While many schools acquired talent through the transfer portal during the offseason, No. 14 Clemson will enter the season with mostly the same lineup as last year. The Tigers return junior quarterback Cade Klubnick and senior running back Phil Muffa and will rely heavily on the duo when they face top-ranked Georgia on their Week 1 college football schedule. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs added several stars through the transfer portal. Quarterback Carson Beck also returns after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards last season, and Georgia is a 13-point favorite in SportsLine's consensus Week 1 college football odds.
Other matchups in Week 1 include No. 20 Texas A&M (-3) vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 13 LSU (-4.5) vs. No. 23 USC and No. 10 Florida State (-15.5) vs. Boston College. These games are spread out over the weekend, giving fans plenty of options when it comes to college football betting in Week 1. Before locking in any college football picks for Week 1 of the 2024 season, be sure to check the latest college football predictions from SportsLine's proven model.
The model simulates FBS college football games 10,000 times. Since inception, the model has generated well over $2,000 in profits for players who spend $100 on the top rated college football picks against the spread. The model also just finished a season with a profitable 13-9 record on its top rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed this model has seen significant profits.
Now, the site has looked at the latest college football odds for Week 1 and has finalized its predictions for every FBS matchup: Click here to see all the predictions.
Top college football predictions for Week 1
One school the model rates highly for Week 1: No. 8 Penn State (-8.5) is coming off a big win against West Virginia on Saturday at noon ET. These teams also met in the 2023 season opener, with Penn State covering the spread as a 21-point favorite and winning 38-15. The Nittany Lions have covered the spread in six consecutive games against Big 12 opponents and are 15-4, with one tie in their last 20 games overall.
West Virginia has struggled against Big Ten teams, going 2-6 against the spread in its last eight Big Ten games. Penn State quarterback Drew Aller had 25 touchdown passes and just two interceptions last season and could perform better under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnecki. The Nittany Lions outgained the Mountaineers for 170 yards in last year's opener and have covered the spread in more than 70 percent of the model's simulations. See more picks the model likes here.
Another prediction: Western Kentucky (+32) takes on No. 5 Alabama inside the spread on Saturday with a 7 pm ET kickoff. The Hilltoppers lost starting quarterback Austin Reed to the NFL, but head coach Tyson Helton was able to land a high-level replacement through the transfer portal. TJ Finley began his career at LSU in 2020 before moving on to Auburn and Texas State, where he threw for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns last year.
He's used to playing against SEC opponents, and he has several experienced wide receivers playing alongside him. The Hilltoppers have covered the spread in eight of their last 12 Saturday road games, and their high-powered offense should be able to do damage to a rebuilding Alabama defense. SportsLine's model projects the Hilltoppers to score 16 points, good enough to cover the spread in more than 50 percent of the latest simulations. See the rest of the model's projections here.
How to predict college football for Week 1
The model also predicts who will win and cover each FBS matchup in Week 1, predicting some underdog teams to win, and full predictions for every matchup are available exclusively at SportsLine.
So, which teams will win and which underdogs will win so you can make college football picks with confidence? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to find out which teams will win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that's generated over $2,000 in profits since inception.
Week 1 college football odds
See all of our Week 1 college football picks, odds and predictions here
Thursday, August 29
North Carolina vs. Minnesota (+1.5, 49.5)
Coastal Carolina vs. Jacksonville State (-2.5, 54.5)
North Dakota State vs. Colorado (-10, 61)
Friday, August 30
FAU vs. Michigan State (-14, 45)
Temple vs. Oklahoma (-42.5, 59.5)
Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin (-23.5, 56.5)
TCU vs. Stanford (+9.5, 59.5)
Saturday, August 31
Clemson vs. Georgia (-13.5, 48.5)
Penn State vs West Virginia (+8.5, 51.5)
Miami (FL) vs. Florida (+2.5, 54)
Akron vs. Ohio State (-48.5, 58)
Colorado State vs. Texas (-31.5, 60.5)
Western Kentucky vs. Alabama (-32, 59.5)
Fresno State vs. Michigan (-21.5, 45.5)
Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M (-3, 46.5)
UCLA vs. Hawaii (+14, 54.5)
September 1st (Sunday)
USC vs. LSU (-4.5, 64.5)
Monday, September 2
Boston College vs. Florida State (-15.5, 50)
