The Best College Football Underdog Picks For Week 0

With only seven college football games in the de facto Week 0, college football underdog picks are at a minimum. Yet, after making our way through the schedule, there are a few Underdogs that we see value in this weekend.

College football betting sites have posted USC and Notre Dame as major favorites. So, there’s no way Navy (+20) pulls off the upset against the Fighting Irish.

We also don’t see San Jose State (+30) going into the LA Coliseum and ending Southern California Trojans’ quest for their first national championship since the back-to-back titles in 2003-2004.

However, Conference USA features a pair of potential upsets with UTEP’s trip to Jacksonville State (+1) and Florida International’s (+10.5) visit to Louisiana Tech.

In addition, Ohio University vs. San Diego State is a game that features the antithesis of the firepower of the Bobcats and what looks like another solid defense for the Aztecs.

Without further delay, check out our top College Football underdog picks for Week 0 of the 2023-24 season. The following odds are courtesy of Bovada.

The Gamecocks’ Division 1 debut under second-year head coach Rich Rodriguez could be a memorable affair against the Miners and sixth-year head coach Dana Dimel.

Football betting sites had Jacksonville State favored at (-2) and (-1) earlier in the summer, but now they have fallen to a (+1) underdog.

Jacksonville State finished 9-2 at the FCS level last season as the Gamecocks won the ASUN in their only appearance in that conference.

The Gamecocks were primarily a rushing team as they posted 251 yards on the ground, while passing for 172.6 yards per outing. UTEP gave up 136 yards per game and 4.0 yards per carry.

This plays into the hands of Gamecocks’ leading returning rusher Anwar Lewis, who averaged 7.1 yards per carry and had eight rushing touchdowns a year ago.

Jacksonville State quarterback Zion Webb is on his seventh season on the roster as he missed the 2017 and 2021 seasons due to injuries and will enter what is counted as his fourth season due to the COVID year.

He was the second-leading rusher on the squad last season with 647 yards and a total of 13 touchdowns.

The one-two punch in the backfield could be a tough assignment for the Miners. They’re coming off a season where they gave up 2,006 yards on the ground as they gave up over 200 yards rushing in eight games.

Webb’s passing acumen could be tested by the Miners, who allowed 56.6 yards through the air a year ago and were able to accrue only five interceptions.

Western Kentucky (+125) is the favorite to win Conference USA followed by Liberty (+235), Middle Tennessee (+500), Louisiana Tech (+800), UTEP (+1000), New Mexico State (+1200), and FIU (+6000).

The Florida International Panthers (FIU) are going to look for a more consistent and effective offense in 2023 after they only scored 18.7 points per game a year ago.

Although Grayson James is still the projected starter, freshman quarterback Keyone Jenkins was a high school legend in the Miami area as he led Miami Central to four consecutive state championships.

Jenkins had originally committed to Auburn, but flipped his school when the Tigers made the quarterback position a focal point in recruiting after coach Hugh Freeze took over the program.

Jenkins, a noted dual-threat quarterback, has the advantage against a Bulldogs’ defense that gave up 12.36 yards per game through the air in 2022.

The lack of film and game preparation could be a problem for Louisiana Tech in trying to stymie the potential of Jenkins.

FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre has been excited with how Jenkins has grown in the job since he came there early this year.

Running back Shomari Lawrence transferred from South Dakota as the Panthers look for a running attack that can balance their offense.

Louisiana Tech’s pass defense was last in CUSA a year ago with only 16 quarterback sacks and 225 passing yards, which was 69th in the nation.

The Bulldogs return leading tackler Hugh Roberts to his middle linebacker spot and they keep Willie Roberts, who led Louisiana Tech with four interceptions last season.

Throwing the ball early on a secondary that gave up 469 yards and 38 points per game could be key in the FIU game plan on Saturday. The key is the new transfers and how well they fit into the defense which can be a quick factor.

The Bulldogs have three new starters in the secondary but they do have the returning Donovan Manuel, who had 97 tackles last year. He’s pegged to be the leader of this defensive unit.

Sports betting sites laud Louisiana Tech as the favorite with quarterback Hank Bachmeier as the only non-starter on top of the offensive depth charts. However, we like FIU to cover this spread.

The Ohio Bobcats (+130) are favored to win the MAC East and battle the Toledo Rockets, who are the odds-on favorites to win the MAC West. Ohio would love to take a big step towards that MAC Title game by winning this weekend on the road at San Diego.

The Bobcats (+3) have a potent passer in MAC Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke, who completed 69.1 percent of his passes last season.

His efforts led Ohio, who averaged 31.9 points per game, to the MAC Title game. Unfortunately, they lost 17-7 to Toledo in what was summed up as a disappointing offensive performance. 

Ohio returns Rourke, who’s coming off a knee surgery, and many other starters from last year like talented running back Sihe Bangura.

Bangura rushed for 1,078 yards last season with 15 touchdowns, 13 rushing and two receiving, as he won MAC Freshman of the Year.

Ohio will balance its offense with a talented group of wide receivers, which is led by Sam Wiglusz, who caught 73 balls for 878 yards and 11 TDs. Jacoby Jones also had 45 grabs and posted 17.3 yards per catch.

The San Diego State Aztecs (SDSU) have been known to stress defense under coach Brady Hoke. But, on the offensive side of the ball, there is a lot of hype over quarterback James Mayden and the team’s depth at running back.

Mayden took over in game six and never relinquished his role as he threw 12 TD passes and had 10 interceptions.

SDSU has some work to do at wide receiver after losing Jessie Matthews and Tyrell Shavers. Mekhi Shaw will step in as the potential top receiver for the Aztecs.

Last season, SDSU had seven rushers tally between 150 and 390 yards. Kenan Christon returns as the leading rusher with 261 yards on 71 carries.

The Bobcats improved defensively from the beginning until the end of last season. However, Ohio only returns three starters on its defense which could be a work in progress throughout the year.

San Diego State (+750) has the fourth-best odds to win the Mountain West Conference while they sit at (+325) to make it to the MWC title game. Boise State is the favorite (+185) to win the league, while they are (-170) to make the Mountain West Championship game.

We like this to be a close matchup and for the Bobcats to cover the field goal spread.