College Football Week 1 Picks, Predictions & Other Early Lines to Back Today

That seems to be the industry-wide consensus these days, with championship odds posted for the following season immediately after the title game and Heisman boards ready to go on before snow has melted across the Midwest. 

There’s already plenty of opportunity for college football action on . And while there’s plenty to study and brush up on this summer with transfer portal guys settled and position battles playing out, the days of waiting around until August for game lines are over. 

FanDuel has already posted a healthy slate of point spreads for more than 20 games next season, including marquee matchups that get the blood pumping just thinking about it at this time of the year – USC at Notre Dame on Oct. 14 is a pick-em. Alabama is a -8.5 home favorite over Tennessee on Oct. 21 after the Vols’ epic 52-49 win last year. Michigan is a -1 home favorite Nov. 25 as they look to make it three in a row over the Buckeyes. 

We wish they were all kicking off next week. In the meantime, we’ve identified four of our favorite early to make for the 2023 season. 

College Football Week 1 Picks & Spreads

North Carolina -1.5 over South Carolina 

The battle for the Carolinas is on for just the fourth time in the last 15 years. It’s also a rematch from the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl, with South Carolina scoring a 38-21 win. Oddsmakers on have the Tar Heels as small favorites for the neutral-site game at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, and we have to agree here. 

Quarterback Drake Maye passed for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman last year and should lead one of the most prolific offenses in the country alongside new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. The Gamecocks only return four starters on defense, and they need to replenish the offensive line as well. It might take some time. We like North Carolina. 

Best Bet:

Other Early College Football Lines We Like

Sep. 23: Notre Dame +10.5 over Ohio State

New Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman could prove to be the most important transfer player in the country for 2023 when all is said and done. The former Wake Forest signal-caller joins an Irish roster that seemed to be a quarterback away from contending for a national championship throughout last season. 

The Buckeyes have a legit QB competition with Kyle McCord and Devin Brown battling to replace C.J. Stroud, and you never know how that looks early in a season – especially if one doesn’t greatly out-perform the other. South Bend is going to be an absolute madhouse and we’re very high on the Irish this year. We like them to cover +10.5. 

Sep. 23: Florida State +3 over Clemson 

It seems like the right move for both parties with former Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei moving on to Oregon State. The Tigers, meanwhile, hope to move forward after failing to reach the College Football Playoff in three consecutive seasons. There’s a new QB under center in Cade Klubnik, who didn’t have a great spring game and begins his college career with the highest of expectations. 

There’s also a new offensive coordinator in Garrett Riley and no telling how it will all shake out in the early weeks. The Seminoles are ready to hit the ground running with eight returning starters on offense and nine starters coming back on defense. The hype is real this time around, and Florida State will prove it in a Week 4 win over Clemson. 

Nov. 11: Kansas +6.5 over Kansas State

The Jayhawks finally got things moving in the right direction in 2022, winning six games for the first time since 2008. We’ll see if they can take it a step further this season with Lance Leipold entering year three. An offense that averaged 35.6 points per game last season returns 10 starters, and if the Jayhawks stay healthy they’re gonna light up the scoreboard well into the later months. 

The passing attack could certainly give a team like Kansas State lots of problems – the Wildcats lose four starting defensive backs from 2022 and might struggle across the board defensively. Kansas State is currently the better team on paper, but Kansas has the higher ceiling and might even be a favorite when this one rolls around in early November. We like the Jayhawks to cover against the in-state rivals.