College Football Week 1: Odds and picks for Thursday September 1st

At long last it’s finally here, Week 1 of the College Football season. Tonight’s matchups include West Virginia facing No. 17 Pittsburgh to Central Michigan taking on No. 12 Oklahoma State, and finally, the matchup between the Virginia Military Institute against No. 22 Wake Forest.

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Here are the odds and picks from tonight as College Football is set to kick off!

College Football odds and picks

West Virginia at No. 17 Pittsburgh

Those familiar with college football understand how deep this rivalry, known affectionately as the “Backyard Brawl”, between the Mountaineers and the Panthers goes. To those with a more easygoing approach to college football, the two teams’ history dates back all the way to 1895 with many hard fought games played in that time. That is, until 2011 when they played their last against each other. Until tonight that is.

Pittsburgh, at least the Panthers, will be without Kenny Pickett this season after he was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2022 NFL. If that were not difficult enough, the Panthers have also completely changed their offensive scheme.

Despite their status as a Top 20 team, West Virginia has a huge opportunity tonight.

Taking the Mountaineers to win would be bold but not foolish. If it’s too bold for your blood, you can always take the +7.5 spread.

Central Michigan at No. 12 Oklahoma State

The Oklahoma State Cowboys boasted a top 10 defense in terms of points allowed last season and while they faced the inevitable roster turnover that is part of college football, there is hope that they will still remain fierce.

Central Michigan meanwhile runs their offense through their star running back Lew Nichols which will likely remain the case this season.

Between Oklahoma State’s defense and Central Michigan’s run-centric offense, the under looks to be the logical play at hand. The Oklahoma State Cowboys will more than likely take the win tonight but there’s a lot of fight in Central Michigan. Look for them to take the spread +21.5 tonight.

Virginia Military Institute at No. 22 Wake Forest

The No. 22 ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons come into the matchup tonight as extremely heavy favorites. There’s unlikely to be much surprise in this game as the Demon Deacons are so likely to win, the money isn’t even worth it.

More encouraging than that is the spread however, any spread over 30 is sure to present some semblance of hesitancy.

What is interesting is the potential of the total. The Demon Deacons averaged to fourth most points in college football last season and their offense will once again be extremely high-powered. Considering this, taking the over for tonight’s game.