The first week of college football is always a tough one to pick. The SMU Mustangs needed a miracle to beat the Nevada Wolf Pack during Week 0, and the Florida State Seminoles lost to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. These early season unknowns can be frustrating, but the outcomes can also create opportunities for huge paydays.
This week’s college football parlay picks feature two bets with odds higher than +100. Normally I’d avoid two bets of that nature. But this is the time to take a chance with your college football predictions amid so much uncertainty as a new season begins.
College football parlay: Week 1
College football oddsvia DraftKings as of Wednesday and subject to change. Follow the college football scores for the latest line movement and matchup info.
- Illinois State vs. Iowa: Race to 30 points - neither (+120) ⭐⭐⭐
- Josh Hoover Over 299.5 passing yards (+160) vs. Stanford ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- LSU -4 (-112) vs. USC ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Combined odds: +982 via DraftKings | Implied probability: 9.24%
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College football parlay Week 1
College football picksbased on the odds from our best college football betting sites.
Illinois State vs. Iowa: Race to 30 points - neither (+120) ⭐⭐⭐
Those who know the Iowa Hawkeyes best are really trying to sell the public on their new-look 2024 offense. While the Hawkeyes could be significantly better this year, I refuse to believe that yet.
The Hawkeyes have scored 30-plus points just twice over the last two seasons. And without a change at quarterback, this team will be very similar to what it was at the beginning of last season.
While the Illinois State Redbirds pose no threat to the Hawkeyes on the offensively, their defense is capable of holding Iowa to 21 or fewer points. The Redbirds allowed 20.5 points per game last season.
Maybe this is a trap from oddsmakers, and the Iowa offense is going to be much better than last year. But to get this at +120 when one team is definitely not scoring 30 and the other rarely does is too good to pass up.
- Matchup: Illinois State vs. Iowa
- When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at noon ET
- Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
- Favorite: Iowa -22.5 (-110 via DraftKings)
Josh Hoover Over 299.5 passing yards (+160) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
At this price, This is among the best plays for Week 1 of the college football season at this price.
Josh Hoover is far from a household name, but what he did in the second half of last campaign as the quarterback for the TCU Horned Frogs is remarkable. He threw for at least 300 yards in five of his final six contests while topping 400 yards twice.
Hoover gets to start the season against the worst-ranked pass defense last year.
The Stanford Cardinal finished 2023 allowing 299.7 passing yards per game. Of course, they went against some great quarterbacks in the Pac-12, but Hoover is still in line for a huge day.
Remember, two of his 300-plus-yard games came against top-15 teams last season. He could end up over 400 on Friday.
- Matchup: TCU vs. Stanford
- When: Friday, Aug. 30, 2024 at 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
- Favorite: TCU -10 (-110 via DraftKings)
LSU -4 (-112) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
For as bad as the LSU Tigers’ defense was last season, the USC Trojans’ unit was worse.
LSU allowed 29.5 points per game, ranking 86th in college football. Meanwhile, the Trojans allowed 34.4 points per game to rank 117th. Some incredible quarterback play bailed out both teams last year, but both Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams are in the NFL now. So who gets the advantage on Sunday?
Miller Moss will replace Williams, and all the buzz tied to him this offseason has been positive. The Tigers will start Garrett Nussmeier, a player who Nick Saban called an “all-time sleeper.” Of course, that's all speculation, and it’s going to come down to play on the field.
The Trojans' defense struggled against some horrible offenses last season, and there’s no way all of their problems are fixed. Look for the Tigers’ defense to make the necessary stops en route to LSU winning this game easily.
- Matchup: USC vs. LSU
- When: Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Favorite: LSU -4 (-112 via DraftKings)
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Written By:
Philip Wood Twitter link
Phil has covered sports betting since 2016, and he has been with SportsBook Review since 2022. He previously hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast for CanesInsight.com. He is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is that if a line doesn't make sense just assume oddsmakers know something you don't. He also loves in-season futures. There is so much value to be had as the public overreacts weekly. Bettors tend to forget just how long NFL and college football seasons are. After all, the Green Bay Packers were 2-5 in 2023 and they made it to the Divisional Round. When deciding where to bet, it comes down to value over everything. +100 is always better than -110. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. He is also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and is willing to forgive Dan Campbell for forgetting that a kicker can be useful.
