College Football Week 1 Betting Lines

Highly anticipated and always volatile in movement, opening week college football lines are starting to trickle in.

It’s expected that sharp bettors may seek comfort in wagering on the collegiate ranks until information on NFL teams is more concrete.  The lockout has many a professional bettor wondering how to approach Sundays in September.

Let’s take a closer look at five college games from a handicapping perspective.

TCU Horned Frogs (-9.5) at Baylor Bears

Placing the Horned Frogs as a road favorite in this contest is going to surprise no one, but the number is definitely surprising.  The Bears were eight-point home underdogs against Oklahoma to close out the season.

Last year’s meeting resulted in a 45-10 TCU home win, as the Rose Bowl winners held a 558-263 advantage in yards. 

If laying points is your thing, draw comfort in TCU’s 4-0 ATS mark in this series.

UCLA Bruins at Houston Cougars (-4)

Both teams are anxiously awaiting the start of the 2011 season and revenge is on the minds of Cougars’ fans after suffering a 31-13 loss at the Rose Bowl.  The game also served as star quarterback Case Keenum’s last due to a season-ending injury.

The score doesn't represent how close the game was from a yardage standpoint, as UCLA held just a 368-361 advantage.

Bruins head coach Rick Neuheisel’s time is running out in Westwood and a fast start is absolutely necessary, as the team will host San Jose State and Texas the following two weeks.

Don’t be too eager in playing the revenge angle, as the Cougars are 2-5 ATS versus the Pac-12 Conference, while the Bruins are 7-1 ATS in non-conference action.

Boise State Broncos (-2.5) vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Definitely one of the more talked about point spreads of the opening week, as the Bulldogs are getting points inside the Georgia Dome.

Public perception has allowed the lines maker to make a Mountain West team a small favorite over an SEC opponent.

The Broncos started out like gangbusters in last year’s high-profile opener, bolting out to a 17-point lead before finally capturing a 33-30 win over Virginia Tech at FedEx Field.

The Broncos may build upon that experience and cover a fifth-straight game on a neutral field.

Oregon Ducks vs. LSU Tigers (-3)

Cowboys Stadium plays host to the opening weekend’s biggest game, as two of the top five teams in Thursday’s USA Today Coaches’ Poll are set to due battle.

The Ducks showed they could play with an SEC team in last year’s 22-19 loss to the Auburn Tigers in the BCS championship game. 

Tigers head coach Les Miles loves the spotlight, especially at night, posting a 44-4 record in such games during his tenure in Baton Rouge.

Miami Hurricanes (-4) at Maryland Terrapins

Both schools open the ACC play in Week 1 and new head coaches will be represented on each sideline.

The Hurricanes have covered the last three games in College Park, but the last meeting came in 2006.  Miami lost a 14-13 decision in that contest as a three-point underdog and now finds itself favored.

Maryland has one of the brightest young quarterbacks in the nation, as sophomore Danny O’Brien was instrumental in allowing the team to finish fourth nationally in turnover margin last year.

That may be the difference in this one if Miami’s signal callers that combined for 27 interceptions last year miss the mark again.