LK’s College Football Week 1 Betting Slate

LaNorris Sellers looks to capitalize on his success from the 2024 season (Image via Jeremy Reper/Imagn-Images)
By: Lucas Kochevar

The college football season started last week with a couple games kicking off for week zero, namely Kansas State and Iowa State, where the Cyclones won as an outright dog at +3. It was a fun appetizer, but now it’s time for the real deal week one with Top 25 matchup galore, including Texas at Ohio State. Those games are all fun, but it’s time to try and find some winners in the weeds. 

Indiana -23.5 vs Old Dominion

If you’re a blue blood football school getting ready to face off against Indiana, you should be prepared. If you’re a group of five program getting ready to face off against Indiana, you should run. Indiana was a covering machine last season as a favorite where they were 7-1 when covering. The thought might be that coming off a big time season and playoff appearance that their guard will be down and Old Dominion could keep it close, but it’s wishful thinking. Head coach Curt Cignetti normally gets up for games like this where they just go pedal to the metal. With big time transfer Fernando Mendoza coming in, I think the Hoosiers will look to make noise offensively and stomp Old Dominion. 

Coastal Carolina @ Virginia u58

Picking totals is a horrifying feeling because it’s week one and there is no information to go on other than gut feelings. This is that kind of play because there is zero trust in what head coach Tony Elliot is cooking up with the Cavaliers offense and Coastal Carolina hasn’t been a reliable offense to predict since Grayson McCall was the quarterback. Coastal Carolina was shockingly good at hitting the over last season, but there is always skepticism when the group of five offense has to play the power four defense. The Cavaliers were 3-7 in hitting the over last season. These teams did play last season and they did hit the over, with ease, but I don’t trust it to hit two seasons in a row. 

South Carolina -7.5 vs Virginia Tech (Neutral Site)

The hype around South Carolina is major with the team’s hot end to the 2024 season and emergence of LaNorris Sellers. They come into this season with hopes to repeat that success and week one versus Virginia Tech feels like a great place to start. The fascinating part about this matchup is Shane Beamer going against his dad’s old team and that adds a little more to the emotion of how much Beamer wants to win this game. On top of that, Sellers leading the offense and D.J. Stewart leading Virginia Tech spinning.