Here’s an early look at College Football Week 1 lines, odds, and predictions for how things will go this week.
| Away | Home | ATL | Spread | Difference | ATT | Total | Difference | Day | CST |
| Central Michigan | Oklahoma St. | -16.2 | -20.5 | 4.3 | 49 | 59 | -10 | Thursday | 6:00 |
| West Virginia | Pittsburgh | -17.8 | -7.5 | -10.3 | 60.5 | 51.5 | 9 | Thursday | 6:00 |
| Ball St. | Tennessee | -32.9 | -33.5 | 0.6 | 62.5 | 67.5 | -5 | Thursday | 6:00 |
| Penn St. | Purdue | 3.4 | 3.5 | -0.1 | 45 | 54 | -9 | Thursday | 7:00 |
| Louisiana Tech | Missouri | -11.4 | -19 | 7.6 | 73.5 | 58.5 | 15 | Thursday | 7:00 |
| New Mexico St. | Minnesota | -35.4 | -37.5 | 2.1 | 60.5 | 55.5 | 5 | Thursday | 8:00 |
| Western Michigan | Michigan St. | -30.3 | -20 | -10.3 | 61 | 55.5 | 5.5 | Friday | 6:00 |
| Virginia Tech | Old Dominion | 9.5 | 8.5 | 1.0 | 45 | 50.5 | -5.5 | Friday | 6:00 |
| Temple | Duke | -5.8 | -6.5 | 0.7 | 60 | 52 | 8 | Friday | 6:30 |
| Illinois | Indiana | 3.1 | -3.5 | 6.6 | 42 | 47.5 | -5.5 | Friday | 7:00 |
| TCU | Colorado | 15.2 | 10.5 | 4.7 | 56.5 | 55.5 | 1 | Friday | 9:00 |
| Texas St. | Nevada | 0.6 | -4.5 | 5.1 | 66 | 55 | 11 | Saturday | 4:30 |
| Buffalo | Maryland | -17.3 | -22.5 | 5.2 | 66 | 63 | 3 | Saturday | 11:00 |
| Colorado St. | Michigan | -32.3 | -27.5 | -4.8 | 57 | 58.5 | -1.5 | Saturday | 11:00 |
| Rutgers | Boston College | -5.7 | -7.5 | 1.8 | 44.5 | 48 | -3.5 | Saturday | 11:00 |
| North Carolina | Appalachian St. | 3.9 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 67.5 | 57 | 10.5 | Saturday | 11:00 |
| North Carolina St. | East Carolina | 12.7 | 11 | 1.7 | 58 | 56 | 2 | Saturday | 11:00 |
| Bowling Green | UCLA | -24.7 | -24.5 | -0.2 | 62 | 57.5 | 4.5 | Saturday | 1:30 |
| Cincinnati | Arkansas | -1.0 | -5.5 | 4.5 | 58 | 52 | 6 | Saturday | 2:30 |
| Oregon | Georgia | -11.1 | -17.5 | 6.4 | 57 | 51.5 | 5.5 | Saturday | 2:30 |
| Arizona | San Diego St. | -4.4 | -6 | 1.6 | 44 | 47.5 | -3.5 | Saturday | 2:30 |
| Tulsa | Wyoming | 4.1 | 4.5 | -0.4 | 44 | 45.5 | -1.5 | Saturday | 2:30 |
| UTEP | Oklahoma | -30.1 | -31.5 | 1.4 | 64 | 56 | 8 | Saturday | 2:30 |
| Houston | UTSA | 5.9 | 4 | 1.9 | 65 | 61.5 | 3.5 | Saturday | 2:30 |
| Troy | Ole Miss | -17.3 | -22.5 | 5.2 | 58 | 57.5 | 0.5 | Saturday | 3:00 |
| Brigham Young | South Florida | 14.5 | 11.5 | 3.0 | 62 | 58.5 | 3.5 | Saturday | 3:00 |
| Florida Atlantic | Ohio | 4.0 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 48.5 | 49.5 | -1 | Saturday | 5:00 |
| Middle Tennessee | James Madison | -0.5 | -6.5 | 6.0 | 56 | 57 | -1 | Saturday | 5:00 |
| Rice | USC | -28.6 | -34.5 | 5.9 | 60.5 | 64.5 | -4 | Saturday | 5:00 |
| Utah | Florida | 5.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 60 | 50.5 | 9.5 | Saturday | 6:00 |
| Miami (OH) | Kentucky | -15.5 | -17.5 | 2.0 | 54 | 51.5 | 2.5 | Saturday | 6:00 |
| Army | Coastal Carolina | -3.6 | -2.5 | -1.1 | 60.5 | 54.5 | 6 | Saturday | 6:00 |
| Liberty | Southern Miss | 4.7 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 47 | 50.5 | -3.5 | Saturday | 6:00 |
| Massachusetts | Tulane | -26.4 | -29.5 | 3.1 | 63.5 | 59.5 | 4 | Saturday | 6:00 |
| Utah St. | Alabama | -42.6 | -40 | -2.6 | 71 | 62.5 | 8.5 | Saturday | 6:30 |
| Memphis | Mississippi St. | -14.9 | -14.5 | -0.4 | 60.5 | 57 | 3.5 | Saturday | 6:30 |
| Georgia St. | South Carolina | -8.1 | -12.5 | 4.4 | 46 | 56.5 | -10.5 | Saturday | 6:30 |
| Notre Dame | Ohio St. | -19.7 | -17 | -2.7 | 74 | 58.5 | 15.5 | Saturday | 6:30 |
| SMU | North Texas | 10.0 | 10.5 | -0.5 | 68 | 68.5 | -0.5 | Saturday | 6:30 |
| Louisiana-Monroe | Texas | -39.1 | -38.5 | -0.6 | 69.5 | 66.5 | 3 | Saturday | 7:00 |
| Louisville | Syracuse | 6.6 | 4 | 2.6 | 58.5 | 58.5 | 0 | Saturday | 7:00 |
| Boise St. | Oregon St. | -1.6 | -3.5 | 1.9 | 56.5 | 57 | -0.5 | Saturday | 9:30 |
| Kent St. | Washington | -23.5 | -21.5 | -2.0 | 56.5 | 60 | -3.5 | Saturday | 9:30 |
| Western Kentucky | Hawai’i | 12.0 | 13.5 | -1.5 | 80.5 | 64 | 16.5 | Saturday | 10:59 |
| Florida St. | LSU | -0.6 | -3.5 | 2.9 | 55.5 | 51.5 | 4 | Sunday | 6:30 |
| Clemson | Georgia Tech | 23.9 | 21 | 2.9 | 47.0 | 48.5 | -1.5 | Monday | 7:00 |
Virginia Tech (-8.5) at Old Dominion
Virginia Tech projected starting RB Malachi Thomas has been out with some kind of leg injury for a few weeks. The Hokies will roll with a platoon of Jalen Holston and Keshawn King in Week 1 against the Monarchs.
