The beauty of college football is in its unpredictability. Each year, we get crazy upsets, even in Week 1 when there are often some lopsided lines. In this weekly piece I'll highlight a few plays I like where the long-shot underdog has a great chance to win outright. Let's jump right into the action to find some long shot winners. Let’s take a look at NC State vs. UConn.
- Best College Football Longshot Bets for Week 1
- College Football Projected Spreads
- Top College Football Picks & Predictions
College Football Week 1 Long Shot Bets: NC State vs. UConn
The Wolfpack travel to Connecticut to take on the Huskies in what may be the biggest home game in nearly a decade. The Huskies finished with a surprising 6-7 record and qualified for a bowl for the first time in seven years. They return the 6th most production in the nation per SP+. Not much is expected from their offense. They ranked just 128th in SP+, but they return the 2nd most production per the metric. QB Joe Fagnano will take over the reigns after transferring from Maine and seems to have the confidence of HC Jim Mora.
Fagnano will have his hands full with a Wolfpack defense that comes in with high expectations. However, they've lost a lot from the previous season. The NC State offense, on the other hand, struggled on the road last season failing to score more than 24 points in regulation in any game. With a big spot coming up against an impressive Notre Dame in Week 2, this is very much a look ahead spot for the Wolfpack. After being a long shot darling in 2022, I like UConn to reignite that magic and pull off the first huge upset of the 2023 season on Thursday night.
Pick: UConn (+525)
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