It was fun having college football back in our lives, but while most fans and casual bettors are reacting to Week 0, the sharps are quickly pivoting to their favorite college football predictions for Week 1.
This week’s slate is loaded with action from Thursday through Monday, providing ample opportunities for savvy bettors to find value.
However, it can seem daunting to try and handicap every game, and every bet type, for that matter, with so many on the docket, but don’t worry, let Action PRO (now available at a 66% discount off the normal monthly price) do the work!
For those unfamiliar, our Action PRO betting tools analyze key betting market indicators in real-time, summarizing the college football predictions being made by the wiseguys.
And after a quick scan of Week 1, Action PRO is already highlighting three games as ones attracting smart money, two of which — No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU — are among the highest profile on the slate.
Sharps Making 3 College Football Predictions for Week 1
*Odds as of Sunday morning
Ohio vs. Syracuse Prediction
Saturday, Aug. 31 | 3:30 p.m. ET | ACC Network
I assume the majority of readers are here for Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M and USC vs. LSU predictions, however, I simply couldn’t pass over Ohio vs. Syracuse.
Remember, value is value and winning bets on the biggest games pay just the same as they do on smaller matchups.
To start, Syracuse currently sits as a 17.5-point favorite against Ohio.
And according to Action PRO, pro bettors have already had a significant impact on this spread.
The Orange initially hit the market at -14.5 before sharps steamed the favorites on multiple occasions, driving the line up to -17.5.
Steam refers to sudden, uniform line movement across the market and is often the result of bettors with the resources and respect to move odds getting down on the same side of the same game at multiple sportsbooks, all at once.
PRO Pick: Syracuse -17.5 (-110) — BetMGM
Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M Prediction
Saturday, Aug. 31 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Notre Dame is the higher-ranked team and the underdog in this matchup, but the smart money is flowing on the home favorite.
After opening at -1, big bets from respected players have come in on the Aggies, explaining why the spread has jumped to a consensus of -3 as of the time of writing.
Specifically, the Action Network’s college football public betting data is reporting that Texas A&M has landed 56% of the spread tickets to this point, suggesting relatively balanced action.
However, 90% of the money wagered is also being the Aggies, identifying just how the pros are approaching this matchup.
It’s also extremely important to note that while this line has settled in at Texas A&M -3 at most sportsbooks, DraftKings and FanDuel are both still at -2.5, so be sure to stay off the key number of -3 if grabbing the Aggies in Saturday’s huge matchup.
PRO Pick: Texas A&M -2.5 (-115) — DraftKings
LSU vs. USC Prediction
Sunday, Sept. 1 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
LSU vs. USC will be played on a neutral field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, however, experts are anything but neutral on the spread.
Lincoln Riley’s Trojans are getting peppered by sharps, against an LSU team which lost a whole host of players to the draft. Plus, top college football experts in our app also locked in the first-year Big Ten club to cover, evident by PRO Report.
Maybe that’s why this spread has already shortened from USC +6 to +4.5?
PRO Pick: USC +4.5 (-108) — FanDuel
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