Must-Bet NCAAF Week 1 Picks

As we approach the first weekend in September, we are getting near the first week of the NCAA football regular season. Alabama looks to defend their national championship, starting with a tilt with ACC foe Louisville, and we also have several other interesting matchups for you to consider from a sports betting perspective. The opening week can be a time of upsets and unexpected results, as teams are still working out the imperfections in their game. With some big-time NCAAF Week 1 betting matchups coming up in this first week, here are some insights to help you keep your gambling account in the black.

Must-Bet NCAAF Week 1 Picks

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HYPE VIDEOS HAVE STARTEDpic.twitter.com/Y719FXU7ib

— Old Row Sports (@OldRowSports) July 16, 2018

Michigan (-1.5) at Notre Dame

The Wolverines may have finally solved their quarterback problem by bringing in Shea Patterson as a transfer from Ole Miss. He transferred away from a situation where he did not get the exposure that he wanted, and so now he gets to fill one of the most storied quarterback positions in all of college football. Michigan already showed plenty of quality on defense last year and had a decent running game, but inconsistent quarterback play kept them from contending down the stretch. Patterson could be the piece that gets them to the Big Ten title game. Notre Dame put together a terrific 2017 until they took a shellacking at the hands of Miami, which knocked them out of the playoff conversation. However, they are looking to get back on a winning path and start the season with a big win at home. I’m not sure that they can do that against a Michigan team that has a top-tier quarterback at the helm. NCAAF Week 1 Prediction: Michigan 24, Notre Dame 20

Washington (+2.5) at Auburn

Let’s see…Washington didn’t even qualify for the Pac-12 title game last year, as we saw Stanford win the North division and then take on USC. Neither of those teams even made it to the College Football Playoff. Meanwhile, Auburn beat both Alabama and Georgia in SEC play, although they couldn’t seal the deal by beating Georgia again and let Alabama up off the gurney and into the semifinal. Then Auburn went and lost to Central Florida in their bowl game, and Central Florida went and hung up a national championship banner. All of which goes to say, if you don’t think Auburn has a gigantic chip on their shoulder, you are sadly mistaken. They are one of the most physical teams in the nation — and they’ll be facing a Washington team that has a reputation for a sound defense as well. However, the Pac-12 seems about a mile below the SEC in terms of quality at this point, and I see Auburn rolling to a huge win to start their 2018. NCAAF Week 1 Prediction: Auburn 30, Washington 13

LSU (+3) vs Miami (FL) (at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX)

Miami rolled out to a 10-0 start in 2017 in their first season under Mark Richt (including that big win over Notre Dame I mentioned earlier). However, things just fell off the table the last three weeks of the season, as a lot of the issues that come with a young team emerged. They face an LSU team that is still looking for relevance in the SEC West, with teams like Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M and Mississippi State also taking room on the stage. LSU always brings a tough defense but has had a hard time moving the ball against top teams in years past. Miami has a physical defense as well, but their offense has things a little more together than LSU does at this point. If this game were in Baton Rouge, I might lean toward the Tigers, but a neutral-site game (which will have a lot of LSU fans in attendance, being in Texas) evens the field a bit, and I see Miami making a statement with a win in their opener. NCAAF Week 1 Prediction: Miami 23, LSU 16