Week 1 Thursday College Football Odds and Bets

Bet on these two Week 1 college football underdogs in their season openers Thursday.

Week 1 of the 2022 NCAA college football season kicks off Thursday night with ranked teams No. 12 Oklahoma State, No. 17 Pittsburgh and No. 22 Wake Forest all in action on the prime-time slate. The Cowboys and Demon Deacons are both three touchdown-plus home favorites, while the Panthers face rival West Virginia in the first meeting of the “Backyard Brawl” since 2011.

Top ranked Alabama (+190), No. 2 Ohio State (+300) and No. 3 Georgia (+330), the favorites to win the national championship, will all be in action Saturday.

College Football Betting Previews: SEC | Big Ten | 2023 No. 1 Pick | Heisman | Big 12 | ACC | Pac-12 | Notre Dame

Respected money in Vegas went 1-2 against the spread (ATS) in Week Zero and aims to get back to its winning ways with two underdog targets Thursday.

Bet on College Football at SI Sportsbook

Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State (0-0) vs. Purdue (0-0)

Spread: Penn State -3.5 (-110) | Purdue +3.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Penn State (-188) | Purdue (+138)
Total: 53.5 – Over (-118) | Under 53.5 (-110)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: PSU 65% | PUR 35%
Game Info: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 | 8 p.m. ET | Fox
Editor’s Note - Odds are subject to change.

The line has ticked up since the opener in favor of Penn State as a three-point road favorite against Big Ten rival Purdue with a line currently displaying the Nittany Lions as 3.5-point favorites at SI Sportsbook.

Fourth-year starting quarterback Sean Clifford, who battled injuries last season, will be without former star wideout and Commanders’ first-round pick Jahan Dotson. Penn State now turns to Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley.

Purdue is without last season’s top playmaker as wideout David Bell (93 receptions, 1,286 yards, six touchdowns) left for the NFL. However, the Boilermakers retained quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who threw for 534 yards and five touchdowns in the 48-45 overtime win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.

Thursday’s tilt will mark the first meeting between squads since 2019 and Penn State owns an eight-game winning streak in the series (4-3-1 ATS) dating back to 2006. The two teams have posted a 2-5-1 mark to the under in oddsmakers’ point totals.

Purdue went 8-5 ATS last season, while going 4-3 ATS as an underdog. A deeper dive reveals that under head coach Jeff Brohm, Purdue has thrived when getting points and posted an impressive 12-5 ATS (71%) mark over the last three seasons.

After winning 11 games in 2019, James Franklin has only led the Nittany Lions to an 11-11 record over the last two seasons.

Purdue has the edge at quarterback in O’Connell, home-field advantage as well as the desired ‘hook’ in the points spread. Grab the points with the live home ‘dog.

BET: Purdue +3.5

GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK

Central Michigan (0-0) vs. No. 12 Oklahoma State (0-0)

Spread: Central Michigan +21.5 (-110) | Oklahoma State -21.5 (-118)
Moneyline: CMU (+900) | OKST (-2000)
Total: 58 – Over (-118) | Under 58 (-110)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: CMU 32% | OKST 68%
Game Info: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 | 7 p.m. ET | FS1
Editor’s Note - Odds are subject to change.

The line has slightly bumped up since opening with Oklahoma State as a 21-point home favorite against Central Michigan.

Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders returns for his senior season, but the Cowboys are without both last season’s leading rusher Jaylen Warren and top wideout Tay Martin, who departed for the NFL. Mike Gundy will lean on junior back Dominic Richardson, who rushed for four touchdowns on 79 carries in 2021.

Central Michigan heads into the Thursday night’s contest with one of the most potent running attacks in the country led by Lew Nichols. The powerful back led the nation in rushing (1,848) last season, while also adding 18 total touchdowns.

Oddsmakers believe the Chippewas will find it hard to end Oklahoma State’s eight-game home winning streak. Oklahoma State is 11-1 in its last 12 home games but just 6-5-1 ATS over that span. However, Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain has posted a lucrative 21-12 ATS mark dating back to 2019.

The biggest angle here is that we are now getting more than three touchdowns worth of points from the oddsmakers. Nichols should be able to move the chains on the ground, enabling the Chippewas to keep this game within the number.

BET: Central Michigan +21.5

2022 SI Betting NCAA Football: 1-2 ATS
2021 SI Betting NCAA Football: 14-12 ATS
2020 SI Betting NCAA Football: 32-21 ATS

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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.

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