College football odds, picks, top predictions for Week 1, 2025: Model backs Alabama, UCLA in best bets

The college football schedule for Week 1 features numerous captivating matchups that will influence the early landscape of the College Football Playoff. The games commenced on Thursday and progress through to Monday, with three ranked contests that include top-10 teams such as Texas vs. Ohio State (-1), LSU vs. Clemson (-4), and Notre Dame vs. Miami (+2.5). These college football spreads are all within a touchdown, but the Week 1 college football odds board also shows some significant margins as certain teams face easier adversaries.

The Week 1 college football spreads also indicate some potentially unbalanced contests like Michigan (-34.5) vs. New Mexico and Ole Miss (-34.5) vs. Georgia State. Making predictions for college football season openers can be challenging due to the significant player transactions, and the absence of in-season statistics to reference. Before finalizing any Week 1 college football selections, ensure you check the latest Week 1 college football predictions from SportsLine’s reliable model.

The model runs simulations for every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its launch, it has delivered a betting profit exceeding $2,000 for $100 bettors on its top-rated college spread football selections, achieving a strong 27-16 record in money-line and over/under college football picks in 2024. Anyone who has followed its college football betting recommendations at sportsbooks and on betting platforms has likely enjoyed substantial returns.

Now, it has shifted focus to the current college football odds and the Week 1 betting lines on the spread, money line, and over/under. Visit here to view all selections, and new users can also take advantage of the DraftKings promo code, which provides new users with $300 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:

Key college football predictions for Week 1

One of the college football selections the model strongly favors during Week 1: No. 8 Alabama (-13.5) is set to achieve a commanding victory over Florida State at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Tide are on a 23-game winning streak in season openers, marking the second-longest active streak nationwide. They also hold an impressive 63-1 record in regular-season non-conference contests since 2008, with Kalen DeBoer winning by an average of 48 points in his three similar games in his inaugural year at Bama. Conversely, the Seminoles are coming off a dismal 2-10 record, their worst in five decades.

FSU just found it tough to advance the ball in 2024, finishing as the third-worst in total offense and the fourth-worst in scoring offense across all of FBS. This poses a significant challenge against a Bama team that had a top-10 scoring defense last year. Florida State only covered the spread in three games throughout last season, and it holds a 1-6 record against the spread in its last seven matches against top-10 ranked SEC teams. The model anticipates Alabama to win by over two touchdowns and cover nearly 60% of the time. Discover which other selections the model supports here.

Another forecast: UCLA (+5.5) remains competitive at home against Utah at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday. These historical Pac-12 rivals last clashed in the Rose Bowl Stadium in 2022, where the Bruins secured a home victory by 10 points. UCLA concluded last season strongly, finishing 4-2 in their last six games and secured arguably the most notable quarterback transfer in former Tennessee star Nico Iamaleava. Just as the Bruins ended 2024 positively, Iamaleava did the same with the Vols, accounting for 13 total touchdowns against only one interception in his final six games of 2024.

Meanwhile, Utah is coming off its first losing record (5-7) since 2013 and is introducing Devon Dampier as quarterback, who had an equal number of interceptions (12) as touchdown passes last season. The New Mexico transfer is 0-2 in his career against Power 4 teams, throwing two interceptions in each of those games. According to the model, UCLA covers more than 60% of the time, with the Under (51.5) hitting in 80% of simulations. Check out the remainder of the model’s picks here.

How to place college football bets for Week 1

The model has also assessed the outcomes for who wins and covers in every FBS matchup during Week 1, indicating an upset in one of the most significant games of the week. You can access every selection for every game at SportsLine, and for a limited time, you can use promo code CHAMPIONSHIP for your first month at SportsLine for just $1.

So which college football picks can you confidently make, and which underdog may win outright? View the latest college football odds below, and then head to SportsLine to find out which teams will win and cover the spread, all from a trusted computer model that has yielded profits of over $2,000 since its start.