By Andrew Doherty
Week 1 of college football is upon us! We’ve got an exciting slate of games to look forward to this week.
Maybe you’ve been studying spreads all week and are just looking for a second opinion. Or maybe with summer winding down you’ve been busy and are playing catch-up. Either way, here at 365Scores, we’ve got you covered with the best bets for week one.
*Note: Odds used in this article are all available at the time of writing on 8/28*
SMU @ North Texas
The bet: SMU -10
This matchup is a tale of two offenses. SMU averaged 38.4 points per game last year despite having a tough strength of schedule and added even more pieces to what was already a very good unit in 2021. SMU’s offense projects to be even better in 2022.
Contrarily, North Texas returns the same mediocre offense from 2021. This unit simply couldn’t get it done when the team needed it the most last season. They failed to produce down the stretch in crucial spots in 2021 on multiple occasions, and their outlook hasn’t changed much in 2022.
Simply put, North Texas lacks the firepower on offense to keep up with SMU.
West Virginia @ Pittsburgh
The bet: Pittsburgh -6.5
This line has been moving back and forth between 6.5 and 7 across multiple sportsbooks, so everyone should be able to find Pittsburgh at -6.5 and lock it in. If you’re unable to get it -6.5, there’s still value in betting it at -7.
West Virginia is bringing in a lot of new pieces for the 2022 season. They’ll be featuring an offense that hasn’t had much in the way of reps together. This is an exploitable spot for the Pittsburgh defense if they’re able to put pressure on West Virginia’s offense that is going to take some time to gel and form an identity. Pittsburgh should win this one by double digits.
Cincinnati @ Arkansas
The bet: Arkansas -6
In what would’ve been a marquee matchup if it happened last year, both teams in this matchup are coming off standout seasons.
Cincinnati, however, is dealing with a massive departure in high-end talent after having 9 players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Arkansas projects to have another strong squad in 2022, lead by quarterback KJ Jefferson.
Even last year Cincinnati struggled to cover the spread on the road, going 1-4 ATS over their final five road games. Conversely, Arkansas has been a good bet to cover at home, finishing 6-2 ATS over their last eight matchups at home. This line opened at 7, and I think getting Arkansas under a touchdown in this spot is a great value.
Utah @ Florida
The bet: Utah -2.5
This isn’t a great spot for Florida’s first-year head coach Billy Napier. Going up against a stingy Utah defense that only allowed 20.6 points per game last season, the Gators offense is going to have their work cut out for them. On the other side of the ball, Utah projects to have a high-powered offense.
Florida, who finished with a 6-7 record in 2021, failed to cover the spread in any of their final seven games last season. Utah went 5-2 ATS over the course of their final 7 games and finished with a 10-4 record. Getting Utah for under a field goal is a no-brainer here.
