Week 1 College Football Picks – Best Early Bets to Make

• Week 1 of the College Football season begins Thursday and will see all top-25 teams in action
• Clemson features a Heisman Trophy contender at QB, and one of the best receiver rooms in the country
• See my favorite Week 1 College Football picks, and the best early bets to make now

If Week 0 on the college football schedule is the appetizer, than Week 1 is the main course. All top-25 teams will be in action starting Thursday, leaving us no shortage of options to choose from when making our Week 1 college football picks.

My betting card starts with ACC favorite and #4 ranked Clemson, who host #9 LSU in Saturday night’s marquee contest.

College Football Week 1 Picks

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Clemson is favored by 3.5-points, down half a point from when the opening college football odds were released. I’ll gladly take the discount, as I envision Clemson as a final four team when it’s all said and done. I’m also running to the window to take #1 Texas at +2.5, in Week 1’s biggest matchup versus #3 Ohio State.

I’ll round out my college football best early bets with over 60.5 in the UNLV vs Sam Houston contest, as I expect the Bearkats to be involved in yet another track meet.

Clemson vs LSU Prediction

Clemson boasts arguably the best offense in the country. Cade Klubnik is a top-two Heisman Trophy odds contender, and has the best trio of receivers in the nation. Dabo Swinney’s team returns four offensive line starters, and nine starters in total on offense, while their defensive front is led by two projected top-eight picks in next year’s Draft.

Speaking of that fierce front, they hold one of the keys to swinging this game. The LSU offensive line projects to mediocre, giving Clemson a major advantage in the trenches. They should be able to disrupt future Sunday star Garrett Nussmeier, who struggled against top tier competition last season. Nussmeier threw just as many picks (8) as TD’s (8) versus ranked teams last season, and was sacked 14 times in his last five conference games in 2024.

As for the trends, they also point to a fade of LSU. They’ve lost five straight season openers, and are 0-3 both straight up and against the spread under Brian Kelly. Playing in a true road game, in front of a rowdy Clemson fan base in prime time, doesn’t sound like a recipe to snap that streak.

• Clemson -3.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Texas vs Ohio State Pick

Texas vs Ohio State is not only a matchup of top-3 teams, it’s also a battle of the top two contenders in the National Championship odds. Texas has the shortest odds to win it all, and while they’re not without their flaws, there’s a lot less uncertainty with them than with the Buckeyes.

Let’s start at the quarterback position. The Arch Manning era is officially here, and it starts with him as the Heisman favorite and number one projected pick when he enters the Draft. Manning impressed in his only two collegiate starts, and threw for nearly 1,000 yards and 9 TD in limited action last season. He also ran for 108 yards and 4 TD, giving the Longhorns a legitimate dual-threat option.

Ohio State, meanwhile, are trusting a redshirt freshman in Julian Sayin at QB. Sayin was one of the top prospects in last year’s recruiting class, but it took until six days ago for him to officially win the starting job.

Both teams lost 12+ players to the NFL from last year’s teams, but Texas rebounded with the number one ranked recruiting class. They’re also returning play callers on both sides of the ball, while the Buckeyes have a new DC and OC, the latter of which was demoted from the job previously for Chip Kelly.

Texas enters play riding a nation-best 11-game road winning streak. The spread has moved a point against them over the last week, but there’s no way sharp bettors let this line get to the key number of +3. I’ll grab the points, but don’t be surprised if the Longhorns win outright and avenge last season’s playoff loss to Ohio State.

• Texas +2.5 (-115 at Bet365)

UNLV vs Sam Houston Best Bet

One of my big takeaways from Week 0 was how good Sam Houston looked on offense, and how miserable their defense is going to be this year. The Bearkats averaged 6.3 yards per play on offense, and got a handful of explosive plays both on the ground and through the air.

Hunter Watson connected with eight different receivers, while also rushing for 91 yards, and that kind of versatility will eat up a bad UNLV defense. The Rebels missed 17 tackles in their season opener, and surrendered 555 yards to Idaho State.

Sam Houston Week 0 Defensive Stats

The Sam Houston defense was just as bad, allowing 500+ yards, 400 of which came through the air, along with three passing TDs. That spells trouble against the UNLV offense, which hung 38 points on its Week 0 opponent and 539 total yards.

The over/under for this potential shootout opened at 60, but is already up to 61 at some books. Act now, before the value disappears.

• UNLV vs Sam Houston Over 60.5 (-112 at DraftKings)