Sports betting on college football is more suspenseful than the pros for several reasons. The defenses in the college game are not quite as fast, which means that spread offenses work much more often. Also, you are dealing with players who are just out of their teens, which means that while the talent is high, the maturity and mental strength are definitely still works in progress — which can lead to some hiccups in the early games of the season. Even so, there are some games where you can plan on making some money in the season opener.
Let’s look at some college football lines that are, at least comparatively, rock solid.
NCAA News: Teams Who Will Cover No Matter What in Week 1
Thursday, September 2
East Carolina vs Appalachian State (in Charlotte) (-11)
Appalachian State had a high-octane offense last year, rolling up more than 450 yards and scoring more than 34 points per contest. They have a depth chart full of speedy running backs, and their wide receivers can score in the blink of an eye. The defense brings back ten starters, including the Sun Belt Conference’s top secondary. Their front seven bring pressure and force mistakes.
The East Carolina defense is decent, and their quarterback, Holton Ahlers, is a savvy veteran who has the arm to find receivers down the field. The Pirates’ offensive line returns all of its starters. As the 2021 season went by, East Carolina seemed to get stronger every week. With that said, their defense won’t be able to get stops against the Mountaineers, and that will help Appalachian State pull away.
Appalachian State to win and cover.
Sunday, September 5
Notre Dame (-9.5) at Florida State
This will be the Sunday night prime time game on ABC, and with the NFL still in its preseason, this will be the focus of the football-watching world. Notre Dame is still looking to solidify a new quarterback, and the offensive line needs retooling. The Seminoles are still looking for head coach Mike Norvell, who came in from Memphis, to settle down the situation after a 3-6 season that actually is better than the product that the team put out on the field. The team has to find a quarterback: Jordan Travis was the starter in 2020, and McKenzie Milton came from UCF as a graduate transfer. Milton led UCF’s back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons but then missed two seasons due to an injury that almost saw his leg amputated at the knee.
Notre Dame will have Jack Coan taking over at quarterback after he transferred in from Wisconsin to replace Ian Book. Coan had a completion percentage approaching 70, but he does not throw the ball down the field much. Instead, he prefers short to intermediate throws. Tailback Kyren Williams ran for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, but this O-line is not the bruising crew that took the field last season. Even so, given the transitions that the Seminoles have had to endure, the Irish should handle this game.
Notre Dame to win and cover.
Sunday, September 6
Louisville at Ole Miss (-8)
The Cardinals went 8-5 in 2019 but then had a 4-7 2020 campaign that has Louisville looking for redemption. Four coaches left the team, and two of the top offensive players headed out for the NFL before the 2020 season was even over. Head coach Scott Satterfield tried to throw his hat in the ring for the South Carolina job, but things went so poorly that he had to apologize to the season ticket holders in Louisville. The redemption has to begin with quarterback Malik Cunningham, who was the third best quarterback in the ACC in 2019 but had a dozen picks and three lost fumbles last season. Tailback Hassan Hall saw his yards drop from 501 in 2019 to 223 last year, but he had a solid spring and will start this fall. The defense was a bright spot last year, ranking in the top half of the conference for the first time since 2016. No other ACC defense held opponents under 200 passing yards per contest.
Ole Miss has a quarterback on the Heisman watch list in Matt Corral, who threw for 333.7 yards per game with 29 touchdown passes last year, along with running for 506 yards and four scores. Ole Miss is getting some buzz in preseason Top 25 polls as Lane Kiffin may actually have a rebuild project that is going well. Jerrion Ealy was all-SEC as a tailback, rumbling for 745 yards and nine scores. He can also run routes and change directions easily. The defense was a mess last year, ranking #126 in total defense and #117 in scoring defense, but the defensive line is projected to improve in terms of physicality, as incoming freshman Tywone Malone and transfers Jamond Gordon and Isaiah Iton have wowed coaches in the spring.
Ole Miss to win and cover.
College Football Betting Odds
Love betting NCAA football games? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date college football lines
