Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 1 odds, picks, and predictions for this week’s game: Rice vs. USC.
Check out our other Week 1 game previews:
Rice (+32.5) at USC
Hold your nose and jump. My system is showing six points of value on Rice. You can consider those six points a straight tax on USC offseason hype.
The Trojans’ offense should be awesome immediately. HC Lincoln Riley, QB Caleb Williams and WR Mario Williams, who came over together from Oklahoma, provide a sort of continuity. WR Jordan Addison rivals CeeDee Lamb as the best WR that Riley has ever coached. RB Travis Dye should put up big numbers this year behind an awesome USC OL on the interior.
But USC has major question marks on defense. There are just as many new faces on defense as on offense, they just aren’t as accomplished and don’t have the star power. USC DC Alex Grinch has recently sounded pessimistic about that unit’s progress.
Rice lacks USC’s talent, but it has continuity going for it. The Owls have 14 starters back, and the coaching staff returns intact. Last year’s team went 4-8, the first time Rice had won four games since 2015.
HC Mike Bloomgren, David Shaw’s former OC at Stanford, prefers the snail’s pace we typically associate with the Cardinal. Last year, Rice ranked in the bottom-15 in the nation in offensive pace, preferring to huddle up and bleed the play clock before snapping.
And though Riley is known for explosive offenses, his offenses don’t play at the tempo most think. Last year’s Oklahoma team only ranked No. 92 in pace. The year before, No. 96. In 2019, No. 86.
This game won’t have as many possessions as an average FBS game, so USC will not only need to score at will to cover this number, but the Trojans’ work-in-progress defense will need to come out of the gates with a dominant performance. Rice is the play.
Bet: Rice (+32.5)
What is Betting Against the Spread?
Betting “against the spread” refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.
What is an Over/Under Bet?
Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.
What is a Moneyline Bet?
A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.
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