Week Zero College Football Best Bets: North Carolina Clown Car Rolls Into Dublin
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Week Zero. The anticipation for college football has grown so intense in recent years, that teams, fans, and bettors can no longer wait for something pedestrian like “Week 1.” Week Zero and the College Football Betting Season begins in Dublin, Ireland for the fifth consecutive year on Saturday, August 29. At 12 p.m. (ET), Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson and North Carolina face TCU. That game headlines our Week Zero College Football Best Bets.
The dysfunction and widespread failure seen on and off the field at Chapel Hill offers a tantalizing appetizer for some legitimate in the coming weeks college football. Not even Homer himself could craft such a tale or woe and anguish. The greatest NFL coach in history enters the college ranks at mid-tier ACC football school, only to watch that schools’ most-hated rival (the Duke Blue Devils) capture the conference championship game during that first season. Winning a title game played in Charlotte. Meanwhile, Belichick's No. 1 flunky and self-anointed resident genius, Mike Lombardi, has been placed on paid administrative leave.
"We're working through some things," Belichick said during training camp news conference in where the school warned he would not comment directly on Lombardi's status.
We're on to TCU.
Oddsmakers expect little from the Tar Heels this season. As the season begins, speculation focuses on when, not if, Belichick and his cronies depart the Tar Heel state. UNC is a charitable +15000 to win the ACC and its win total is 4.5 (-110 both ways) at FanDuel.
Other Week Zero Games To Watch
Our Week Zero College Football Best Bets jump 5,185 miles from Dublin to the Los Angeles later that afternoon. The San Jose State visits USC. The ACC gets a jump on intra-conference play, as well. North Carolina State visits Virginia for a game once scheduled to take place in Brazil. The fun continues into Saturday night, with games including Florida State, UNLV and Stanford.
College Football Week Zero Bets Bets: Odds & Picks
Here are Week Zero College Football Best Bets. All odds from FanDuel via OddsJam.
CFB Week 0 Best Bets
Bookies.com Picks · FanDuel Odds Via OddsJam
Week Zero Bets Bets: Game-By-Game Analysis
Here's the rundown of our Week Zero College Football Best Bets All times are listed as ET
Saturday, August 29
North Carolina vs. TCU, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
(Dublin, Ireland)
Buzz: Bill Belichick brings the circus to Dublin. He's rebuilding his roster again in Year Two. The Heels are pegged at 4.5 total wins. Last season, they brought in Belichick, Jordon Hudson, and the since-placed-on-leave GM Mike Lombardi, only to watch helplessly as a 5-loss Duke team won the ACC. Sonny Dykes and TCU have won 9 games in each of the past two seasons, but no one outside Fort Worth has noticed. That ends here in Week Zero. The Horned Frogs have the chance to own the college football spotlight. They'll take it, and run.
Best Bet: TCU -7.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam
San Jose State at USC, 3 p.m. (NBC)
Buzz: Not even Odysseus can save the Spartans as they enter the Coliseum to battle USC's Trojans. Lincoln Riley needs to elevate USC's also-ran status in the Big Ten. USC led Big Ten in overall offense last year. (Yes, you read that correctly.) USC's preseason win total stands at 8.5, no doubt including a win here. But it's "Playoff or Bust" this time. The Trojans carry a 5+ touchdown number. Style points and blowouts matter. And nothing says "playoff contender" like scoring 50-something points before Labor Day.
Best Bet: USC -38.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam
North Carolina State at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Buzz: This game was once scheduled to be played in Brazil. The Cavaliers saw the ACC Championship and a likely College Football Playoff spot evaporate in an OT loss to Duke. NC State won't be an ACC pushover this season. Both teams are pegged at 7.5 wins. Virginia coach Tony Elliott has two potential starting QBs, either will have plenty of targets. But it may take a few games things to settle. Virginia's defense, meanwhile, will be fresh out of the box to tussle with Dave Doeren's offense and QB CJ Bailey. The Wildcats defense remains the weak link here. Still, this total's a bit too steep for Week Zero in a competitive game.
Best Bet: Under 54.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam
Hawai’i at Stanford, 7 p.m. (ACC Network)
Buzz: Take the Rainbow Warriors as the Week 0 upset pick. Hawai’i returns quarterback Micah Alejado, the reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Year, and should have the more established offense. Stanford counters with Michigan transfer Davis Warren at quarterback as the Cardinal begin the Tavita Pritchard era. A new coach and new QB in Week 0? No thanks.
Best Bet: Hawai’i +5.5 (-105) FanDuel via OddsJam
New Mexico State at Florida State, 7 p.m. (The CW)
Buzz: Mike Norvell owns a permanent spot on the College Football Coaching Hot Seat. HIs Noles are 7-18 over 25 games. The ACC remains incredibly competitive - just within the State of Florida. The Noles began their last 4 of their past 5 seasons against Notre Dame, LSU, Boston College, and Alabama. This year, it's back to the New Mexico States. Norvell brings back. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn retired. But the Noles nabbed QB Ashton Daniels from Auburn. This glorified scrimmage should help set the Noles in the right direction. Group of Five teams can be treacherous, especially early in the season. The Aggies force turnovers. You'll sweat this one either way.
Best Bet: New Mexico State +31.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam
Memphis at UNLV, 10 p.m. (Fox)
Buzz: UNLV opened as 4.5-point favorites before the locals bet it up to 5.5 The Rebels second year under Dan Mullen may be their last. Multiple teams coveted the coach this past offseason. Jackson Arnold takes at QB for the Rebels, who still love to score early and often. Memphis has plenty of upside under new coach Charles Huff, but the Tigers' starting QB remained undecided with barely two weeks until kickoff. That’s a tough spot for a rebuilt offense making its debut at Allegiant Stadium.
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