Best BetsBest Bets of Week 1
My Favorite Bets

Week One Bets (June 1, 2025)
The 2025 College Football season is still 60 days away, but I'm already excited as ever to get started. This year like most recent will have a week zero with a couple of games, and then a massive slate of games on Labor day weekend. Here are my favorite picks of both weeks.

Kansas State logo
Kansas State
Power Rating #20, SP+ #18 Talent: #32 SOS: #53
Iowa State logo
Iowa State
Power Rating #34, SP+ #30 Talent: #64 SOS: #49
It's Farmageddon in Ireland to start the season. If you're gonna give me over 3 points and Iowa State, I'm gonna take it. This is a for-fun-only pick as I think the line is correct, I'll just take points with the better QB in Rocco Becht.
Week 1 (08/23 - 8:00 AM EST)
Stanford logo
Stanford
Power Rating #82, SP+ #88 Talent: #45 SOS: #27
Hawai
Hawai'i
Power Rating #95, SP+ #108 Talent: #124 SOS: #120
I like what I've seen so far from Hawaii QB Micah Alejado, and Stanford has had a train wreck offseason. I think Hawaii can compete along both lines of scrimmage, and WRs Cenacle & Ashlock are good weapons vs the Tree secondary. I'd love to get 3, otherwise I'm taking the money line. Hawaii wins this outright.
Week 1 (08/23 - 3:30 PM EST)
Utah logo
Utah
Power Rating #38, SP+ #30 Talent: #66 SOS: #46
UCLA logo
UCLA
Power Rating #76, SP+ #51 Talent: #49 SOS: #16
I love Utah in this matchup so much I bet it in April. I think Utah's OL will own UCLA, and the world will get to know QB Devon Dampier really fast. Even on the road I make this line Utah -5, I'd bet it up to 6.
Week 1 (08/30 - 7:00 PM EST)
Auburn logo
Auburn
Power Rating #11, SP+ #25 Talent: #15 SOS: #14
Baylor logo
Baylor
Power Rating #32, SP+ #35 Talent: #40 SOS: #34
I'm gonna eat these words, but I'm a believer in Auburn in 2025. Road favorites are bad bets, so I'll come out the gate with three of them. Baylor has started slow under Aranda, losing their last 3 FBS openers. I make this game Auburn -5.5, but wouldn't trust them past -2.5 in Waco.
Week 1 (08/29 - 4:00 PM EST)
LSU logo
LSU
Power Rating #5, SP+ #9 Talent: #8 SOS: #10
Clemson logo
Clemson
Power Rating #8, SP+ #8 Talent: #12 SOS: #24
While the number is spot on with my projections, I love this matchup for Clemson. Their DL should have a field day with LSU's new OTs, and Klubnik to Williams, Wesco and Moore should have fun vs this LSU secondary. I'm long on LSU this year, but Brian Kelly is 0-3 in openers at LSU, make it 0-4.
Week 1 (08/30 - 3:30 PM EST)
TCU logo
TCU
Power Rating #30, SP+ #29 Talent: #29 SOS: #32
North Carolina logo
North Carolina
Power Rating #61, SP+ #54 Talent: #33 SOS: #66
I've been pretty open about my thoughts on the 33rd NFL team experiment in Chapel Hill. I also love TCU QB Josh Hoover in his 3rd year under OC Kendall Briles. I make TCU a 7 point road favorite.
Week 1 (09/01 - 4:00 PM EST)
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