Virginia Tech's offense may struggle early on. Marshall transfer QB Grant Wells takes over as starter behind an offensive line that has four true freshmen on the two-deep. And Virginia Tech's receiving talent is bottom-20th percentile in the P5, perhaps even bottom-10th.
Meanwhile, ODU is sneaky-stocked in skill talent with G5 stars RB Blake Watson and TE Zach Kuntz. Kuntz is the best tight end in America that nobody knows about.
Auburn vs. Mercer
Auburn QB T.J. Finley beat out fellow transfers Zach Calzada and Robby Ashford in the competition to replace Bo Nix. Auburn coaches have talked about Finley's improvement this offseason and believe he has the firmest grasp of new OC Eric Kiesau's system.
We likely won't get much useful information from this matchup against an FCS team, but, in general, Auburn is a team to closely monitor early in the season. The boosters aggressively came for HC Bryan Harsin's job over the spring but missed.
While Harsin survived, the ice has only gotten thinner under his feet since the departure of the AD who hired him, Allen Greene. Will this squad rally around Harsin? If they do, would Harsin use a bounce-back season to court job offers back out west, perhaps a Pac-12 opening in the next cycle? Or will things go the other way? If they do, they'll unravel quickly, and Harsin may not survive the regular season.
Duke (-6.5) vs. Temple
New Duke HC Mike Elko tabbed Riley Leonard as starting QB. Leonard beat out Jordan Moore in the competition to replace Gunnar Holmberg, who transferred down to FIU to run Mike MacIntyre's first offense.
Leonard hasn't shown much in limited looks as a passer (37-of-62 for 381 yards, 1/1 TD/INT), but the high school shooting guard has flashed more mobility than he was given credit for coming out of high school. Duke will take offense from any source it can get it from this fall.
Michigan (-27.5) vs. Colorado State
Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh announced incumbent starting QB Cade McNamara will start the opener against Colorado State, while JJ McCarthy will start Game 2 vs. Hawaii. Harbaugh says the permanent starter will be announced leading into Week 3.
I can't recall a camp battle being resolved this way. But it may have been necessary to keep both in the fold during an unprecedented offseason of player movement. McNamara offers the Wolverines high-floor cost-certainty, while McCarthy was a top-25 overall recruit who would ostensibly raise the ceiling of the offense while lowering its floor.
As for this game, we have no idea what to expect from early-on Colorado State, which remade its coaching staff and roster over the offseason. HC Jay Norvell's Rams should be better than Steve Addazio's Rams in pretty short order, but they're unlikely to be competitive right out of the chute. Particularly in this matchup against a Wolverines team that went 5-1 ATS as 14-plus point favorites last year.
Texas A&M vs. Sam Houston State
Texas A&M QB Haynes King beat out LSU transfer Max Johnson and five-star freshman Connor Weigman for the starting quarterback job.
King also won the job out of camp last year but was knocked out with a season-ending injury in Week 2 after a strong performance in the opener against Kent State. With Johnson breathing down his neck, King's leash won't be terribly long. But things don't figure to get interesting until the Miami game in Week 3.
North Carolina (-1.5) at Appalachian State
UNC QB Drake Maye looked good in his debut, going 29-of-37 for 294 yards and five TD while rushing for 55 yards in a 56-24 win over a Florida A&M team missing numerous contributors to eligibility issues.
While the Heels' offense looks like it's going to be solid, the defense looks like it's going to be bad again. I bet the under on UNC's win total this summer and am feeling good about the early returns on that. ATL is showing a little line value on UNC here, but I need to see how the Heels' defense holds up against a decent offense like this before I can put troops at risk by investing in them.
Pittsburgh (-7.5) vs. West Virginia
Wow, talk about an overlay! My system is showing double-digits of point value on the Panthers in the annual Backyard Brawl rivalry game. Simple explanation, really: I'm higher on Pitt and lower on West Virginia than the market.
Pitt cannot win in the same way it did during last season's 11-3 resurgence. Round 1 QB Kenny Pickett, Biletnikoff-winning WR Jordan Addison, OC Mark Whipple, and WR coach Brennan Marion, the four men most responsible for the incredible year-over-year surge in passing output, are all gone.