College football Week 0 picks against the spread

Picking against the spread for Week 0 college football games

College football is back with the Week 0 schedule set to kick off on Saturday.

There are 11 games set for opening weekend, with the biggest matchup between a pair of Big Ten squads as Nebraska and Northwestern sets off from Dublin.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest matchups on the opening day of the 2022 season and make our picks against the spread.

College football Week 0 picks against the spread

Odds according to Caesars Sportsbook and all times Eastern

Nebraska vs. Northwestern

Point spread: Nebraska -13.5

Over/under: 50.5

When: 12:30 p.m. on Fox

What to expect: Mathematically, Nebraska might be the best three-win team in college football history. It lost all nine games by single digits a year ago and outscored opponents by 63 points combined. And it got better this offseason by adding quarterback Casey Thompson and play-caller Mark Whipple. Those additions alone should be enough to outpace Northwestern's overmatched secondary.

ATS pick: Nebraska wins by 9, doesn't cover

UConn at Utah State

Point spread: Utah State -26.5

Over/under: 59.5

When: 4 p.m. on FS1

What to expect: Jim Mora inherits arguably the biggest rebuild in college football history at UConn and travels out west as near four-TD underdogs against an Aggie team that a year ago won 11 games, beat Oregon State in a bowl, won its conference, and returns over a dozen starters.

ATS pick: Utah State wins by 24, doesn't cover

Wyoming at Illinois

Point spread: Illinois -11

Over/under: 44

When: 4 p.m. on BTN

What to expect: Keep an eye on the Illini. Four of their seven losses last season came by 7 or fewer points, returns a solid defensive core, a pair of productive rushers, and has big-armed Syracuse transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito behind center. Wyoming is starting a new quarterback after losing two in the transfer portal.

ATS pick: Illinois wins by 10, doesn't cover

Vanderbilt at Hawaii

Point spread: Vanderbilt -8

Over/under: 53

When: 10 p.m. on CBSSN

What to expect: Usually when you open against an SEC team, you're due for a loss, but Vandy isn't your average SEC team. It went 0-8 in conference last fall and hasn't won a league game since 2019. Vanderbilt was all of six total points away from going winless last season and lost its opener a year ago, by 20 to East Tennessee State.

ATS pick: Vanderbilt wins by 3, doesn't cover

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