This weekend we’ve got the start of the regular season in college football, so we don’t blame you if you’re getting excited!
Even though Week 0 doesn’t offer the best matchups and we only have a short slate to work with, we have three NCAAF computer picks for Saturday. Here are three bets from the AI Model to begin the year. Let’s break down the college football odds for this weekend!
Picks Summary
- Louisiana Tech -10 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
- Vanderbilt -17 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
- New Mexico State -8 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Florida International Golden Panthers vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Saturday, August 26, 2023 – 09:00 PM EDT at Joe Aillet Stadium
The AI Model suggests that the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs will continue their home dominance and earn a 41-19 victory over Florida International.
The Conference USA gave us a couple of conference matchups in Week 0. I’m not complaining!
Inconsistency
FIU went 4-8 overall but just 2-6 in the conference last season. The Golden Panthers are relying on Grayson James at quarterback. He was too inconsistent last year, but when he performed at a high level, the Golden Panthers found ways to win.
It just didn’t happen very often.
Meanwhile, the Panthers lost a lot of talent to the transfer portal, hurting the rebuild even more.
On the other hand, Louisiana Tech was in the same boat last year. They finished 3-9 and 2-6 in the C-USA. But instead of losing a lot of talent in the transfer portal, they added a lot.
The Pick
The Bulldogs added former Boise State quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who will quickly be this game’s most talented player. He’s also got an Ole Miss transfer at wide receiver and a bunch of playmakers that can get behind the secondary and make plays.
I’ll take the Bulldogs to earn a massive victory over the Golden Panthers. The AI Model is onto something.
NCAAF Pick: Louisiana Tech -10 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
Saturday, August 26, 2023 – 07:30 PM EDT at FirstBank Stadium
Our AI Model believes the Vanderbilt Commodores will earn a 45-18 victory over Hawaii in Week 0. At -17, it still looks like there’s value on the Commodores with the spread.
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors were once a fantastic program. But they finished 3-10 last season in Timmy Chang’s first season as head coach. This team couldn’t move the ball very well on offense last year. They had one of the worst passing attacks in college football.
That has to change if they want any success this season.
They’ll have Tylan Hines to carry the ball. He averaged over seven yards per carry last season. But the real question is about Brayden Schager, who added ten interceptions last year for Hawaii. That can’t continue.
Stepping Up
On the other hand, Vanderbilt had a “successful” season last year. They finished 5-7 and missed a bowl game by one win.
The Commodores defeated Florida and Kentucky last year. They compete in the SEC and are only building from it.
Vandy no longer has Mike Wright. But Vanderbilt is confident in AJ Swann at quarterback. He won’t run the ball and needs to be a bit more accurate. However, he still had ten touchdowns and two interceptions last year. Swann must lead this team in the passing game, especially while the young running back room matures.
This game will help them do that. Take Vanderbilt -17.
NCAAF Pick: Vanderbilt -17 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Massachusetts Minutemen vs. New Mexico State Aggies
Saturday, August 26, 2023 – 07:00 PM EDT at Aggie Memorial Stadium
Our AI Model believes that the UMass Minutemen will lose to the New Mexico State Aggies, 39-10, on ESPN’s featured game.
The UMass Minutemen won just one game last year. It was Don Brown’s first season as head coach in his defense. He’s coached for 13 years and has gone 96-56 at the college football level.
Unlikely
We’ll see if he can get to 100 wins this season. However, it’s probably unlikely. The offense added just 12.5 points per game and added four touchdowns with 14 interceptions.
However, Taisun Phommachanh will likely start for the Minutemen. He’s a former Clemson recruit who can get this offense moving. This team added a lot of different transfers, so it’s unclear how significant the chemistry is at this point.
On the other hand, New Mexico State finished 7-6 in last year’s season. HC Jerry Kill took New Mexico State bowling last year. They even defeated Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl to complete the season.
The Pick
The defense for the Aggies was sensational. They were top 30 in total defense and allowed 24 points per game.
Don’t rely on UMass doing much of anything offensively against the Aggies. Our AI Model knows something. Back the Aggies at -8. They’re about to earn a massive victory in Week 0.
NCAAF Pick: New Mexico State -8 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
