Winning Parlay Picks for College Football Week 1

Winning Parlay Picks for College Football Week 1

Written by on August 28, 2017

UCLA coach Jim Mora is very much on the hot seat this season and his paranoia seems to be at an all- time high. Last week, Mora canceled a practice, reportedly because of concerns about privacy over a building that overlooks the team’s practice fields. The Bruins open vs. Texas A&M and obviously Mora was worried the Aggies were spying. Here’s a look at two College Football Week 1 games I would parlay together, along with the updated NCAAF odds and lines for these Week 1 matchups.

Winning Parlay Picks for College Football Week 1

Kent State at No. 5 Clemson

When: Saturday, Sept. 2, Noon ET Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson TV: ESPN Stream: WatchESPN Radio: IMG Sports Betwork (Kent State) / WCCP-FM 105.5 (Clemson) Opening College Football Week 1 Lines: Clemson -40

Flashes Without Coach

As if Kent State wasn’t facing a tough enough challenge in this game, it will be without head coach Paul Haynes, who is taking a medical leave of absence from his job that likely will last 2-3 weeks. With Haynes sidelined, offensive coordinator Don Treadwell, who was Miami of Ohio’s head coach from 2011-2013, will serve as interim head coach. Treadwell also served as Michigan State’s interim head coach during Mark Dantonio's health-related absence in the 2010 season. Haynes is entering his fifth season with the Golden Flashes. In the previous four years, they’ve gone 12-35 overall and 8-23 in MAC play. Kent State hosts Howard on Sept. 9 before making trips to Marshall and Louisville. Offensively, senior wide receiver Kris White is back after suffering a season-ending leg injury in last year’s opener, while Kent State is also expecting junior college transfer wideout Donte Ross to make an instant impact. Tailback Justin Rankin rushed for 511 yards as a freshman despite battling through some injuries, and he also led the team in catches (28) and receiving yards (335). Defensively, six of the top seven tacklers from last season have moved on, but eight players who started the final game of 2016 return.

2017 College Football Betting Biggest Upsets

Bryant Takes Over

Clemson has to replace the best player in school history in QB Deshaun Watson. The Week 1 starter will be Watson’s backup the past two seasons, Kelly Bryant. The only quarterback on the roster with any appreciable experience, Bryant emerged from spring as the Tigers’ top option and only enhanced his status with a solid August. “All the grinding and late nights are paying off,” Bryant said. “It’s great to see the progress finally showing. I’ve been doing everything that’s been asked of me and I feel like I’ve been improving every day. I’m happy to be in the position I’m in right now.” Bryant cemented his standing with a strong performance in the Tigers’ situational scrimmage in Memorial Stadium on Aug. 16. Bryant completed 9-of- 10 passes during one stretch, including a 77-yard touchdown to Cain in the face of intense defensive pressure. Clemson starting defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins have both been named to the Associated Press Preseason All-America team. Lawrence was the ACC Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 when he had 78 tackles, fifth on the team. He had seven sacks, a Clemson true freshman record, and 9.5 total tackles for loss. Wilkins had 56 tackles from his defensive end position in 2016 and had 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 of which were sacks.

Florida International at UCF

When: Thursday, Aug. 31, 6 PM ET Where: Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando TV: CBS Sports Network Stream: CBSSports.com Radio: FIU Sports Radio Network (Florida International) / 96.9 The Game (UCF) Opening College Football Week 1 Lines: UCF -17

Welcome Back Butch!

It’s the Florida International coach debut of former Miami Hurricanes, North Carolina Tar Heels and Cleveland Browns head coach Butch Davis. At Miami, Davis went a remarkable 51-20 in six years, including 11-1 in his final season, just missing out playing for a national title. Davis recruited or coached numerous stars at Miami, including Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Jeremy Shockey, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. The coach left Miami in such good shape that the Canes’ 2001 team won the national title under coach Larry Coker, who used mostly players recruited by Davis. Davis left Miami for the Browns, where his 2002 team went 9-7. The 2002 team was also the last Browns team to reach the playoffs. In four years at North Carolina, Davis turned things around from 4-8 his first season to 8-5 in his final three campaigns. But there were some NCAA issues at UNC and Davis was fired. Are the Central Florida Knights a safe bet in College Football Week 1?

Knights On The Rise

In his first stint as a head coach, Scott Frost took over a winless UCF team from 2015 and turned it into a 6-7 squad that earned a bowl berth in 2016. Only eight teams in the history of NCAA FBS football have gone from winless to a bowl game in one season. QB McKenzie Milton’s grasp of the offense last season was never a question. He finished the season by passing for 1,983 and 10 touchdowns while leading the UCF to a 4-6 mark in his 10 starts. But a combination of injuries and a lack of depth on the offensive line eventually caught up with the young signal caller, who struggled to get the offense moving during the final three games. Shaquem Griffin returns as the reigning American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year after ranking in the Top 15 in the nation in both sacks and tackles-for- loss. Griffin was named a Preseason All-American. UCF has won nine of its last 11 season openers, dating back to 2006. The Knights’ only losses during that stretch were in 2014 and 2015. In home openers, UCF has won eight of its last nine, with the only defeat during that stretch coming in 2015 when the Knights fell to FIU 15-14.

Expert College Football Week 1 Parlay Picks

Obviously Clemson is going to beat Kent State, but take all those points as the Tigers will take their foot off the gas. Give the 17, however, to Florida International.