College football is back and boy have I missed the combination of football and marching bands. Week 0 was a true breath of fresh air and the perfect appetizer for the main dish that is college football with fans again.

Q and I have put our brains together to deliver you our favorite CFB Week 1 bets and, just like our Week 1 NFL bets, we’ll be providing you all exclusive content for free this week in the spirit of the game’s return. Sit back, let college football trick you into thinking you’re in college again and bet smarter, not harder.

Q’s Best Bets
Alabama vs Miami – Saturday, 9/4 (3:30 PM EST)
Pick: Alabama -18.5

You don’t want to play Nick Saban when he has an entire offseason to prepare. The spread is absolutely terrified of the Tide Week 1 over the past 5 years and I don’t expect that trend to change against Miami. I love D’Eriq King and I think the Canes will be competitive this year but I fully expect Alabama to simply reload and keep the train rolling. It might not be right away (although it very well could be), but eventually Bryce Young and the new era of superstars at a neutral site will overwhelm the Canes. Can’t go broke taking a profit.

UNC @ Virginia Tech – Friday, 9/3 (6:00 PM EST)
Pick: Total Points Over 64

Pretty random ACC matchup to make my best bets list, right? Wrong. Anyone who has ever gone to a football school will attest to the following: 1) Night games are the best 2) Non-Saturday games are incredible 3) There’s nothing better than upsetting a hyped up pseudo rival at home. This game has all three of those components, it’s the opener for both teams and the last two times these teams met they combined for 185 points. Combine that with the fact that VT beat UNC in a 6 overtime heartbreaker the last time they played them at home and you get a hungry/talented Tar Heel team looking to right some wrongs in a hostile environment. All signs point to, well, points. Expect a shootout and enjoy the show.

LSU @ UCLA – Saturday, 9/4 (8:30 PM EST)
Pick: LSU -3

Don’t be fooled into thinking UCLA has turned a page with their football program purely because they blew out Hawaii last week. LSU is far more talented, UCLA struggles HEAVILY with out of conference opponents and this year’s LSU squad is not the rag tag group that played last year after the post national championship team mass exodus. I can also guarantee you that every single LSU player would run through a wall for their state right now given the natural disaster Louisiana is dealing with currently so I expect physical play from the jump (physical play that the PAC12 is unfamiliar with). I’m expecting LSU to win by multiple scores.

DPJ’s Best Bets
Ohio State @ Minnesota – Thursday, 9/2 (8:00 PM EST)
Pick: Minnesota +14

The #4 ranked Buckeyes appear to be reloaded for another run at the CFB Playoff with hopes for another chance at the Natty. It’s hard to argue with their recent success, winning the last 4 Big 10 Championships. With that being said, I like Minnesota to keep this game inside of two scores. Returning much of their offensive line to block for the reigning Big 10 RB of the year in Mohamed Ibrahim, they should be able to control the line of scrimmage and hang around well into the 4th quarter. 

UNC @ Virginia Tech – Friday, 9/3 (6:00 PM EST)
Pick:  VT +5.5

Expecting a high scoring game like last year. But with VA Tech at home with a full crowd in primetime, this should be a much different result. I like the MoneyLine on this one as well, but going to stick with the spread of 5.5. VA Tech should be able to keep this one inside of a touchdown at the least. 

Fresno State @ Oregon – Saturday, 9/4 (2:00 PM EST)
Pick: Oregon -20.5

The Bulldogs had a great opening week at home vs. U Conn, winning 45-0. That spread was 28 points and the horrible Huskies were only able to generate 107 yards of offense. Oregon poses a much different problem for Fresno State, they should be able to handle the Bulldogs front seven, spread them out and put up 400+ yards. I like the over in this one as well but sticking to the spread. 

Best of the Best Bets – DPJ & Q approved
Georgia vs Clemson – Saturday, 9/4 (7:30 PM EST)
Pick: Clemson -3

This should be the best game of the weekend and it would be a shame not to put a wager on it. We have seen a little bit of JT Daniels and DJ Uiagalelei before and quite frankly I trust DJ a lot more than JT. Dabo knows how to get the boys ready for a big game and Georgia has struggled vs. top 5 opponents in recent years. Give me Clemson by a TD+. – DPJ

San Jose State @ USC – Saturday, 9/4 (5:00 PM EST)
Pick: SJSU +14

SJSU is basically my antithesis to the Oregon pick. I love the Spartans to keep this one somewhat close with a chance to win at the end. Worst case scenario, if the Trojans jump out to a big lead, SJSU has the firepower to get back within two scores. Lastly, the public is all over USC (62% of bets), yet the line has moved 2.5 points towards SJSU. This is a great indicator of sharp money coming in on SJSU, when in doubt I ride with the sharps. – DPJ

Disclaimer: SidehustlebetsMJQ.com is not an online gambling operator or a gambling site of any kind. Our insights about sports/sports betting are purely for entertainment purposes only.