College football is back baby! While there’s only one SEC game to bet for Week 0, there are a couple of lines on a national scale worth taking a look at. Each week, I’ll give you our picks for every game featuring an SEC team and two top 25 teams, calling it Caleb’s Casino Calls, and I’ll add games where there’s a good line. Let’s dive in for Week 0 now.
Vanderbilt -17.5 vs. Hawaii, Over 56
With a strong finish to the season, a more resolved quarterback situation and the fact that they beat Hawaii 63-10 to open last year on the road, there’s no reason to think Vanderbilt can’t cover a 17.5-point spread at home. Hawaii is better too, but it’s not good enough to get within 18 points. Both teams return almost everybody on offense, but Vandy loses a lot on defense, which is why the Over hits.
Other college football bets to make
USC -30.5 vs. San Jose State
Yes, it’s a big line, but USC is returning Heisman Trophy quarterback Caleb Williams. Lincoln Riley is the Josh Heupel of the West, and he’s had all offseason to prepare for this game. San Jose State had a top 30 defense last year but replaces its entire defensive line, and while its offense returns a lot of starters, it was in the bottom half of the nation last year. As a result, USC should blow them out.
College football bet of the week
Navy +20.5 vs. Notre Dame
Last year, Navy lost just one game by more than 20 points, and they return 16 starters. That triple-option slows the game down and limits possessions, so it’ll be hard for the Irish to win by more than 20. Notre Dame only won last year’s game by a field goal in Baltimore in November. The trends have shifted more in Navy’s favor since them.
If you want to parlay this or make some extra money, I’m actually pretty high on the Under 49 too. After all, this spread bet is based on the idea that Notre Dame won’t score much. They have a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator who was demoted from his last job and a defensive-minded head coach. Oh, and this game’s in Ireland, lending itself to more sloppy play.
