College Football Player Props: Best Bets for Week 0 (Saturday, Aug. 23)

• The College Football season kicks off Saturday with five Week 0 matchups
• Western Kentucky ranked 129th versus the run last season
• See below for my favorite College Football player props and best bets for Week 0

College Football returns to our lives on Saturday after an eight-month hiatus. The Week 0 slate features five games, including one marquee Big 12 matchup with a pair of top-25 programs.

I’ll get to the Iowa State vs Kansas State contest shortly as part of our favorite Week 0 college football player props, but the first wager on my betting card comes from a less heralded contest.

College Football Week 0 Player Props

That matchup pits Western Kentucky versus Sam Houston State, with Hilltoppers QB Maverick McIvor posting the second-highest passing prop of the day at 280.5 yards, just behind Hawaii’s Micah Alejado’s 290.5 yard projection.

We’re avoiding McIvor’s props all together, instead focusing on Bearkats QB Hunter Watson, who’s set up for a big day on the ground.

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Hunter Watson Rushing Yards

You won’t find Watson’s rushing yards on the table above, but the total is listed at 47.5 with the over/under juiced at -114 on both sides. I’m making the over the anchor of my Week 0 best bets, as this Western Kentucky team is not equipped to stop the run.

From all accounts, the Hilltoppers did very little to improve a truly pathetic rush defense from a season ago. They ranked 129th nationally against the run, yielding 221.2 yards and 5.0 yards a carry per contest.

That spells trouble against Sam Houston State, who are set to deploy a run heavy attack as 10.5 underdogs in an effort to keep WKU’s potent offense off the field.

Enter Watson, who’s the leading returning rusher on the Bearkats. Watson averaged 14 attempts per game last season, clearing 50+ yards five times. Three of those outings were 100+ yard rushing days, and he was well on his way to a monster day running the ball versus the Hilltoppers (7 att, 37 yds) before getting knocked out of the game before the half.

• Week 0 Player Props Best Bet #1: Hunter Watson Over 47.5 Rushing Yards (-114 at FanDuel)

Rocco Becht Passing Yards

One the most popular Week 0 college football player props is going to be under 228.5 passing yards for Iowa State’s Rocco Becht. This line actually opened 11 yards higher, and is down to as low as 217.5 at other books.

The reason bettors are piling on the under is simple. Becht lost a pair of 1,100 yard receivers from last year’s team to the NFL, and there’s a strong belief the Cyclones are going to abandon their pass heavy attack from 2024.

On paper it makes sense. The receiver room is a shell of what it once was, and Iowa State is loaded with big tight ends. Many experts are expecting Matt Campbell to return to a more run heavy approach, featuring lots of 12 and 13 personnel.

Also working against Becht is a matchup against the stingy Kansas State pass defense. The Wildcats are 3-point favorites and held opposing QB’s to 224.5 passing yards last season. In their lone meeting versus Becht, they limited him to 137 yards on 35 attempts.

• Week 0 Player Props Best Bet #2: Rocco Becht Under 228.5 Passing Yards (-114 at FanDuel)

Pofele Ashlock Anytime TD

Last, but not least, I’m targeting the Rainbow Warriors Pofele Ashlock to score a touchdown. The junior wideout is one of the best receivers in the Mountain West, and has been a TD machine in college, scoring 15 times in two seasons.

Stanford Cardinal 2024 Defense

He averages six catches per game and owns the highest receiving yards projection on the entire slate. The icing on the cake is the matchup, which is pristine and features a 50.5-point total. The Cardinal yielded 33.7 points and 280.6 passing yards per game last season, and did very little to upgrade a very poor secondary.

• Week 0 Player Props Best Bet #3: Pofele Ashlock Anytime TD (-140 at FanDuel)