College Football Betting Odds Week 1: Picks Against the Spread for Top 25 Schedule
Two of the most fascinating games involving Top 25 college football teams take place on Sunday and Monday of Week 1.
The neutral-site clash between the LSU Tigers and Florida State Seminoles in Orlando is the marquee matchup of the slate.
Both LSU and Florida State come into the 2023 season with a ton of expectations, as evidenced by their respective top 10 rankings.
LSU is expected to take a step up in Brian Kelly's second year in charge, while Florida State could cash in on returning a ton of starters from 2022, including quarterback Jordan Travis.
Sunday's game starts a tough September for the Seminoles, who also have to face the Clemson Tigers on September 23 in a battle of ACC giants.
Clemson kicks off its season on Monday in a potentially tricky road environment against the Duke Blue Devils.
The Tigers are favored, but only by 13 points, against a team they typically dominate. That may mean the oddsmakers are unsure of how Clemson will look in Cade Klubnik's first full season as a starting quarterback.
Week 1 Schedule and Odds
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Saturday, September 2
East Carolina at No. 2 Michigan (-36) (Noon ET, Peacock)
Virginia at No. 12 Tennessee (-28) (Noon ET, ABC)
Colorado at No. 17 TCU (-20.5) (Noon ET, Fox)
Arkansas State at No. 20 Oklahoma (-36) (Noon ET, ESPN)
Utah State at No. 25 Iowa (-23.5) (Noon ET, FS1)
Mercer at No. 22 Ole Miss (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Portland State at No. 15 Oregon (3 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
No. 3 Ohio State (-30) at Indiana (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Boise State at No. 10 Washington (-14) (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Rice at No. 11 Texas (-35) (3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Tennessee State at No. 13 Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Buffalo at No. 19 Wisconsin (-28) (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
UT Martin at No. 1 Georgia (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Nevada at No. 6 USC (-38) (6:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
SE Missouri State at No. 16 Kansas State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
New Mexico at No. 23 Texas A&M (-38) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Middle Tennessee at No. 4 Alabama (-39.5) (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State (-20.5) (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
No. 21 North Carolina (-2.5) vs. South Carolina (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
South Alabama at No. 24 Tulane (-6.5) (8 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Sunday, September 3
No. 18 Oregon State (-16.5) at San Jose State (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 5 LSU (-2.5) vs. No. 8 Florida State (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Monday, September 4
No. 9 Clemson (-13) at Duke (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Predictions against the spread in bold.
No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida State
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The college football weekend will build up to Sunday's showdown in Orlando.
There are no other Top 25 matchups and only two ranked teams have true road games on Saturday and Sunday. The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon State Beavers are expected to win big in those contests.
That leaves the LSU-Florida State as the only elite matchup on the schedule, and if the preseason rankings tell us anything, we should be in for a tight battle.
Florida State beat LSU by one point in New Orleans last season after a chaotic fourth quarter.
LSU may have revenge on its mind, but it also may be the better team. The Tigers have reloaded in Kelly's second season as head coach and Jayden Daniels could be in the Heisman Trophy discussion if they thrive.
FSU has its own potential Heisman-winning quarterback in Travis, and his stock will skyrocket if the Seminoles pull off the victory.
The game could come down to coaching and the fine margins that come with a close game. LSU owns the edge in that department with Kelly compared to FSU's Mike Norvell.
Prediction: LSU -2.5
No. 9 Clemson at Duke
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Some people may question why Clemson is just a 13-point favorite against Duke.
The two programs have experienced much different levels of success over the last decade. Clemson is a perennial national title contender and Duke is just happy to reach a bowl game each season.
Clemson does carry some unknowns into the Monday night ACC battle, but it could go through business as usual.
The Tigers have a new-look offense thanks to offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, the brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley, and they appear to be in a better spot at quarterback to start the season with Klubnik than they were with DJ Uiagalelei last season.
Klubnik received some reps late in the 2022 season and he had a full offseason to acclimate himself to the new offensive system.
Clemson could use Monday's game as an opportunity to make a statement that it should be mentioned in the national title discussion for the next three months.
While most of the focus will be on Klubnik, the Clemson defense could turn heads once again. The Tigers held six opponents under the 20-point mark in 2022. The success of the defense has not changed despite the lack of offensive success.
Clemson should hold Duke under 20 points, so covering the spread comes down to how well Klubnik looks right away in Riley's offense.
Prediction: Clemson -13
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