At long last, college football is back. In what seems like an eternity ago, the Georgia Bulldogs celebrated their national title victory and watched a flurry of players head to the NFL. Now the 2022 season is here and the offseason has been full of madness (USC and UCLA moving to the Big Ten is just one chapter). Jordan Addison’s transfer, Lincoln Riley heading to USC, Kirby Smart getting PAID, and Brian Kelly going to LSU are just a few other significant changes from January.
Nonetheless, with Week 1 of college football right around the corner, let’s dive in and examine some of the best NCAAF bets to tap into for the kickoff of the season.
College Football Best Bets Week 1
Week 1 always includes lopsided victories with the powerhouses playing small programs. This year is no different, and USC vs. Rice in the first game of the Lincoln Riley era should be a clear sign of what the Trojans will look like. Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is easily the best game on the slate and is an absolute coin-flip.
Below are some of the best sports betting sites & promos for week 1 of NCAAF betting.
| Best College Football Sports Betting Sites | Sign-Up Promo |
| Caesars Sportsbook | $1,500 Risk-Free Bet |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | $1,500 No Sweat Bet |
| BetMGM | $1,500 Risk-Free Bet |
| PointsBet | $2,000 Risk-Free Bet |
| BetRivers | $250 Deposit Match |
USC to Defeat Rice by 34.5 Points
As of publication, the line for USC vs. Rice in Week 1 is at 34.5 in favor of the Trojans. So, why is USC an easy favorite despite a rough season last year? This is surely a week 1 college football best bet not to be snuffed at.
Sure, USC won four games, but that was a lifetime ago. Lincoln Riley came over from Oklahoma, as did Caleb Williams and Mario Williams. Travis Dye left Oregon to take the starting running back job in Los Angeles, and this guy named Jordan Addison walked right in and made the Trojans wide receiver room lethal despite Drake London going to the NFL.
On defense, the Trojans got better, and Riley made sure to bring over Alex Grinch from Norman to lead the way. Week 1 has a lot of CFB bets that could smash (Alabama over Utah State is another quality choice). However, Riley and the Trojans have College Football Playoff buzz, and they get off on the right foot with an absolute massacre over the Rice Owls. Caleb Williams begins his Heisman run, Riley shows why he came to Heritage Hall, and the Owls don’t score more than 14 garbage-time points as USC wins by 40+.
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Notre Dame vs. Ohio State: Over/Under 58.5
Our best bet for this NCAAF fixture is to just smash the over. Do it!
Seriously, this is a top-5 showdown in Week 1 and an ABC televised game in Columbus. Everybody will be watching, and Marcus Freeman’s first game as Irish head coach has a ton of eyeballs across the country.
Heisman Trophy finalist CJ Stroud is out to prove that he is capable of winning the award, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba takes over the lead job after Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson left for the NFL. The last time he took the field, he put together an unreal 15-catch, 347-yard hat-trick performance against Utah in the Rose Bowl.
Notre Dame can score the football, so can Ohio State, and to be honest, the Buckeye’s offense could easily score 42 points on their own. With the over/under at 58.5, this seems like an EASY pick for the first week of college football betting. The final score could be in the world of 49-38 or something bizarre. Fire it up.
Upset Alert: Utah vs. Florida
As of now, the line for this game is minuscule: Utah is favored by 2.5 points on the road in Gainesville. So, maybe oddsmakers are taking notice of this game.
Yes, the Gators’ 2021 season was a headache, but that’s why they brought in Billy Napier. The Utes won the Pac-12 and are favored again by the media, so they should win this game.
However, Gainesville is a tough place to play, and the line inching all the way up to just -2.5 for Utah is an indication that the Gators could steal this game. Don’t be surprised if this week 1 bet, goes either way though.
Now, if you’re feeling adventurous, Oregon vs. Georgia is an interesting upset alert. The Bulldogs are fresh off a National Championship, but the Ducks hired Dan Lanning (a Georgia assistant) as the replacement for Mario Cristobal. I’m not saying that Oregon will win this game, but right now, Georgia is favored by 17.5, and surely the Ducks could get within a couple of touchdowns.
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