The 2022 college football season gets underway for real this week with a plethora of games and some colossal matchups dotting the Week 1 schedule. Fans got a taste of the pageantry and excitement last weekend, but nothing compared to what’s on tap with all of the preseason top-25 squads in action.
Arguably the biggest game of the week takes part on Saturday night on ABC when the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish visit No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in one of three tilts pitting nationally ranked teams against each other. The defending national champion and No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs jump right into their campaign with a matchup against No. 11 Oregon. We saw the Ducks go into the horseshoe last year and defeat Ohio State in a big early season upset. The last top-25 matchup has No. 19 Arkansas hosting No. 23 Cincinnati.
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Big name programs and high profile conferences always dominate from a betting standpoint either for or against the favored team. I’m sure there are a number of folks who want to throw down on top ranked Alabama, but spotting 41.5 points to a decent G5 program Utah State is risky.
Other classic programs looking to rebound from poor seasons tend to get bettors attention. There is a lot of talk about the USC Trojans after landing head coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma and QB Caleb Williams in the transfer portal. The Trojans are spotting Rice 33.5 points in Saturday’s opener. USC is getting nearly 70 percent of the action.
Oddsmakers have a hard time handicapping every game with their main focus on the matchups that get the most attention. And there are always unknowns at the start of the season making the job more difficult. During every week of the season we have games that come in under the radar or lines for bigger matchups that seem a bit out of whack. Let’s take a look at a few to see where we can fatten the bankroll.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Ohio State Buckeyes ( -17.5 )
Obviously an early season matchup getting plenty of attention that is nowhere near flying under any radar, but I feel like the Buckeyes are getting overhyped without yet playing a game. There is a good reason for that since they have a ton of talent all over the field led by Heisman Trophy favorite C.J. Stroud. Notre Dame is going through a transition with new coach Marcus Freeman taking over the reins. He’s got plenty of talent to work with including a few NFL prospects on defense. And if they can get some production from QB Tyler Buchner they should cover the hefty line and potentially get the upset. The Irish could be as good if not better than any team at every position except quarterback.
South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Iowa Hawkeyes ( - 15.5 )
The Hawkeyes are always a threat in the Big Ten playing in the division opposite traditional powers Ohio State and Michigan. And they always have a defense that can stop just about anything. But facing an FCS program puts the upper division clubs in a no-win situation. FBS programs are not only expected to win, but win big. And if they don’t, or God forbid they lose, then the sky is falling. And if you do a little homework you can find some good deals. The Jackrabbits are a quality FCS team reaching the semifinals of last year’s playoffs averaging 36 points and they could be better this year with a bunch of starters coming back. QB Mark Gronowski reclaims his role after missing 2021 to injury. He’s a dual threat who will frustrate Iowa’s defense and has a number of potential NFL prospects to work with. I really like the 15.5 points in this matchup.
Houston Cougars ( -4 ) at UTSA Roadrunners
Football is huge in Texas and two of the state’s lesser known entities go head to head in what should be a heated confrontation. The Cougs went 12-2 last season with losses to CFP participant Cincinnati in the AAC Championship and Texas Tech. They are getting some respect from oddsmakers positioning them as a 4-point favorite against a UTSA squad that also went 12-2. Both teams flashed an explosive offense leading to high scoring affairs and both clubs return the key players. The difference is on defense where the Cougs took a hit with more than half the unit departing. UTSA is a program on the rise and I have no problem taking them on the moneyline with the points just a bonus.
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