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College Football Week 1 Odds & Picks: Best Early Bets (2024)

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It’s finally time to break down Week 1 of the college football season!

There are some incredible matchups on the slate. This could ultimately be one of the best Week 1’s we’ve ever had.

Clemson will play Georgia, Miami will visit Florida, and Notre Dame will travel to Texas A&M. Plus, USC will take on LSU in Las Vegas for a standalone Sunday game.

It really doesn’t get any better than this! I’ve added a couple of my favorite bets heading into the week.

    College Football Top Early Week Picks (Week 1)

    (Odds courtesy of DraftKingsFanDuel Sportsbook)

    Clemson Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs

    The Clemson Tigers finished 9-4 overall last season but lost four conference games. They also went 2-3 on the road but finished the season on a five-game winning streak.

    Clemson is unique in that they rarely look for transfers. The Tigers want to build within. It worked back then, but some have a hard time believing it will work now during the transfer portal era.

    But with no transfers, Clemson is able to keep its chemistry. They rarely lose major pieces to other programs and typically have many upper-level students starting.

    That stands true this year. Cade Klubnik, a junior, will start at quarterback for another season. He’ll be met with Phil Mafah at, running back, who will be a senior.

    While the running game was special for Clemson last season, Klubnik was all over the place. The Clemson QB threw nine interceptions and had just a 55 QBR. It’s hard to imagine Klubnik finds much success against Georgia’s typically lethal defense.

    On the other hand, Georgia landed some massive transfers, including former Florida running back Trevor Etienne. But the most important thing is that Carson Beck is back under center. Beck’s season last year was very underrated. He threw for nearly 4,000 yards and added an 86 QBR, good for fifth in college football.

    Georgia was super well-rounded last season. That shouldn’t change.

    That said, Clemson’s defense should be good in coverage, and it played very well against the run last season. This will likely be a lower-scoring game between two dominant defenses.

    Pick: Under 49.5 (-110)

    Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Texas A&M Aggies

    Mike Elko took over the Texas A&M head coaching position and left Duke at the end of last year. That forced former Duke QB Riley Leonard’s hand, so he transferred to Notre Dame.

    Oddly enough, Elko’s Aggies will face Leonard and the Fighting Irish in a Week 1 matchup. The storylines don’t get more wild than this.

    Two of Duke’s most influential people last season will be on opposite sidelines on Saturday night.

    That said, let’s go back to last season. Sam Hartman came over to Notre Dame and probably played below expectations. The Fighting Irish went 10-3 but still had two losses on the road.

    Hartman threw for 2,689 yards with 24 passing touchdowns last season after throwing for more than 3,400 yards and 35+ touchdowns in the previous two seasons with Wake Forest. So, what makes anyone think Leonard will outperform Hartman’s numbers? Leonard is a great runner but not nearly as good of a passer.

    Elko knows all of Leonard’s tendencies. I’ll back the Aggies at home at -3.

    Pick: Texas A&M -3 (-105)

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