College Football Week 1 Opening Lines, Odds & Best Bets: Irish Shine in Primetime

With Week 0 in the rearview mirror, it’s all systems go for the 2026 college football season. We have officially made it, ladies and gentlemen. Buckle your seatbelts for a dramatic and entertaining year, as a full menu of games is only a few days away. The action gets underway on Thursday and Friday with a six-pack of matchups each before Saturday's behemoth schedule. We also will be able to enjoy some Sunday and Monday football before the NFL overtakes those days next week. 

New Mexico State was a sweat-free cash for us in Week 0, pushing my overall record to 21-10 (67.7%) on these early-week best bets since the start of the 2024 regular season. We’re looking to keep that momentum going ahead Week 1, though keep in mind, these lines are stale; they’ve been out for weeks or even months in some cases. I’ll identify which lines have moved the most, as well as the current odds of the biggest matchups, before we get into what everyone’s here for: the Week 1 best bet.

For picks and analysis on every FBS matchup this season, make sure to check out our college football predictions. 

College Football Week 1 Opening Odds

Odds courtesy of bet365 around 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, August 30

Thursday, September 3

• Rutgers -29.5 (-110) vs UMass; Total: 53.5 (-110)
• Georgia Tech -6.5 (-110) vs Colorado; Total: 50.5 (-110)
• Illinois -28.5 (-110) vs UAB; Total: 56.5 (-110)

Friday, September 4

• Eastern Michigan -3.5 (-110) vs San Jose State; Total: 54.5 (-110)
• Michigan State -10.5 (-105) vs Toledo: Total: 49.5 (-110)
• Miami -24.5 (-110) @ Stanford; Total: 48.5 (-110)

Saturday, September 5

• West Virginia -21.5 (-110) vs Coastal Carolina; Total: 56.5 (-110)
• Alabama -28.5 (-110) vs East Carolina; Total: 54.5 (-110)
• James Madison -6.5 (-110) vs Liberty; Total: 52.5 (-110)
• Indiana -40.5 (-110) vs North Texas; Total: 55.5 (-110)
• Houston -20.5 (-115) vs Oregon State; Total: 50.5 (-110)
• Pitt -16.5 (-110) vs Miami (OH); Total: 49.5 (-110)
• Auburn -7.5 (+100) vs Baylor; Total: 59.5 (-110) N
• Oregon -24.5 (-110) vs Boise State; Total: 51.5 (-110)
• Cincinnati -7.5 (-110) vs Boston College; Total: 51.5 (-110)
• Texas -30.5 (-110) vs Texas State; Total: 60.5 (-110)
• Duke -9.5 (-110) vs Tulane; Total: 51.5 (-110)
• Oklahoma State -14.5 (-105) @ Tulsa; Total: 60.5 (-110)
• Colorado State -3.5 (-105) vs Wyoming; Total: 48.5 (-110)
• Memphis -8.5 (-110) vs Arkansas State; Total: 54.5 (-110)
• LSU -10.5 (-110) vs Clemson; Total: 51.5 (-110)
• Florida -26.5 (-110) vs Florida Atlantic; Total: 59.5 (-110)
• UNLV -2.5 (-120) @ Hawaii; Total: 58.5 (-110)
• UCLA -1.5 (-115) @ Cal; Total: 53.5 (-110)
• Western Kentucky -2.5 (-115) @ Nevada; Total: 53.5 (-110)

Sunday, September 6

• Washington -23.5 (-110) vs Washington State; Total: 50.5 (-110)
• Ole Miss -6.5 (-115) vs Louisville; Total: 55.5 (-110) N
• Notre Dame -20.5 (-115) vs Wisconsin; Total 47.5 (-110) N

Monday, September 7

• SMU -2.5 (-110) @ Florida State; Total: 53.5 (-110)

Notable CFB Week 1 Line Moves

• Miami opened at -21.5 and is currently -24.5 at Stanford.
• West Virginia has grown from -17.5 to -21.5 for their contest with Coastal Carolina.
• Alabama crossed key numbers of 27 and 28, going from -25.5 to -28.5 against ECU.
• Boston College has attracted some money, catching 7.5 rather than the original 9.5.
• UCLA opened as a slight underdog on the road at Cal and is now a slight favorite.
• Western Kentucky was a -4 favorite at open and has since fallen to -2.5.

College Football Week 1 Opening Lines Best Bet: Notre Dame Fighting Irish -20.5 over Wisconsin Badgers (-110)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM at the time of publishing. Playable to -22.5 (-110).

It’s never fun to lay nearly three touchdowns in any college football game, let alone in Week 1, but I can’t help myself here. Notre Dame comes into this season as one of the national-title favorites after a very disappointing end to their season. Not only are they one of the favorites, but they return the most production in the country at 72%, per SP+. That number is actually being dragged down by their offense, which still sits at 67% (19th nationally) despite losing running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price – both drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. 

On the other side, the Irish return 77% of a stop-unit that finished 10th nationally in scoring (17.6 PPG), 22nd in total defense (313.5 YPG) and 29th in explosive plays allowed. Not to mention, this secondary is led by arguably the best defender in the country in Leonard Moore, who enters his third and likely final collegiate season after leading the country in PFF’s coverage grade as a true sophomore last year. 

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell is hanging on by a thread in Madison. There are tons of transfers competing for position on the two-deep, but I’m not sure how cohesive and intimidating this squad will be under the lights on national TV in the first week of the season. Most of these transfers don’t have much, if any, experience on this kind of stage. 

Under center will be Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph. I like the idea of his dual-threat ability on this roster, but he has to produce as a passer to be competitive against Notre Dame, and I struggle to see that happening in Week 1 when his three projected starting receivers combined to catch fewer than 25 passes in 2025 – and two of those three are seniors. For what it’s worth, Joseph threw the second-most interceptions in the Sun Belt last year despite having the seventh-most pass attempts, and his adjusted completion percentage was quite literally worst in the conference. How exactly am I supposed to find motivation in that against this defense?

The Badgers likely want to pound the ball, control the clock and eliminate mistakes. Unfortunately for them, Notre Dame wants to do the same and is better at it – even without Love and Price. This rushing attack should still be potent. The Irish’s offensive line should be one of the better units in the country, while Aneyas Williams has patiently awaited his turn to bear the workload, averaging 7.6 yards per carry on his 58 career attempts in two years. It will only help Williams for Notre Dame to have a great passing attack, and in year two with CJ Carr under center, expect exactly that. I’m looking for a Notre Dame blowout here.