Week 1 of the College Football season features 27 games that will be played on Thursday and Friday. How will Shedeur Sanders perform when his Colorado Buffaloes take on the North Dakota State Bison? Will Elic Ayomanor see enough passes thrown his way to hit his over as his Stanford Cardinal opens the season against the TCU Horned Frogs? And can Omarion Hampton rush for 100 yards in the North Carolina Tar Heels’ opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers?
Here are the best College Football PrizePicks plays for the Thursday and Friday Week 1 games
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Week 1 of the College Football season features 27 games that will be played on Thursday and Friday. How will Shedeur Sanders perform when his Colorado Buffaloes take on the North Dakota State Bison? Will Elic Ayomanor see enough passes thrown his way to hit his over as his Stanford Cardinal opens the season against the TCU Horned Frogs? And can Omarion Hampton rush for 100 yards in the North Carolina Tar Heels’ opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers?
Here are the best College Football PrizePicks plays for the Thursday and Friday Week 1 games
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
College Football Week 1 PrizePicks Player Predictions (2024)
(This Season: 1-2-0)
Shedeur Sanders Under 304.5 Passing Yards
Shedeur Sanders threw for over 300 yards in five different games last season. He started the year by throwing for 300 or more in three consecutive games, including a 510-yard performance against TCU. However, when Sanders struggled, he really struggled. He failed to throw for over 300 yards in his final four games of the season, and he managed just 159 yards against the Oregon Ducks.
Many expect Sanders to be a first-round draft pick, so a matchup against an FCS opponent would seem like the perfect time for a huge game. However, the Bison are consistently one of the best FCS teams. Last season, they allowed just 186.0 passing yards per game. Sanders will throw for at least 250 in this game, but he only throws for over 300 if the Buffaloes fall behind by a large number. We don't see that happening.
Elic Ayomanor Over 70.5 Receiving Yards
The leading Cardinal receiver from a year ago gets a very favorable matchup to start the season. Last season, the Horned Frogs allowed the 16th-most passing yards per game, with teams putting up over 260 through the air against them week after week.
The biggest concern in this game is Cardinal starting quarterback Ashton Daniels. Last season, he threw for 200 or more yards in just five of his 12 appearances. However, Elic Ayomanor was his favorite target throughout the season, so if he can at least throw for 150 on Friday, we expect Ayomanor to account for at least half of that yardage. Ayomanor averaged 16.3 yards per reception last season, so it's just a matter of getting the ball in his hands.
Omarion Hampton Over 99.5 Rushing Yards
Omarion Hampton rushed for at least 100 yards in seven games last season. That was with Drake Maye throwing for 3,608 yards. This season, the quarterback play for the Tar Heels will be much less prolific, which means that most of the offense will run through Hampton.
Hampton averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season. Many will argue that this is because the defenses he faced were playing it safe and protecting against the pass, but Hampton also made a lot happen on his own. The Golden Gophers allowed nearly 150 rushing yards per game last season. Stopping Hampton is a big ask for them in Week 1.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.
