Updated Friday, September 4, 2026. Lines are from DraftKings as of Friday and move before kickoff. This page is refreshed every week.
Two underdogs already cashed before Saturday arrived. UMass walked into Rutgers as a 28.5 point underdog on Thursday and won 37-21, and Colorado, a 6.5 point dog at Georgia Tech, blocked a walk off field goal try to win 14-13. Opening weekend is when the market knows the least, and the rest of the slate has plenty of spots where it could be wrong again.
| Game (ET) | Spread | Total | Our pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina at No. 13 Alabama, noon ABC | Alabama -27.5 | — | Alabama covers |
| North Texas at No. 6 Indiana, noon FOX | Indiana -40.5 | 56.5 | Indiana wins, North Texas covers |
| Oregon State at No. 23 Houston, noon ESPN | Houston -20.5 | — | Houston covers |
| Ball State at No. 1 Ohio State, 12:30 BTN | Ohio State -50.5 | 56.5 | Ohio State wins, under |
| Boise State at No. 2 Oregon, 3:30 CBS | Oregon -24.5 | 51.5 | Oregon wins, Boise State covers, under |
| Baylor vs. Auburn (Atlanta), 3:30 ABC | Auburn -7.5 | 58.5 | Auburn wins, Baylor covers |
| Texas State at No. 5 Texas, 3:30 ESPN | Texas -29.5 | 59.5 | Texas covers |
| Marshall at No. 18 Penn State, 3:30 FS1 | Penn State -23.5 | 52.5 | Penn State covers |
| Boston College at Cincinnati, 3:30 FOX | Cincinnati -7.5 | — | Cincinnati covers |
| Tulane at Duke, 3:30 ACCN | Check book | — | Duke |
| Wyoming at Colorado State, 6:00 USA | Colorado State -3.5 | — | Wyoming outright |
| Clemson at No. 11 LSU, 7:30 ABC | LSU -10.5 | 50.5 | LSU wins, Clemson covers, under |
| Western Michigan at No. 16 Michigan, 7:30 NBC | Michigan -27.5 | — | Michigan wins, Western Michigan covers |
| Florida Atlantic at Florida, 7:45 SECN | Florida -27.5 | — | Florida wins, FAU covers |
| UCLA at California, 10:30 ESPN | Cal -1.5 | 53.5 | Cal |
Sunday and Monday
| Game (ET) | Spread | Total | Our pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State at No. 17 Washington, Sun 4:00 NBC | Washington -23.5 | 50.5 | Washington covers |
| Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Notre Dame (Lambeau Field), Sun 7:30 NBC | Notre Dame -20.5 | 46.5 | Notre Dame covers |
| Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss (Nashville), Sun 7:30 ABC | Ole Miss -7 | — | Ole Miss wins, Louisville covers |
| No. 19 SMU at Florida State, Mon 7:30 ESPN | Check book | — | SMU |
The Reasoning on the Big Ones
Clemson at LSU. LSU won this game 17-10 in Death Valley last year with a far less talented roster, and now Lane Kiffin has Sam Leavitt at quarterback and the home crowd. The number has bounced between 9.5 and 12.5 since July, and early spread money is on LSU while ticket count is split. Clemson is starting Christopher Vizzina for the first time and is unranked for the first time since 2011, but Dabo Swinney’s defense is still good enough to keep a first-game-together LSU offense under 30. LSU wins, Clemson stays inside 10.5, and the total goes under 50.5, where 80 percent of early bets already sit.
Boise State at Oregon. Boise State is 4-0 against the spread in the last four meetings and leads the series 3-1. Oregon returns Heisman candidate Dante Moore and went 13-2, so the win is not in question. But 24.5 is steep against a three-time defending Mountain West champion with an experienced quarterback in Maddux Madsen, and the under has hit in five straight Boise State road games.
Baylor vs. Auburn. Auburn beat Baylor 38-24 in last year’s opener and Alex Golesh’s debut comes in Atlanta, effectively a home crowd. Baylor is 5-1 ATS in its last six neutral site games as an underdog and Dave Aranda’s teams tend to keep openers close. Auburn wins a shootout that lands near the total; Baylor covers.
Western Michigan at Michigan. First game for Kyle Whittingham in Ann Arbor. His Utah teams were built on defense and a run game, which means fewer possessions and fewer blowouts. The under is 4-0 in Michigan’s last four home games. Michigan wins comfortably without covering four touchdowns.
Wyoming at Colorado State. The pick against the number. Wyoming shut out Colorado State 28-0 last year and leads the Bronze Boot era 32-26. Colorado State is playing its first game as a Pac-12 member under Jim Mora and is laying 3.5 at home. Take the Cowboys outright.
Upset Alerts
Beyond Wyoming, the spots where a favorite is most exposed: North Texas at Indiana (a 12-win team catching 40.5), Boston College at Cincinnati (Cincinnati has a transfer quarterback and a new defensive coordinator), and Louisville vs. Ole Miss on Sunday (Louisville won 41-0 in its finale and Ole Miss is playing its first game under a new coach after Kiffin left). We track them on our Week 1 upsets page as results come in.
The Bottom Line
Favorites win the marquee games but the market is asking too much of several of them. Our leans: Clemson, Boise State, Baylor and Western Michigan to cover as underdogs, Wyoming outright, and unders in Baton Rouge and Eugene. Scores are on our live scoreboard throughout Saturday. Lines move; always check your book before kickoff. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.