Our resident college football experts Sam and Matt preview six of this weekend’s big matchups and give their betting tips, focusing on Oregon at Georgia, Cincinnati at Arkansas, Utah at Florida, Notre Dame at Ohio State, Utah State at Alabama and FSU at LSU.
Oregon(11) @ Georgia(3) – 8:30pm, Saturday 3rd September
Sam’s Picks
Moneyline: Georgia @ 1/9 with PaddyPower
Spread Pick: Georgia -12.5 @ 8/13 with BoyleSports
Over/Under Pick: Under 47.5 @ 7/4 with BoyleSports
Oregon’s run defence was gashed against Utah last year – they have a promising offensive line but reigning National Champions Georgia dominate in the trenches & should have enough to move down the field running the ball, opening up the passing game for QB Stetson Bennett.
Matt’s Expert Pick
Spread Pick: Georgia -12.5 @ 8/13 with BoyleSports
In arguably the marquee matchup of week one, Oregon’s new head coach Dan Lanning comes up against the team he was Defensive Coordinator on last year – National Champs Georgia. The spread for Georgia is as high as -17.5 in some places, so -12.5 at 8/13 seems good value.
Cincinnati(23) @ Arkansas(19) – 8:30pm, Saturday 3rd September
Sam’s Picks
Moneyline: Arkansas @ 5/13 with bet365
Spread Pick: Arkansas -5.5 @ 8/11 with BoyleSports
Over/Under: Over 50.5 @ 8/11 with bet365
No team is Alabama, that’s obvious. But nonetheless, the Razorbacks will be looking at how Bama ran the ball down Cincinnati’s throat during their playoff matchup last season and thinking they can emulate it. There is still talent on the lines for the Bearcats, but the loss of Desmond Ridder to the NFL is huge and Arkansas will look to assert themselves as the game goes on.
Matt’s Expert Pick
Over/Under: Under 51.5 @ Evens with BoyleSports
After a cinderella run to the College Football Playoff last year, Cincinnati are a team in flux, having lost some of the superstars that led them there. Arkansas are a team on the rise and could be dangerous this year. I see this being a gritty encounter, and the under hitting.
Utah(7) @ Florida – 12:00am, Sunday 4th September
Sam’s Picks
Moneyline: Utah @ 8/13 with PaddyPower
Spread Pick: Utah -2.5 @ 5/6 with 888Sport
Over/Under: Under 50.5 @ 1/1 with BoyleSports
It’s rare you’d find the Gators above evens when playing in the Swamp – that alone makes taking Florida very tempting and this will be close. But the Gators are a team in transition with it being new head coach Billy Napier’s first game, and whilst there is talent, there are still questions on the offensive side of the ball. Utah brings with it a mean defence as they look primed to make another run at the PAC-12 title.
Matt’s Expert Pick
Moneyline: Florida @ 5/4 with bet365
Tips: This Utah team could be mean this year, and their first big test will be down in the Swamp. The Gators’ record in Gainesville is very good, and they will be fired up for Billy Napier’s first game in charge. I’m taking the underdogs here.
Notre Dame(5) @ Ohio State(2) – 12:30am, Sunday 4th September
Sam’s Picks
Moneyline: Ohio State @ 1/8 with bet365
Spread Pick: Ohio State -13.5 @ 4/6 with BoyleSports
Over/Under: Under 53.5 @ 19/10 with bet365
It seems odd for one team to be favoured so heavily ahead of a top five matchup, but after a dream start to his coaching career during the first half of last year’s Fiesta Bowl, the second half proved a big reality check for Head Coach Marcus Freeman. Despite being a defensive mastermind, it doesn’t get any easier for Freeman, with a visit to the Horseshoe and Heisman hopeful CJ Stroud opening the new season. On the other side of the ball, the Buckeye defence should be an improvement upon last year – if Notre Dame can contain a dynamic offence and leave Ohio with a win, they can feel very positive about their new coach and future, but the spread is large for a reason.
Matt’s Expert Pick
Spread: Notre Dame +15.5 @ 21/20 with 888Sport
Marcus Freeman seems to be doing and saying all the right things as Notre Dame head coach, but now it is time to walk the walk. This Buckeyes offense has the potential to be historically good, and Notre Dame doesn’t even know who their Quarterback is yet. That said, the spread is awfully large, and while I expect Ohio State to win, I think Notre Dame will keep it close.
Utah State @ Alabama(1) – 12:30am, Sunday 4th September
Sam’s Picks
Moneyline: Alabama @ 1/18 with BoyleSports
Spread Pick: Alabama -40.5 @ 4/5 with BoyleSports
Over/Under: Under 62.5 @ 10/11 with Coral
It’s Alabama and Nick Saban, armed with a Heisman favourite on one side of the ball in Bryce Young and the best defensive player in the country on the other in Will Anderson. I do think they might start to let up around the 50 mark though.
Matt’s Expert Pick
Spread: Alabama -40.5 @ 4/5 with BoyleSports
Alabama with a point to prove after losing in a National Championship game with a Heisman QB returning makes for a dangerous proposition for Utah State. It highlights how good this Crimson Tide team are that I fully expect them to cover the spread here.
Florida State @ LSU – 12:30am, Monday 5th September
Sam’s Picks
Moneyline: LSU @ 4/7 with PaddyPower
Spread Pick: LSU -5.5 @ 13/10 with BoyleSports
Over/Under: Over 51.5 @ 21/20 with BoyleSports
Full disclaimer, I am an LSU fan. But the state of Louisana will always produce NFL talent and LSU can still attract the biggest recruits, even if Alabama do snag the occasional 5-star from the state. The greatest season in college football history was followed by two years of poor coaching and questionable decisions on and off the field, but the talent was always there. New Head Coach Brian Kelly is a winner and overachieved with a Notre Dame program with far less than he’ll have at LSU, so I’m going to be a homer with this one.
Matt’s Expert Pick
Moneyline: Florida State @ 5/4 with PaddyPower
Honestly, who knows what could happen in this game, this feels like the biggest toss-up of week one. I fully expect Brian Kelly to be a success at LSU, but I just have a feeling a game of this stature has come a bit too soon for his team, and I think Mike Norvell’s Seminoles are a more stable, settled team with 16 starters returning from last year. I’m taking the Noles to win outright.
Upset of the Week:
Sam’s Pick
UL Monroe @ Texas: UL Monroe to win outright @ 18/1 with BoyleSports.
Because it’s always funny when Texas lose.
Matt’s Pick
North Dakota @ Nebraska: North Dakota to win outright @ 17/2 with PaddyPower.
If there’s one thing this Scott Frost Nebraska team excels at, it’s losing match-ups they shouldn’t in one-score games.
