Week 1 CFB wagering pointers: Can Florida State cover vs
Aug 31, 2023, 09:00 AM ET Week 1 of the 2023 college football season is finally here, including five successive days of action from throughout the nation and plenty of intriguing nonconference matches. The slate starts on Thursday with a marquee match between No. 14 Utah and Florida on ESPN.On Saturday, Colorado starts a brand-new era under coach Deion Sanders as nearly 21-point underdogs to TCU. On the other hand, in the Saturday night prime-time game, Drake Maye and North Carolina handle Spencer Rattler and South Carolina. Sunday’s marquee match includes a rematch of last season’s Week 1 thriller as LSU battles the Florida State.Our specialists have actually got you covered in this week’s betting roundtable.All odds thanks to Caesars Sportsbook unless otherwise noted. Florida at No. 14 Utah Thursday 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City
, Utah Line: Utah (-6.5 )Money line: Utah(-267), Florida(+215)Overall: 44.5 points
FPI forecast: Utah:
73.7% chance to win.Projected margin of success: +10.2 points Betting patterns Utah is 8-2 ATS in
last 10 as house favorite Florida is 10-4-1 ATS in last 15 as an underdog Florida is 4-1 ATS in last 5 as roadway underdog Best
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bet: Under 45.5 points. One of 2 things can happen here: Either
Cameron Rising does not play or he plays and is nowhere near one hundred percent. Either scenario will be a big blow for a Utah offense that ranked in the leading 15 in scoring last season. On the plus side, the Utes boast the very best defense in the Pac-12 with a protective line as filled as any of the previous versions Kyle Whittingham has trotted out– and that’s stating something. Florida’s offense will be a work in progress with former Wisconsin signal-caller Graham Mertz under center. This game seems like a total grind to me.– Joe Fortenbaugh Best option: Utah(-6.5). Even with Rising’s availability in concern(and to Joe’s point level of readiness)I still like the Utes -6.5. Kyle Whittingham and Utah are continually ignored and have won the Pac-12 in back-to-back years. This game is at home, a
substantial chance on a nationwide phase with a big-time chip on their shoulder. I’m not persuaded Graham Mertz will be the response to a Florida offense in flux. I can see this game being a slog, but I’m still on the home team winning by a TD.– Dalen Cuff Colorado at No. 17 TCU Saturday 12 p.m. ET
, Amon G. Carter Arena, Fort Worth, Texas Line: TCU(-20.5) Cash line: TCU( -1200), Colorado(+750)Total: 57.5 points FPI
forecast: TCU: 91.8% possibility to win.Projected margin of success: +23.6 pointsBetting trends Best choice: TCU(-20.5)Discover me four
wins on Colorado’s schedule. Proceed,I’ll wait. You can give the Buffaloes a triumph over Stanford and Colorado State, however where else do you feel great, specifically for a program that saw 35-plus players exit after the spring game this year. That kind of lineup turnover develops difficulties in building chemistry and culture. I like coach Deion Sanders in the long term, however in the short-term, this is a fade.– Fortenbaugh< img src=" https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/153.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true "width="50 “/ >
No. 21 North Carolina
at South Carolina Saturday 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, Bank of America Arena, Charlotte, North CarolinaLine: North Carolina (-2.5 )
Cash line: North Carolina (-140 ), South Carolina (+118 )
Total: 64.5 pointsFPI forecast:
North Carolina: 57.4% possibility to win.Projected margin of triumph: +3.0 points Betting patterns South Carolina is 11-4 ATS in last 15-
season openers.North Carolina is 2-7-1 ATS in last 10 as a favorite.North Carolina was 7-2
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to the over last season in games with a total of 60
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or more.The under has actually hit in four of the previous five meetings.Best bets: North Carolina(-2.5 ); Over 64.5 points.
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South Carolina completed hot last year and Rattler was a substantial factor for that
, however let us not forget the Gamecocks lost three top-tier starters on defense in Webcam Smith, Zacch Pickens and Darius Rush. Drake Maye and the Tar Heels did lose four straight games to liquidate the season last year, but the more skilled lineup is in Chapel Hill– especially with Myles Murphy, Cedric Gray and Amari Gainer on defense. I do think it will be close however offer me the Tar Heels to cover in this one. And since it’s Week 1, constantly take the over.– Matt Miller Editor’s Picks 2 Related Best bet: Over 64.5 points. Maye will become a household name this year prior to hearing his name called within the top three picks of the 2024 NFL draft next April.
He is the headliner. While he lost his
leading 2 receivers, the Tar Heels offense will be still be electric. The issue is their defense. North Carolina will have a great deal of players back however from a defense that was bottom 30 in country in points enabled. Rattler and South Carolina finished last season strong and have high hopes. This is a big game for both teams however with both groups handling modifications on defense, I see the over in play.– Cuff < img src= "https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/52.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true" width =” 50″/ >
No. 5 LSU at No. 8 Florida State
Sunday 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, Outdoor Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FloridaLine: LSU (-2.5 )
Money line: LSU (-140 ), Florida State (+118 )
Total: 56.0 pointsFPI prediction:
LSU: 64.9% possibility to win.Projected margin of success: +6.1 points Betting patterns Florida State is3-7 ATS in last 10
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AP top-10 matchups.Florida State is 1-4 ATS in last five season openers.LSU head coach Brian Kelly is
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0-5 ATS in last five games favored by three or fewer.Best bet: LSU (-2.5).
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LSU lost this match by one point in 2015. One point. And that can be found in a game which
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Florida State held the ball for an extra 8 minutes in time of belongings, converted 65%of its third-down opportunities and finished with a plus-1 turnover differential. Do we see this taking place again this season? My thought process is easy: Which of these two programs took a larger leap this offseason? FSU was a 10-win team in 2015 and will be solid in 2023. However LSU is entering Year 2 of the Brian Kelly age and I believe the Tigers are poised for a much bigger dive. Anything except -3 and I’m on the Tigers.– Fortenbaugh Believe you know college football? Play College Choose ’em 2023 and select winners every week. Sign up for FREE today!Best bet: Florida State (+2.5 )Joe is right. This game was extremely close last year, and we need to expect much of the very same in the marquee Sunday night match. The FSU offensive line is exceptionally skilled and skilled, which will can be found in convenient against an LSU protective line that is missing star tackle Maason Smith due to a suspension. Yes, the Tigers do have standout sophomore pass-rusher Harold Perkins, however he alone likely doesn’t close the gap defensively versus a Seminole offense that will run downhill early and often with running back Trey Benson. This need to be the Jordan Travis show– if the senior quarterback has time to discover targets Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson in the death game, the Seminoles must take care of business and entrust to the win. I’m comfy enough with Florida State to state they cover and hit the over.– Miller Best bet: Florida State ML (+118 )This should be a great and amusing game. Travis and Jayden Daniels are being spoken about in the Heisman Prize race. This is a huge stage on Sunday night but I believe FSU has more assistance on both sides of the ball for its Heisman candidate. The Noles can win the fight in advance and manage the line of skirmish, which will be substantial in this game. They did take out that win in a de facto road game in Caesars Superdome last year. This year’s game remaining in Orlando is absolutely valuable. Give me the Noles ML.– Cuff