Week 1 of the college football season will officially begin tomorrow night!
One of the most talked-about games leading up to Thursday is No. 25 Boise State against South Florida. Despite being on the road, the former College Football Playoff team is the favorite in that one.
The other exciting game is Nebraska on the road against Cincinnati. Again, Nebraska, the road team, is the favorite by nearly a full touchdown in this one.
Will the road teams cover those spreads to begin Week 1 of the College Football season? I’ve added my college football expert picks for Thursday night college football night and shared them below.
Let’s have a huge start in college football at the top-rated sportsbooks.
Thursday’s Top NCAAF Picks
When Week 1 begins, there aren’t a ton of intriguing games.
Often, top teams will battle mid-tier and lower-tier teams to prepare for conference play in a month. However, from time to time, Week 1 will provide exciting non-conference games to break down.
On Thursday, there are two important non-conference games that have had some buzz. Below, I’ll provide a bet for both of those games.
Boise State vs. South Florida (+5.5)
While the Broncos didn’t go crazy in the portal, they found a transfer running back in Malik Sherrod, who should be a massive contributor this season. In addition, Boise State still has Maddux Madsen at quarterback, which is one of many reasons why the Broncos remain ranked inside the top 25 heading into the season.
Meanwhile, the South Florida Bulls will bring back Byrum Brown at quarterback. He showed significant growth last season and should be a major factor for the Bulls this year.
South Florida’s pass defense was one of the worst in the nation last season. Sure, the team will have more experience, but the reality is that South Florida didn’t add many game-changers in the transfer portal for the secondary.
I’ll ride with Boise State at -5.5 on the road.
Expert Pick: Boise State -5.5 (-115) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
Nebraska vs. Cincinnati (-6.5)
There is so much hype around Nebraska’s football team this year. With Dylan Raiola coming back and multiple new faces at wide receiver, the Cornhuskers believe they’ve got a team that can contend for the College Football Playoff.
It’ll ultimately come down to Nebraska’s offensive line. It’s easily the weakest portion of the team, which isn’t ideal, knowing Dontay Corleone is on the other side for Cincinnati.
Cincinnati still has a veteran thrower in Brendan Sorsby and added a transfer running back and five transfer wide receivers in the off-season.
Sorsby has more talent than he’s ever had at Cincinnati and will showcase that against an overhyped Nebraska squad. Remember: This game will be played in Kansas City. It’s a neutral game, not a home game for the Big Ten squad.
I’m siding with Cincinnati at +6.5.
Expert Pick: Cincinnati +6.5 (+105) at Bovada
Bet College Football on Thursday With Your New Account!
It’s not the most appetizing slate of the year. But it’s college football on a Thursday to kick off the new season. We’ll take it.
If you want to get in on the action, consider opening up a new account at some of the sportsbooks listed under our odds section and consider placing these bets.
Currently, you can find these exact odds at a place like Bovada. This, along with other sportsbooks previously reviewed by our experts, is a fantastic book to get started with if you’re looking for a new platform to bet on college football.
Enjoy Week 1!
*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.
