College Football Betting Picks: Best Bets for the Week 0 Slate

Kickoff of the 2024 college football season is finally upon us.

This year’s Week 0 slate features just four games, but the timing of each one means that college football fans will be treated to live action from noon Eastern until the wee hours of Sunday morning.

How to Watch College Football Week 0

• 12 p.m. ET: No. 10 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (TV: ESPN)
• 4 p.m. ET: Montana State at New Mexico (TV: FS1)
• 8 p.m. ET: SMU at Nevada (TV: CBS Sports Network)
• 11:59 p.m. ET: Delaware State at Hawaii (TV: Spectrum PPV / Team1Sports)

Unfortunately, most viewers will have trouble accessing the midnight matchup between Delaware State and Hawai’i, but the first three games of the day will be widely available.

The ACC matchup between 2023 ACC champ Florida State and Georgia Tech, which is coming off a 7-6 (5-3 ACC) season, is the clear headliner, but it’s not the only game featuring a power-conference team.

The 8 p.m. matchup between SMU and Nevada will mark the Mustangs’ first game since their move to the ACC this offseason, and Montana State-New Mexico looks interesting given that FCS school Montana State is heavily favored over Mountain West foe New Mexico.

bet365
BET $5, GET $150 BONUS BETS!
OR $1,000 FIRST BET SAFETY NET!

CLAIM OFFER
Promo Code: WEEK365

21 and present in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Virginia. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Deposit required. Bet Credits wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.

College Football Week 0 Betting Odds

Below are the best college football Week 0 betting odds, as well as the moneyline and total odds for FSU-GT, Mont. St.-NM, SMU-Nevada and Delaware State-Hawaii.

It’s interesting to note that the line has moved substantially in the direction of underdog Georgia Tech, while bettors’ action has resulted in SMU now laying as many as 26.5 points (FanDuel) after opening as a 24.5- or 25-point favorite against Nevada.

No. 10 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech Betting Odds

How to Bet Florida State vs. Georgia Tech

The public has hit this game, which is taking place in Dublin, Ireland, hard enough since lines were first released to move this from a 13-point spread to a 10.5-point spread.

Georgia Tech, as many CFB fans will remember, played well against the best opponents on its schedule in 2023, with wins over Miami and North Carolina, plus solid showings in competitive losses to Louisville and Goergia.

Florida State had to replace a ton of talent this offseason, but the Noles once again reloaded. It’s hard to say going into Week 0 whether FSU starting QB D.J. Uiagalelei will be good enough for the Noles to win the ACC, but he’s capable of leading this team to a win, if not a terribly comfortable one, over the Jackets in Dublin.

Georgia Tech looks like a live dog that will keep this close for at least a half, making the Jackets good value on the first half spread. FSU will, however, eventually find a way to cover against an opponent that allowed 29.5 points per game in 2023.

The Noles’ DL lost stars Jared Verse and Braden Fiske to the 2024 NFL Draft, but the D-line will remain a huge strength for this team this season. Georgia transfer Marvin Jones Jr., Miami transfer Darrell Jackson Jr. and returning star pass rusher Patrick Payton will make it a long day for Tech QB Haynes King and the Tech offense.

Florida State vs. Georgia Tech best bets:

• Georgia Tech first half spread +6.5 (best odds: -108 at DK, FD)
• Florida State -10.5 (best odds: -108 at DK)
• Georgia Tech Team Total Under 21.5 (-111)

Montana State at New Mexico Betting Odds

How to Bet Montana State at New Mexico

Montana State was one of the best teams in the FCS Big Sky a year ago, as the Bobcats went 8-4 (6-2) and were eliminated in the second round of the 2023 FCS playoffs by FCS juggernaut North Dakota State.

New Mexico, which has not won more than four games in a season since 2016, hired former BYU and Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall this offseason, who will have an uphill climb this year.

This is a tough game to predict, but let’s assume that if an FCS school is a 13.5-point (!) road favorite, there’s a good reason for it, and go with Montana State to win big.

Best bet: Montana State -13 (best odds: -110 at ESPN BET)

SMU at Nevada Betting Odds

How to Bet SMU at Nevada

We’re high on the Mustangs, both in Saturday’s season opener at Nevada and beyond. In fact, we’re backing SMU to go over its win total in its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

This team returns a ton of offensive talent, including an underrated QB in Preston Stone, who shredded the American a year ago.

Normally, a 25-point road favorite would be hard to back, but SMU won a number of blowouts a year ago (Rhett Lashlee’s team beat three of its conference opponents by 40 or more last year), and it will be looking to send a message on Saturday night.

SMU vs. Nevada best bets:

• SMU -25.5 (best odds: -110 at DK)
• SMU Team Total Over 41.5 (best odds: -115 at DK)

Delaware State at Hawaii Betting Odds*

*Note: Given the lopsided spread, the moneyline market for this game is not available at DK, FD or ESPN BET

How to Bet Delaware State at Hawaii

Spreads rarely get bigger this in college football, and when the line favors one team as heavily as it does Hawaii, the question is, How willing will the favorites be to run up the score?

The Rainbow Warriors finished the 2023 season strong, with three wins in their last four games, including a 27-24 victory over a decent Colorado State team in Hawaii’s regular-season finale.

But on Saturday night, the safe play is to take the underdogs from Delaware to keep the final score at least somewhat respectable.

Best bet: Delaware State +40.5 (best odds: -110 at ESPN BET)

Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator’s terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.