Best College Football Prop Bets for Week 1 (Bet Carson Beck to Have Strong Start to 2024 Campaign)

Reed Wallach | Aug 30, 2024

Oct 14, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

With the first full week of college football season here, let's turn our attention to the budding player prop market to find some winners.

Big-name quarterbacks have some high-level matchups, so check out why I'm backing Carson Beck and Cam Ward to rack up numbers through the air in Week 1 while I'm also focused on Nick Singleton's enhanced role with Penn State this season.

It's my three favorite player props for Saturday's crop of games!

Best College Football Player Props for Week 1

• Nicholas Singleton OVER 64.5 Rushing Yards
• Carson Beck OVER 260.5 Passing Yards
• Cam Ward OVER 256.5 Passing Yards

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Nicholas Singleton OVER 64.5 Rushing Yards

Singleton failed to build on a sterling freshman season in 2023. After rushing for over 900 yards in 2022, he only tallied 752 yards on the ground last season. However, with a new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnecki, I’m expecting a big year from the former Gatorade High School Player of the Year. 

Kotelnecki’s ability to scheme up rushing lanes has led to the Jayhawks having 1,000-yard rushers in each of the last two seasons in Devin Neal, and I expect Singleton is in line for a healthy share of carries in this one.

Carson Beck OVER 260.5 Passing Yards

Given the question marks in the Georgia running back room, coupled with some injuries to the Clemson secondary, I expect the Bulldogs to attack through the air with its top-flight quarterback Beck. 

Beck went over this number in all but two regular season games in 2023, and that’s with plenty of abbreviated starts due to blowouts. Even when the Bulldogs failed to put up big numbers on the scoreboard, Beck was cooking through the air, passing for 269 yards and 313 yards in regular season games in which the team didn’t get to 30 points. 

Cam Ward OVER 256.5 Passing Yards

Ward comes from Washington State, where he ranked eighth in passing yards and fifth in passing attempts. While he will have more talent than he’s ever played with, including running back Damien Martinez, I believe the Hurricanes will attack with its quarterback in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s system. 

The Gators secondary was a weak point last season, 110th in EPA/Pass and 129th in explosive pass rate. While the group may take a step forward last season after a porous effort in 2023, I still believe that the Hurricanes have far too much potency in the passing game for options throughout the game. 

After investing millions into Ward, I’ll count on a big start through the air in his debut. 

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

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