After what was surely an electric Noon slate, College Football Week 1 rolls on into the afternoon slate, with an appetizing array of games kicking off at 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, September 5.
We've got 4 College Football Best Bets Today for this window, including picks for Auburn vs Baylor and Boise State vs Oregon.
College Football Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 3:30 PM | |
  | 3:30 PM | |
  | 3:30 PM | |
  | 3:45 PM | |
 | All Day | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Auburn vs. Baylor Best Bet
Alex Golesh indicated that a healthy DJ Lagway can be one of the best FBS quarterbacks, and the pressure from the Auburn defense will be crucial. The Tigers will face an offensive line that lost four of five starters.
A ruling on transfer Yakiri Walker by the NCAA deemed the former center ineligible in mid-July, leaving Dave Aranda with an even bigger gap heading into camp.
In a battle of which defense can contain the opposing quarterback, Auburn has more proven pieces in the defensive front than Baylor has on the offensive line.
This game will be played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, noted as a neutral site that's just 110 miles from Auburn's campus. The Action Network Power Ratings make Auburn a favorite in the double-digit range.
With Baylor's questions around a new defensive coordinator and an unknown offensive line to protect Lagway, the Tigers' offense and returning defensive pieces from DJ Durkin's scheme give Auburn the heavy advantage in this Big 12/SEC showdown.
Check out all of Wilson's Week 1 best bets here:
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Pick: Auburn -7.5 or Better
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Marshall vs. Penn State Best Bet
James Franklin was a punchline by the time he was run out of Happy Valley last fall.
Known to folks in Big Ten country as “Big Game James,” Franklin struggled to get over the hump when facing elite competition. His 4-21 record against top-10 competition was his undoing.
But bettors were equally eager to point out that he was a printing press in September. Franklin posted a 29-19 record against the spread in nonconference games, making Penn State the fourth-most profitable power conference team since 2014.
Matt Campbell arrives in Happy Valley with a different track record in nonconference tilts. The 46-year-old coach went 16-18-1 as Iowa State’s head coach when facing teams outside of the Big 12.
And if you dig deeper, many of his covers came against FCS opponents. Vanquishing the likes of Northern Iowa and South Dakota in paycheck games didn’t do much to bolster Campbell’s reputation at the window.
Well, this year’s Marshall team is far from a pushover.
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson is one of the best returning passers at the Group of 6 level. He’s working with the same play-caller for the second straight season, and that should pay dividends.
Offensive coordinator Rod Smith worked under Rich Rodriguez for years, and he has tailored his offensive system to fit CDRW’s skill set.
A big part of that OC/signal-caller relationship is the quarterback run game. Del Rio-Wilson ran for over 650 yards in just nine full games last year. The effectiveness of this Thundering Herd rushing attack makes them an attractive underdog because of their ability to shrink games down.
Penn State’s roster took a step back in terms of overall talent, and that’s especially true in the defensive trench. A combination of the NFL Draft and the transfer portal saw 12 defensive linemen exit the program.
Marshall has the backfield talent to attack this new front, starting with Jo'Shon Barbie, who popped at the end of last season.
If the Herd's defense takes a step forward under the newly hired and exceptionally talented Brad Lambert, I foresee Marshall hanging around deep into this game.
Check out all of Breese's Week 1 best bets here:
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Pick: Marshall +24.5
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Boise State vs. Oregon Best Bet
This game triggered one of our Action PRO betting systems, powered by Evan Abrams:
This is a Fade System.
CFB Sharp Money Fade in NCAAF Spread tells the story of a regular-season college football matchup where the betting market appears to signal confidence from larger wagers, but that signal has become less reliable in recent years.
When the difference between money share and ticket share grows large, it traditionally implied that influential bettors were backing one side while the public leaned the other way.
But in the modern college football market, information moves quickly, and public participation has grown, creating situations where perceived sharp indicators can actually represent late crowd momentum rather than true professional conviction.
When the number of bets sits in a moderate range, the market has enough activity to shape perception but not enough depth to fully stabilize the price.
In this environment, fading the side attracting the disproportionate money support becomes a contrarian stance that assumes the market has overreacted to what looks like smart action, allowing the opposite team to quietly outperform expectations once the game unfolds on the field.
Teams that fit this system are already 4-0 ATS this season!
Pick: Boise State +24 or Better
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Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa Best Bet
By Jordan Vanek
Barnes followed his wide receivers coach from Washington State to Wake Forest and now to Oklahoma State.
On top of that, he was once committed to Eric Morris at North Texas before flipping his commitment, so it’s no surprise that he’s listed as a starting receiver this weekend.
Barnes dealt with terrible quarterback play last season but is one of the most explosive playmakers in the country, and now he joins one of the most explosive passing offenses in college football.
This couldn’t be a better fit, and he’s another player I’d be comfortable pushing into the 60-70 receiving yard range.
Pick: Chris Barnes Higher Than 41.5 Receiving Yards
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