auburn ( -3 )
Louisiana Tech at Texas ( -21 )
New Mexico State at Washington State ( -32 )
Fresno State at USC ( -13.5 )
Sunday, September 1
Houston at Oklahoma ( -26 )
Monday, September 2
Notre Dame ( -21 ) at Louisville
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Some Big Favorites
On top of the Clemson and Alabama games, there are four other contests with spreads over 30-points. Unlike last season when Michigan opened on the road at Notre Dame and saw their CFP dreams dashed with a loss, the Wolverines face Middle Tennessee in the Big House with an offense that has the potential to be explosive. UM is a 33-point favorite in that matchup.
If the opening line is any indication, Nebraska could be a force in the Big Ten in Year 2 of the Scott Frost era. The Huskers are spotting South Alabama five touchdowns in their opening tilt. We tend to see lines inflated when Power 5 programs battle squads from outside the brotherhood. Nebraska was 4-8 SU last year and 6-5-1 ATS. Can we expect them to be that much better in 2019?
Early Lines Will Move
With a few weeks before the season begins there is maneuvering taking place with every roster. A number of online sportsbooks have yet to post totals for games and we’ll certainly see movement on the lines before Week 1 rolls around. One team to keep an eye on is USC. The Trojans opened as a 13.5-point favorite against Fresno State, likely because of their poor showing last year. They have plenty of talent and potential, and they are playing with a chip on their shoulder. That line will go higher in the next few weeks so take advantage of the number now, while you can.
Check out the complete College Football Week 1 betting schedule and odds.
