College football has arrived and it’s time to get down on our college football picks! Let’s discuss the games that give us an opportunity to get cashing those tickets as soon as this Saturday!
Saturday, August 28, 2021 – 1:00 PM EDT at Memorial Stadium
We get our first taste of Big 10 action when the Cornhuskers look to avenge a 41-23 home loss to the Illini from last season. This should be a much more competitive contest and, according to the college football odds at all of the best online sportsbooks, the Huskers are touchdown road favorites. But that pales in comparison to the 17-point home favorites they were last season.
However, this looks like a solid opportunity to bet the home dog here because Illinois has the offensive weapons to keep this one close with senior Brandon Peters in charge of the offense for his third consecutive season. Moreover, the Illini will be returning a boatload of starters which means the boys will be on the same page early even with their new head coach, Bret Bielema, at the helm.
I’m not sure why Nebraska is even favored by this much, although, they too are returning multiple starters. But considering their team went 3-5 and allowed over 29 points per game last year, I’m not sure all of that experience necessarily equals talent. Certainly, the same argument could be made against Illinois but it seems to me we have two teams that are more likely to lose more than they win this year, so if it is a jump ball, why not take the home team with the seven-point head start that throttled the team they’re facing from last year?
NCAAF Pick: Illinois +7 (-107) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Saturday, August 28, 2021 - 3:30 PM EDT at Rose Bowl
Last season the Bruins surrendered nearly 31 points per game and averaged over 35 PPG and will be hosting a Hawaii team that allowed 29.2 PPG and scored 26 points per game on the nose. UCLA was 3-4 in the Pac-12 while the Rainbow Warriors ended their season at 4-4 in the Mountain West Conference. But that was then and this is now, nevertheless, the oddsmakers have installed the Bruins as a whopping 18-point favorite.
That seems steep to me, understanding, of course, that the level of competition in the Pac-12 is greater than that of the MWC. But can this iteration of the Bruins lay 18 points to a middling team…any middling team like Hawaii? I don’t think they can and unless they prove otherwise this season, when the oddsmakers want to give UCLA’s opponents double digits then it might be worth fading the Bruins as we plan on doing here.
NCAAF Pick: Hawaii +18 (+100) at BetOnline
Saturday, August 28, 2021 - 9:30 PM EDT at Aggie Memorial Stadium
Watch out for New Mexico State this season. They are under the radar by virtue of their residence in the Independent Conference but they should surprise a few people this season. Juggernaut? Not by any stretch of the imagination but the line is anchored by 6’7” 350-pound tackle Sage Doxtater and that’s a wagon to get around for the average college pass rusher.
The Aggies will feature a bevy of JUCO transfers but Michigan transfer O’Maury Samuels will be a boon to the NMSU backfield and should carry the load for the Aggies’ rushing attack this season. Defensively, New Mexico State should be able to contain the UTEP offensive attack which averaged only 23 points last season. I don’t believe the Miners have much in the tank after a dismal 0-4 Conference USA record last season and a defense that, by all accounts, does little to inspire confidence that it can steal games on their own.
Many will be reluctant to lay the lumber here with a New Mexico State squad that didn’t participate last fall due to Covid but they should be a team to keep your eye on this season as they will be big underdogs in the weeks ahead to more talented teams and will be getting oodles of points by the oddsmakers. Let’s lay it with the Aggies at home as they beat up the Miners in the opening week of the season.
NCAAF Pick: New Mexico State -9 (-110) at Intertops (visit our Intertops Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.