Ready or not, here we come with our top sleeper college football week 1 sleeper picks. Feel free to enjoy them and check out for more picks in our NCAA football betting lines preview and analysis section.
Here’s a Closer Look At The Sleeper Picks For College Football Week 1
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (-3.5)
Thursday, September 01, 2016 8:00 PM ETVanderbilt StadiumThe South Carolina Gamecocks and Commodores are both in rebuilding seasons and nothing much is expected from them in the bigger picture of the SEC race. And to make matters worse, both teams have very iffy offenses, so we are highly likely to be treated to a dull scoring affair in this game. Fortunately, the weak offenses should mean good things for South Carolina, who are currently coached by Will Muschamp. The former Florida coach–and defensive coordinator for Auburn and Texas–is one of the best defensive minds in the game and he is inheriting some decent pieces from his predecessor Steve Spurrier. That, along with a good-enough QB in Brandon McIlwain, should offer him a chance to start his South Carolina career with a possible win over the Vandy team that is downright ugly on both sides of the ball and is only favored here because it is playing at home.Recommended Sleeper Pick: South Carolina (-3.5)
Colorado State Rams vs. Colorado Buffaloes (-7.5)
Friday, September 02, 2016 8:05 PM ETSports Authority Field at Mile HighLike most rivalries, the Rocky Mountain Showdown is never about who is most talented but rather who wants to win it more. Last year, the Buffaloes had to go all the way to overtime to secure a 27-24 win as three-point favorites in spite of the Rams not having a strong unit at the time. With the Rams coming with a better unit in 2016, they could easily get the ATS in this Week 1 clash, if not win outright. By the way, the Buffs and Rams have alternated wins since 2011 in this yearly interconference rivalry, so the Rams should be due for the win in 2016, assuming the trend continues to hold true.Recommended Sleeper Pick: Colorado State (-7.5)
UCLA Bruins vs. Texas A&M Aggies (-3)
Saturday, September 03, 2016 3:30 PM ETKyle FieldWith a total of 12 starters returning for the Bruins, UCLA will definitely have the talent to matchup to Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight and the Aggies. The fact that A&M has a better crop of offensive targets like RB Keith Ford and receivers Speedy Noil, Christian Kirk and Ricky Seals-Jones will obviously give Knight a better chance for success. Even so, only 2 starters are returning in the O-line, the defense will be experimenting on a good number of new starters and the kicking game lost All-SEC punter and kicker from last season, Taylor Bertolet and Drew Kase. Against the Bruins who are installing more of a pro-style offense to suit to tap into their quarterback’s pro-oriented talents, QB Josh Rosen–who was named a Freshman All-American, the Pac-12 Newcomer of the year and the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year after his splendid true freshman 2015 campaign–could easily be due for a big game. Meanwhile, senior defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, senior tackle Eli Ankou and spring camp standout defensive end Takkarist McKinley should be more than capable of taking care of business on the other side of the field. Should the Bruins play up to their strengths, a UCLA victory could be in the books here.
