We got our first taste of college football this season with a very small Week 0 slate that featured a disappointing handful of games. The drama was still there with a major upset in Ireland, but overall, it was just a warmup for what’s now on deck. Check out our guide to college football betting strategy to help find sharp bets on your own! Without further ado, let’s get into our college football expert picks for Week 1’s set of Thursday games.
Looking back at last week’s article, we got things started with a solid 2-1 showing thanks to Georgia Tech and New Mexico covering, but Hawaii couldn’t get the job done as they dealt with unfortunate weather conditions. If you want to tail all my bets, you should sign up for my OddsShopper Marketplace package, where you’ll find some of the most consistent college football expert picks in our industry.
College Football Expert Picks Today for Week 1: Thursday, August 29
Best Game: North Dakota State-Colorado | College Football Expert Picks Today
You could argue that Minnesota and North Carolina belong here, but to me, the game of the night is the FCS powerhouse in North Dakota State going to Boulder to take on Colorado. The Bison may not be the full-on dynasty they used to be, but they still are a dangerous team as the 9.5-point spread shows. They bring tons of experience to the table, and while the talent gap is there, this will be a great datapoint for us to see how Colorado responds.
Speaking of Colorado, they are once again on the national stage thanks to head coach Deion Sanders. He once again completely overhauled the team via the transfer portal, with basically half the roster coming in while the rest transferred out. That normally means growing pains early in the year, but there is so much talent I am willing to buy in.
The offensive line brought in a ton of transfers, and, if they can fix this unit after it gave up 56 sacks last year, this will be a dynamic offense. Colorado will certainly have their losses this year, but against an FCS opponent at home, they are undervalued here.
Colorado -9.5 is the side to take, with Sanders and co. getting their campaign started with a double-digit victory.
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College Football Expert Pick for Week 1: Colorado -9.5 -110 at FanDuel
Live Dog: Sacramento State (+140) vs. San Jose State
There are always a few FCS teams that actually grab the outright win, and Sacramento State could be that team on Thursday. There weren’t a lot of live dogs on this slate due to massive spreads, but this is just a 3.5-point spread, and for good reason. Sacramento State is a perennial FCS playoff contender who returns a high-powered offense led by QB Kaiden Bennett. Unlike the game we just talked about, there is not a huge talent gap between these schools.
For San Jose State, this looks like a rebuild with head coach Ken Niumatalolo taking over. He doesn’t have a ton to work with as just three starters on offense and four on defense return, and he didn’t bring in a mass influx of transfers. Looking at this offense, I have a lot of questions and not many answers about how their personnel will fit into a scheme change. With all this in mind, it’s the perfect recipe for an FCS opponent to come in and grab a win to open the season.
College Football Expert Pick for Week 1: Sacramento State +140 at FanDuel
Best College Football Expert Pick: Jacksonville State -2.5 vs. Coastal Carolina
We have a fun game here with two teams from lesser-known conferences clashing in what should be a competitive matchup. Let’s start with Coastal, who comes off an 8-5 season but moves on from long time quarterback Grayson McCall, who is headed to NC State.
Along with McCall, Coastal lost their top two pass catchers and their top three tacklers. I’m not calling for a complete rebuild or anything like that, but to me, there is going to be a drop off on both sides of the ball for the Chanticleers.
Jacksonville State comes in off a 9-4 campaign and has some high hopes in CUSA this year. They also need to address some losses, but this is a run-heavy team with plenty of options to replace some departures in the backfield.
One of the big reasons I am high on them is the offensive line, which not only returns three starters including, an All American, but got a big-time transfer in Cam Jones from Cincinnati.
The offensive line is the strength of the team, and it fits exactly with the identity they hope to have. They have an advantage over the Coastal front, and it’s a big part of why I lean their way. Defensively, it’s somewhat of a mystery, but they brought in some transfers to try and fill some holes upfront.
It’s Week 1, so there are always more questions than answers with teams, but I feel confident Jacksonville State already has an identity. Sitting as a 2.5-point favorite at home is a number I’m willing to play. They will control tempo and this game with their ability to run the ball. This was one of the first bets I dropped in discord this week, and the Gamecocks should get the job done and start their season with a win on Thursday.
College Football Expert Pick for Jacksonville State-Coastal Carolina Week 1: Jacksonville State -2.5 -110 at FanDuel
