College football Week 1 best bets: ATS picks for loaded Labor Day weekend (2024)

Here's who/what we like in Temple-Oklahoma, Clemson-Georgia, Penn State-West Virginia, Miami-Florida and Notre Dame-Texas A&M and why.

Temple vs. Oklahoma, Friday, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

The books tell us this one will be all Sooners, and we can't say we disagree.

Temple was blown out a number of times the last two years as it went 6-18 in 2022 and 2023. Oklahoma has the offensive firepower to justify laying the points on the Sooners to cover the 40-point-plus spread against the overmatched Owls.

Best bet: Oklahoma -43 (-108 at DraftKings).

Clemson (1) vs. UGA (14) -- Sat., 12 p.m. (ABC)

Expect points to be at a premium in a clash between two of the best defenses in the country. The offenses might have more success on Saturday than they did when these teams met in a 10-3 slugfest that Georgia squeaked out back in the 2021 season opener, but don't expect a track meet, especially in the early going.

We're taking the first half under at 24.5 given all the future NFL talent on both defenses, from safety Malaki Starks and DE Mykel Williams for Georgia to Clemson standout LB Barrett Carter and DT Peter Woods, to name a few.

Best bet: First Half Under 24.5 (best odds: -122 at DraftKings)

Penn State (8) vs. WVU -- Sat., 12 p.m. (FOX)

The Nittany Lions have the more talented roster, hence their status as favorites by more than a touchdown on the road in one of the toughest environments in the sport at Mountaineer Field.

Penn State has sent a number of offensive players to the NFL in recent years, but made a change at offensive coordinator this offseason to improve on performances like last year's low-scoring losses to Ohio State (20-12) and Michigan (24-15).

Under well-regarded former Kansas OC Andy Kotelnicki, will the Nittany Lions be able to maximize the talent of former five-star recruit Drew Allar at QB? That's the biggest question in Happy Valley this year.

While the jury is still out on how the Nittany Lions will fare against elite defenses, we like Penn State to start the season with a strong offensive showing in Morgantown.

Best bet: Penn State team total over 29.5 points (-115 at FanDuel)

Miami (19) vs. Florida -- Sat., 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

For our first upset of the day, we have our eye on The Swamp.

Two of the coaches under the most pressure in the nation (Miami's Mario Cristobal and Florida's Billy Napier) meet at 3:30 in what should be a scorcher in more ways than one.

Between star transfer QB Cam Ward from Washington State and a number of all-ACC level players returning from 2023, Miami appears to have everything it needs to win the ACC in 2024. That doesn't make the opener against the Gators any less daunting, though.

A year ago, Florida struggled to a 5-7 finish. But just ask Tennessee, who lost to Florida 29-16 last September as 5.5-point road favorites, how tough the Gators can be at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

We like Florida to get what looks like a difficult year (the Gators have one of the toughest schedules in the nation) off to a strong start with a close win over in-state rival Miami.

Best bet: Florida moneyline (+120 at bet365)

ND (7) vs. Tex. A&M (20) -- 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

Saturday's primetime game is a fascinating one on several fronts.

Texas A&M's home clash with Notre Dame marks Mike Elko's debut as head coach in College Station. On Saturday, he's facing his former quarterback, Riley Leonard, who transferred from Duke (where he started his college career for Elko) to Notre Dame over the offseason.

The Irish have been rock-solid for years, but a season opener at Kyle Field would be difficult under ideal circ*mstances, and the state of the Notre Dame offensive line is the opposite of ideal right now due to some bad preseason injury luck at offensive tackle.

The raucous home environment for a talented team like A&M under a good coach like Elko + one of the best pass rushers in the country (ex-Purdue DE Nic Scourton) + an Irish O-line in flux = a home victory for the Aggies.

Best bets:

• Texas A&M -2.5 (-120 at FanDuel)
• Under 47.5 (-115 at FanDuel)

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