College Football Predictions & Best Bets for Week 0

At last, another college football season has arrived. 

While the party won’t fully start until next week, the annual Week 0 appetizer offers bettors a chance to shake off the rust and get a couple of early stakes down. 

With seven games on the schedule for Saturday, I’ve got three college football betting angles for you to consider, while we wait around for the best Week 1 college football games to materialize.

Florida State vs. New Mexico State Prediction

I’ve already written a lot this summer about how much I like Florida State, so there’s no need for me to repeat all that. To summarize: I love that the Seminoles are playing this game. I love how it sets them up for next weekend’s SMU game. I love that it gives them the flexibility to take a bye week before the trip to Tuscaloosa in Week 3.

So, yes, I am excited for this game. But Mike Norvell and his team might not be, since a Week 0 game against New Mexico State invites the chance for injury in a glorified exhibition against a Conference USA team.

I have to think that Norvell’s goal for this game will be to run the ball, eat the clock, and reach the 60th minute as fast as possible. When you pair that with the advantages the Florida State defense should have in this game, and the fact that Week 0 favors low-scoring games anyway … well, you can probably see where I’m going with this. 

Prediction: FSU/NMSU Under 54.5

North Dakota State vs. Jacksonville State Prediction

Arguably the most interesting game of the day, North Dakota State gets its long-awaited FBS debut against former FCS foe Jacksonville State. 

JSU is no longer the OVC cream puff it was once accused of being back when these two teams played for the FCS national championship in 2015. It’s appeared in back-to-back CUSA championship games and will have more reliable FBS depth in this game. 

This is a high-variance game to model. North Dakota State could pick up right where it left off and bulldoze a cover with bonus touchdowns in the fourth quarter, as it often has in the past. Or, the FCS-to-FBS offseason transition – portal transfers and all – could have left the Bison roster in an unusually mediocre state. That is life in the G6, after all.

Because there’s really no way of knowing what NDSU will look like, I’m in favor of taking both the points and the moneyline with Jacksonville State. Because of the wide variation of potential outcomes, I find the JSU price in this game – particularly the moneyline – to be too lucrative to pass on. 

Prediction: Jacksonville State +7; JSU +220

USC vs. San Jose State Prediction

It could be a good year for USC football odds, as the Trojans have been hyped as a playoff dark horse in the Big Ten this year. And indeed, USC could crack the field with it’s all said and done in December.

But even if you’re bullish on USC this year, it seems like a tall task to cover a number on the doorstep of 40 in an August football game. To me, this is San Jose State or pass.

There’s a couple notes I’ll share to support this. The first is the coaching pedigree. San Jose State’s head coach is Ken Niumatalolo, the longtime Navy coach who’s now in his third year with the Spartans. As you might expect, the offensive line is expected to be the strength of the team once again. That could mean fewer possessions and a shorter game for USC.

Another key element to consider is how USC’s big brand plays against it in games like this. Sure, the Trojans leveled Missouri State in last year’s opener 73-13. But how many kids on this San Jose State team are West Coast kids who wanted to play for USC but weren’t recruited by the Trojans? 

USC has played SJSU twice in the last five years. USC won 56-28 (2023) and 30-7 (2021). 

This could be a more dangerous opponent than, say, Rice – the team USC beat in its opener 66-14 in 2025. With this line spiking close to 40, I think there’s growing value in holding on for dear life with San Jose State. 

Prediction: San Jose State +39

College Football Best Bets: Week 0

• Jacksonville State +220
• Florida State/New Mexico State Under 54.5
• San Jose State +39