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College Football Same Game Parlays & Picks: Week 1 (Saturday)

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The 2026 college football regular season is really underway now. It’s a full slate, after just an appetizer last weekend. We have 13 ranked teams in action on Saturday, but no ranked teams vs. ranked teams. A lot of the marquee games will take place on Sunday, into Monday, on this holiday weekend. Let’s build our bankroll with our best college football same game parlays (SGPs) for Saturday, September 5th. It is officially football season.

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Saturday’s Best College Football Same Game Parlays (Week 1)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit

FAU Owls (+1600) at Florida Gators (-4500) | O/U 59.5 (-106/-114) 

  • Leg 1: FAU +26.5 (-108)
  • Leg 2: Over 59.5 Total Points (-106)
  • Leg 3: FAU Over 322.5 Total Yards (-108)
  • Leg 4: Florida Over 484.5 Total Yards (-114)

FAU and Florida meet at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 7:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. This is the fifth all-time meeting, with Florida leading 4-0. However, while the Gators won 35-14 in the most recent battle Sept. 4, 2021, in the Nov. 2015 clash, Florida needed overtime to escape, 20-14.

It’s the first game in the Jon Sumrall era in Gainesville, as he replaces the departed Billy Napier, now at James Madison. Meanwhile, the Owls begin their second season under head coach Zach Kittley.

FAU shouldn’t be discounted, as QB Caden Veldkamp helped the Owls lead the nation with 340.7 passing yards in 2025. However, FAU also allowed 37.1 points per game in American Conference play, and that will not lead to very many wins regardless of what your quarterback is doing.

Florida is a little uncertain at quarterback, as either Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. will be the starting signal caller. Both are likely to play against the Owls, looking to establish something. RB Jadan Baugh is a potential star, and WRs Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson give the Gators some weapons.

We’ll take FAU catching the big points, and we’ll roll with the Over based on Veldkamp’s production last season. He won’t be fazed in “The Swamp”, and he’ll likely hoist it up 45-50 times. As such, we’ll back FAU to hit the Over in total yards, while also betting against its defense, taking the Over on Florida’s total yards total, too.

Parlay Odds: +630

Central Michigan Chippewas (+330) at New Mexico Lobos (-420) | O/U 47.5 (-112/-110) 

  • Leg 1: Central Michigan +10.5 (-110)
  • Leg 2: Under 47.5 Total Points (-110)
  • Leg 3: CMU Over 17.5 Points (-106)

Central Michigan and New Mexico meet for the first time in school history in Albuquerque at 10:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).

The Chippewas are expected to contend for a spot in the MAC Championship Game in Detroit in December, as head coach Matt Drinkall’s team surprised everyone with seven victories in 2025. QB Jadyn Glasser’s health would be huge if CMU is to realize those dreams. It all starts in ABQ on Saturday night. The defense was decent last season, allowing 23.5 points per game (PPG), and we could see a little more improvement with some key transfers.

The Lobos are also expected to contend in the Mountain West, and that’s what makes this game quite an underrated game on the schedule. This one should be quite entertaining. Head coach Jason Eck had UNM in good shape last season, rolling to nine victories, and he managed to keep 12 starters, as kids are buying in. The entire offensive line is back, too, which is great news for either QBs James Laubstein or Jack Layne. RB Scottre Humphrey is a superstar, too, at least as far as the Mountain West is concerned.

We’ll take the Chips catching double digits, and play them as long as the total doesn’t dip to 9.5 or lower. We’ll also back the Under here, as CMU has the defense to at least slow down Humphrey and the offense. We’ll also take CMU to get to at least 18 points, perhaps in a 24-20 or 27-20 kind of a game.

Parlay Odds: +482

UCLA Bruins (-122) at Cal Golden Bears (+104) | O/U 53.5 (-110/-110) 

  • Leg 1: Cal Moneyline (+104)
  • Leg 2: Over 53.5 Total Points (-110)
  • Leg 3: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele 250+ Passing Yards (-158)
  • Leg 4: Nico Iamaleava 225+ Passing Yards (+116)

UCLA and Cal, former Pac-12 members together, renew acquaintances at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, as we have a throwback to “Pac-12 After Dark”, although now it’s ACC vs. Big Ten, of course.

We have a nice quarterback matchup in this one, too. The Bruins hope QB Nico Iamaleava can get back to his Tennessee production after a disappointing 2025 season which ended up costing alumnus DeShaun Foster his job. Now, former JMU coach Bob Chesney takes over, looking to bring more of the power of the Dukes to the Big Ten. RB Wayne Knight, not Newman from Seinfeld, but the running back, is a potential star in the making. He racked up 1,373 rushing yards, 6.6 yards per carry, and nine touchdown runs with JMU on its run to the FBS Playoffs.

Cal gets a new coach, too, as Tosh Lapoi takes the reins. He was able to retain QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, whom he helped recruit, and he is a potential star in the ACC. The Golden Bears did a great job in the portal, acquiring key players, especially WR Chase Hendricks from Ohio U of the MAC, and RB Adam Mohammed from Washington. The defense was dismal last season, so JKS must be special, and roll up video game like points. Cal should show some improvement, and get off to a hot start at home. The Golden Bears are a great play as short dogs, while we go with the Over.

For the player props, we’ll take Sagapolutele to go over 250 passing yards, and we’ll also go with Iamaleava to go over 225 passing yards at plus-money, helping up more than 6X in the late-night game.

Parlay Odds: +618

Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe

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