Best College Football Parlays & Picks: Week 0 (2026)

College football kicks off its 2026 season with a jam-packed Week 0 slate on Saturday. It’s wall-to-wall action, starting at 12 p.m. ET with the annual Aer Lingus Classic overseas featuring TCU vs. UNC in Dublin, Ireland.

No. 14 USC hosts San Jose State as the only pre-season ranked team in Week 0, laying -39.5 against the Spartans. Other matchups worth noting include NC State vs. Virginia in an ACC showdown, Hawaii vs. Stanford, and a nightcap between Memphis and UNLV.

There are few better ways to celebrate Week 0 than firing up a couple of parlays. I’ve got my favorites, including some SGPs, detailed below. With two new FBS teams, Sacramento State (MAC) and North Dakota State (Mountain West), facing off at the highest collegiate football level for the first time, expect plenty of chaos throughout Saturday’s games.

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College Football Parlays for Week 0

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

UNC vs. TCU Under 47.5/NC State vs. Virginia Under 52.5 (+253)

For our first Week 0 parlay, we’re going to roll out a couple of unders between UNC vs. TCU and NC State vs. Virginia. The Aer Lingus Classic sets up with a 47.5-point total, while we’re getting 52.5 in the mid-afternoon ACC showdown between the Wolfpack and Cavaliers.

Despite UNC’s lackluster offense in 2025, head coach Bill Belichick managed to lead the Tar Heels to a top-70 defense, limiting opponents to 24.5 points per game. The Horned Frogs only have one transfer starting on defense this season and remain with head coach Sonny Dykes. He oversaw a TCU program that limited opponents to 24 points or less in seven games last year.

For the second leg of this under parlay, we’re investing in Virginia to remain a wagon on defense. The Cavaliers finished 2025 with the nation’s 22nd-ranked scoring defense and remain with head coach Tony Elliott.

NC State’s defense was suspect, but the offensive skilled position revamp for Virginia could be a bit rusty out of the gate, with QB Beau Pribula making his first start for the Cavaliers. Down the stretch, the Wolfpack held three straight opponents under 20 points.

Let’s parlay Under 47.5 in the UNC vs. TCU opener with Under 52.5 in NC State vs. Virginia to get +253 odds.

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NC State +4/Jacksonville State +7 (+256)

Let’s stay in the NC State vs. Virginia game for this second parlay. The Wolfpack have shortened from +5.5 to +4 ahead of Saturday’s road tilt in Charlottesville.

QB CJ Bailey racked up two rushing touchdowns en route to a 35-31 upset win over Virginia last year. Bailey is still under center with the Wolfpack and will look to target a few new weapons in his wide receiving corps, while NC State’s defense can cause enough disruption with new cogs in Tony Elliott’s offense to cover +4 against Virginia.

Let’s shift our sights to Jacksonville State vs. North Dakota State. This is a big matchup since it features the Bison, who have dominated for years at the FCS level, now playing in their first FBS matchup against the Gamecocks.

Oddsmakers have the Bison valued as a touchdown favorite. Jacksonville State has been one of the top teams in Conference USA recently, plus they have consistency at key positions like quarterback and head coach. The Gamecocks’ run-centric offense should be able to travel on the road in North Dakota.

Let’s finish this parlay with Jacksonville State +7, which brings this two-legger to +256 odds.

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UNLV Moneyline/UNLV Team Total Over 30.5 (+114)

I saved my SGP for a potentially explosive matchup between Memphis and UNLV. This 10 pm. ET kickoff will see two entirely new rosters on either sideline, with UNLV head coach Dan Mullen landing QB Jackson Arnold in the transfer portal this offseason.

Arnold’s a proven signal-caller with true dual-threat ability. UNLV leans heavily into its run-option scheme, which Arnold should thrive in, especially against a Memphis defense that has all 11 starters making their Tigers debut as transfers.

Memphis also has a new head coach. Its offense was explosive in 2025, but with a new play-caller and personnel, including 9 new starters on the offensive side, UNLV should be able to roll to a home win with at least 31 points. After all, the Rebels finished 2025 with a top-20 scoring offense.

Parlay UNLV moneyline and UNLV team total over 30.5 points for +114 odds.

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