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5 NCAA Football Week 1 Games We Will be Watching

Published Aug 10 2023, 11:15AM EDT
5 NCAA Football Week 1 Games We Will be Watching

Yes, technically the college football season starts on Aug. 26 with a smattering of games – Navy-Notre Dame being the highlight of a light schedule. Really, Week 1 begins in earnest the following Thursday night five days later, and quarterbacks will take center stage.

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Some of the game’s best signal callers will face off when things get going, and that gives fans and sports bettors alike the opportunity to grab and use the college football betting promos available to them in their respective states. Here are the games we’re watching – and wagering on with our favorite college football betting apps – when the college football regular season begins.

Florida at Utah (Aug. 31)

  • Early line: Utah -8.5
  • TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Truly the highlight of Thursday night slate. Can the Gators spring an upset for a second straight season? Billy Napier shocked the Utes at home to begin last year’s campaign, which ultimately ended in a 6-7 record. Utah, of course, went on to win the Pac-12, showing us that we shouldn’t get too overreactive from Week 1 outcomes. Still, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one as the Gators replace first-round pick Anthony Richardson and the Utes look to keep momentum from last year rolling.

Nebraska at Minnesota (Aug. 31)

  • Early line: Minnesota -7
  • TV: 8 p.m. ET, FOX

We love that the Big Ten is beginning its season with a few conference matchups in Week 1 (also note Ohio State-Indiana and Northwestern-Rutgers), and this is the best of the bunch. Always a close contest in the Big Ten West, Matt Rhule begins his rebuild of the Cornhuskers after the failed Scott Frost era. PJ Fleck has new faces incoming for the Golden Gophers, who have quietly won 36 games over the last four full seasons (and four bowl games).

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Colorado at TCU (Sept. 2)

  • Early line: TCU -20
  • TV: noon, FOX

Yes, the Buffs finished 1-11 last season. But they will be weekly headline news with Deion Sanders leading the way. Colorado added a host of elite-athlete transfers who will be thrown into the fire against a TCU team that shocked everyone and reached the College Football Playoff championship but got crushed by Georgia. Still, TCU is a 20-point favorite against Colorado on sports betting apps. The Horned Frogs are replacing a ton of players on offense but have plenty of talent waiting in the wings as they look to recreate last year’s magical season.

LSU vs. Florida State (Sept. 3)

  • Early line: LSU -2.5
  • TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

If you’re interested in betting on Heisman odds, you’ll want to pay attention to this one. Florida State’s Jordan Travis (+1400) and LSU’s Jayden Daniels (+1000) are among the group of favorites to win college football’s biggest award, and their resumes could get an early boost in this matchup of expected top-25 teams. The Seminoles are narrow underdogs at online sportsbooks and won on a buzzer-beater against the Tigers a year ago. Both sides feel evenly matched the second time around. This is the lone game of the week that will have national-title implications, with the winner jumping into the discission for a top-3 ranking in the country.

Clemson at Duke (Sept. 4)

  • Early line: Clemson -12
  • TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Don’t sleep on the Blue Devils. Mike Elko’s first season in Durham was a rousing success, with Duke going 9-4 and winning the Military Bowl. Now he kicks off Year 2 with a conference clash against Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers, who will have former five-star recruit Cade Klubnik under center. Clemson might be strong favorites here, but it wouldn’t shock us if Duke kept this one close at home. With many sportsbook promo codes offering first-bet insurance or bonus bets, this might be one to take a flier on.

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Mark Strotman  for USAToday.com
Mark Strotman 21 Articles written twitter logo @markstrot
Mark Strotman is a veteran sports journalist who has covered the Chicago Bulls and the NBA since 2012 for NBC Sports Chicago. His work has been featured on ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, The Chicago Tribune and Yahoo Sports among other publications. He graduated from Marquette University, where he covered the men's basketball team for three seasons, in 2012.