Friday Night College Football Picks – Best Bets for Sept. 5

• Friday night college football brings four solid games with value opportunities
• Key matchups feature teams looking to bounce back from Week 1 struggles
• See below for my four best bets for Friday night Week 2 college football action

Thursday night didn’t have any college football games, but Friday makes up for it with four solid matchups that are ripe for betting. The September 5 lineup includes Power 5 showdowns and a Mountain West team looking to bounce back, offering some solid betting opportunities.

Friday’s college football schedule includes four games starting at 7 pm ET and running until after 11 pm. James Madison-Louisville gets things going at 7ET on ESPN2, while Maryland-Northern Illinois and Western Illinois-Northwestern highlight the other primetime slots on BTN. Eastern Washington-Boise State round out the evening with late action on FS1.

I’ve made a pick in each one of these Friday night CFB games after going 2-1 with my Friday picks one week ago. Let’s break down my top college football picks and predictions for September 5.

Friday Night College Football Picks – Best Bets for Sept. 5

All college football odds as of Sept. 5 from FanDuel & DraftKings. Claim the FanDuel promo code to sign up and tail our Friday Night CFB picks.

Friday College Football Pick #1: James Madison +14.5

James Madison was one of my favorite Group of 5 sleepers heading into 2025, and they’ll start proving why on Friday night in Louisville. The Dukes travel as massive underdogs against Louisville, but this spread feels inflated for a team that’s been consistently competitive since joining the FBS.

Bob Chesney brings elite coaching to this matchup. He’s 121-50 in his career and led James Madison to their first bowl victory in program history last season. The Dukes return quarterback Alonza Barnett and have shown they can compete with ACC opponents, beating North Carolina 70-50 and Virginia 36-35 in recent seasons.

Louisville looked impressive against Eastern Kentucky, but that was FCS competition. The Cardinals lost six starters on both offense and defense while dealing with 25 transfers out of the program. Yes, they brought in Miller Moss from USC, but he threw two interceptions in the opener and has question marks about consistency.

James Madison returns 43 letter winners from last year’s 9-4 team that reached a bowl game. They’ve shown they can score with anyone, averaging 35.8 points per game last season. The Sun Belt favorites know how to win big games and shouldn’t be intimidated by the road environment.

This line opened at 17.5 and has moved down to 13.5-14.5, showing sharp money backing the Dukes. I expect JMU to keep this competitive throughout and potentially steal a road victory.

• Best Bet: James Madison +14.5 (-118) at FanDuel

Friday College Football Pick #2: Maryland/Northern Illinois Under 46.5

The Maryland-Northern Illinois matchup sets up perfectly for an under play. While Maryland’s true freshman quarterback Malik Washington looked spectacular in his debut, this game has the makings of a much grinder affair than that 39-7 opener suggests.

Northern Illinois is historically one of the most disciplined defensive teams in the MAC. They’ve allowed 20 or fewer points in eight of their last 10 games and specialize in keeping games low-scoring. Josh Holst managed just 12-of-18 for 101 yards against Holy Cross, showing this offense will struggle to keep pace if they fall behind early.

Washington’s impressive debut came against a Florida Atlantic team that couldn’t stay on the field and gave up short fields all game long. The Owls committed multiple turnovers that led to easy scoring opportunities. Northern Illinois won’t be nearly as generous with field position and possessions.

The Huskies pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history last season, stunning Notre Dame 16-14 in South Bend. That victory came in a defensive slugfest where NIU controlled the line of scrimmage and limited explosive plays. They’ll employ a similar game plan here.

Maryland may have explosive potential, but this is still a team that went 4-8 last season with just one Big Ten win. The Terrapins have 14 penalties in their opener, showing they’re still working out timing and execution issues. Against a more disciplined opponent, those mistakes will be costly.

• Best Bet: Maryland/Northern Illinois Under 46.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Friday College Football Pick #3: Western Illinois +28.5

This massive spread gives me serious pause about backing Northwestern. The Wildcats were absolutely dreadful in their opener against Tulane, committing five turnovers and managing just three points. Preston Stone looked completely overwhelmed, throwing four interceptions and taking multiple sacks.

Western Illinois may have lost 52-3 to Illinois, but that was against a top-15 team that’s being mentioned as a College Football Playoff contender. The Leathernecks actually showed some fight in that game, managing a 16-play drive in the fourth quarter and never completely folding.

Northwestern coach David Braun is 0-3 ATS against FCS competition, showing a tendency to take his foot off the gas against overmatched opponents. With Oregon coming up next week, I expect the Wildcats to pull their starters early in the second half once they build a comfortable lead.

The weather forecast shows sustained 14-17 mph winds with gusts up to 24 mph during game time in Evanston. This will definitely impact the passing game and could lead to a more conservative game plan that keeps the score lower than expected.

Chris Irvin has more talent than he showed against Illinois and should find more success against Northwestern’s defense that got gashed by Tulane’s mobile quarterback. The Leathernecks have improved significantly under coach Joe Davis, going from 0-11 to 4-8 in just one season.

• Best Bet: Western Illinois +28.5 (-110) at FanDuel

Friday College Football Pick #4: Eastern Washington/Boise State Over 56.5

This late Friday night game between Eastern Washington and Boise State should hit the over before the fourth quarter. Both teams showed defensive struggles in Week 1 while their offenses moved the ball consistently despite the final scores.

Boise State’s defense allowed 372 total yards to South Florida and couldn’t force a single turnover. The Broncos gave up 34 points to a Bulls team that hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent since 2016. Without Ashton Jeanty’s ball control, this defense will be on the field much more than they’re used to.

Eastern Washington has always been an offense-first program under Aaron Best. The Eagles averaged 35.8 points per game last season while surrendering 36.2 points per game on defense. They’ve faced eight FBS opponents since 2017 and have allowed 50 points per game in those contests.

Maddux Madsen completed 25-of-46 passes for 225 yards against USF but was clearly pressing without his star running back. At home on the blue turf with a full week to prepare, he should find more rhythm in the passing game. The Broncos have too much talent to be held to seven points again.

Eastern Washington quarterback Jared Taylor threw for 183 yards and rushed for 35 more against Incarnate Word. Running back Marceese Yetts had 122 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. This Eagle offense has the speed and playmaking ability to find the end zone multiple times.

Both teams desperately need a bounce-back performance after disappointing openers. I expect both offenses to come out firing early and often in what should be a high-scoring affair on the blue turf.

• Best Bet: Eastern Washington/Boise State Over 56.5 (-110) at FanDuel