With the start of the 2018 college football season just days away, now is the perfect time for some expert collegiate gridiron picks that could help you get your new betting campaign off to a fast and furious start. If you’re looking for some value, then you’re going to find the pair of expert NCAA Football Week 1 odds and picks that you’re about to get simply salivating!
2018 NCAA Football Week 1 ATS Odds & Betting Picks
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Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma
When: September 1, 2018 at 12:00 PM ET Where: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium NCAAF Odds: Oklahoma -21 / Total: 68.5
Analysis: The Oklahoma Sooners may have reached the four-team playoff a year ago and they might be playing at home in their regular season opener, but I’m going with Florida Atlantic to cover the chalk as three touchdown road dogs, simply because the Owls can put points on the board with the best teams in all of college football and have a head coach that knows just what to do against bigger school in the polarizing Lane Kiffin.
Florida Atlantic had a fantastic 2017 campaign in going 11-3 last season and the Owls averaged a stellar 40.6 points per game to rank eighth in scoring nationally. Florida Atlantic has a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in running back Devin “Motor” Singletary who led the nation with 32 rushing touchdowns while racking up a jaw-dropping 1,920 rushing yards last season.
Oklahoma will have a new starting quarterback thanks to the graduation of Heisman trophy-winning signal-caller Baker Mayfield and I believe the Sooners will struggle early on because of it. The Owls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games and 4-2 ATS in their last six road games and that should be good enough to help them cover the chalk in an absolute shootout.
NCAA Football Week 1 Pick: Oklahoma 35 Florida Atlantic 31
Louisville at Alabama
When: September 1, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET Where: Camping World Stadium NCAAF Odds: Alabama -24.5 / Total: 60.5
Analysis: Louisville may have gone an understated 8-5 last season in Lamar Jackson’s final season under head coach Bobby Petrino, but the fact of the matter is that the Cardinals have a bunch of elite talent and a really good head coach that knows how to put points on the board no matter who’s running his offense.
New starting quarterback Jawon Pass is more of a passer than Jackson and he has an array of playmakers to get the ball to with skill position speedsters like Jaylen Smith, Dez Fitzpatrick and Seth Dawkins who combined for more than 2,300 yards and 20 TDs last season. Louisville has a lot of question marks to answer on defense, but I think they’re more than capable of keeping the final score against Alabama inside three touchdowns.
The Crimson Tide have yet to announce who their starting quarterback will be for the upcoming season, but it really doesn’t matter a lot to me, nor do the names on the backs of their defensive players matter much. You know Alabama is going to play power rushing and super lockdown defense because, hey, that’s what they do under Nick Saban.
However, with Louisville going 4-2 ATS in their last six games and Alabama going 2-3-1 ATS in their last six, I think the handwriting is on the wall. The Cardinals cover with just a bit of room to spare!
NCAA Football Week 1 Pick: Alabama 34 Louisville 20
