Week 1.
A real, full slate of college football is in front of us.
Our staff of college football experts is overwhelmingly locked in. They've put together a collection of content that's unrivaled across the sports betting industry, and we've collected five of our favorite wagers for the noon slate.
Check them all out and more in our college football best bets and NCAAF picks for the Week 1 noon games on Saturday, August 30.
College Football Picks, Best Bets for Noon Slate
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from Saturday's slate of Week 1 noon 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 |
|---|---|---|
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12:45 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
 | 12 p.m. | |
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. | ||
Collin Wilson's Best Bet From Week 1 Card
Texas touched +3 in the summer betting market, a number that's been hammered to a pick 'em at some shops.
The Buckeyes have more unanswered questions than the Longhorns, as Ohio State will roll out two new coordinators.
Both teams have new quarterbacks under center, but the experience of Arch Manning trumps that of Julian Sayin.
The game will likely be won in the trenches, where Texas has the advantage on offense against Ohio State's inexperienced defensive line.
The Buckeyes utilized the transfer portal to seek depth on the defensive line, indicating that this group may struggle to hold the line of scrimmage.
While the positioning of Caleb Downs on the Buckeyes' defense is critical, the Longhorns' Finishing Drives mark will be crucial in 2025. Sarkisian has struggled to finish in the top half of FBS in points per drive that cross the 40-yard line, except for 2021 when Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson ran the wildcat.
If Manning is able to get the same results, Texas is a sure-fire national title contender.
Check out Collin's full Texas-Ohio State article and entire Week 1 card here:
Pick: Texas ML (-110, Caesars)
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Duck's Best Bet From BBOC's Group of 5 Deep Dive
By Duck
I'm not going to suggest Purdue as a formidable Big Ten team this season, but we're not asking it to beat a conference opponent in this spot.
Instead, we're asking it to beat one of the very worst teams in FBS, a team with an atrocious defense that didn't improve through the transfer portal.
If you dive into the defensive metrics for Ball State in 2024, it surrendered conversions on 49% of third downs, allowed 44 red-zone scores on 45 opportunities, and gave up 11 plays of 50 yards or more. The Cardinals give up way too many explosives.
Additionally, they recorded 20 sacks as a unit last year, but seven of those came against Kent State. Outside of that, they didn't create enough havoc or generate a sufficient pass rush.
Purdue should be motivated. Barry Odom takes over as head coach, and he has a history of dominating lesser opponents, as evident during his tenures at Missouri and UNLV.
Purdue has Southern Illinois on deck so that it can build some program excitement and momentum before Big Ten play.
If you look at Purdue's roster from top to bottom, it's so much more talented than Ball State's.
The Cardinals are implementing a new run-first offense, which will include the quarterback. However, I worry about Kiael Kelly staying healthy, as his petite frame can make him vulnerable to injuries when taking hits.
Additionally, the Boilermakers made some significant portal additions, including CJ Nunnally Jr., Tony Grimes, Tahj Ra-El, and Mani Powell. They should be able to piece together a defense that can limit and contain Ball State.
Purdue wants to start on the right foot, and I expect the Boilermakers to put up a considerable number. I think they win by three or four touchdowns.
Pick: Purdue -17 (-110, Caesars)
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Breese's Best Bet From BBOC's Group of 5 Deep Dive
By Breese
I made it very clear in my MAC preview that this Toledo team is a premier Group of 5 roster led by a veteran quarterback and splashy skill position talent on offense.
Chip Trayanum and Trayvon Rudolph are great weapons who generate explosive plays for the Rockets.
Also, historically, what do I want to do with Jason Candle and Toledo? I want to play the Rockets when they're punching up, and I want to fade them when they're struggling in MAC play.
That's how you make money when it comes to Toledo football.
If this were a vintage Mark Stoops Kentucky defense and the unit was strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball, this would probably be a pass for me.
However, uncharacteristically, the defense was soft last year, and now the Wildcats are replacing four starters on the offensive line and their entire front seven on defense.
Plus, Kentucky's offensive coordinator is Bush Hamdan, who's not a schematic difference maker and is a liability as a play caller. He got fired at Washington and was walked out of Boise State.
Zach Calzada could very well be an upgrade for the Wildcats, as he revived his career at the FCS level.
But Toledo has a really strong secondary. You can make a strong argument that it has the best Group of 5 secondary, with four of its five starters returning in the defensive backfield.
Historically, the Rockets have always shown up in these spots. They beat the stuffing out of Mississippi State last year on the road in Starkville, they took Illinois down to the wire in 2023, and they nearly upset Notre Dame in South Bend in 2021.
I see them doing it again, so I'm also sprinkling on the moneyline.
Listen to the entire BBOC Group of 5 Deep Dive episode here:
Pick: Toledo +10 (-110, BetMGM)
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Ziefel's Top Player Prop
By Doug Ziefel
It's certainly a surprise to see DeSean Bishop atop the Volunteers' depth chart at the running back position, but he beat out Duke transfer Star Thomas.
However, Bishop has experience in head coach Josh Heupel's offense, and we saw him have success with a sizable workload last season.
Bishop averaged 6.8 yards per carry on 7.4 attempts per game. However, on two of the three occasions where he eclipsed the seven carry threshold, he gained at least 64 yards.
In the opening matchup, he'll face a Syracuse defense that struggled against the run mightily last year. The Orange ranked 117th nationally in yards per rush allowed, and opponents abused that weakness by running against them nearly 31 times a game.
With a new quarterback in Joey Aguilar under center, look for Bishop to see an uptick in rushing volume and exceed this total in a great matchup.
Check out all of Ziefel's player props for Week 1 in his weekly column.
Pick: DeSean Bishop Over 66.5 Rush Yards (-115, bet365)
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Our Featured Bet Labs System
This game aligns with one of our PRO Bet Labs systems, developed by our own Evan Abrams.
This system focuses on college football teams opening their seasons at home as underdogs. These teams often enter Week 1 overlooked by the market, yet they enjoy the advantage of a familiar environment, crowd energy, and months of preparation aimed at this single game.
With the spread favoring the opponent modestly, the home side can play with added urgency, aiming to make an early statement.
The unique dynamic of a first game, where rust and execution issues can affect both sides, often narrows the gap, creating value in backing the underdog before market expectations fully adjust.
This system has been super profitable recently, generating 24 units of profit on straight one-unit bets over the past five years.
I’m all over the Golden Eagles in this game, and not just because of the system.
Mississippi State is going to be really bad this season. Aside from head coach Jeff Lebby and quarterback Blake Shapen, the Bulldogs lost everyone else to the portal, including over two dozen players.
The early-season continuity issues may be a big problem on the road in Week 1.
Southern Miss is also a completely new team, but continuity shouldn’t be a problem.
Somehow, someway, the Golden Eagles pulled off the biggest coaching carousel coup of the offseason, snatching head coach Charles Huff from Marshall. The Herd won the Sun Belt last season under his leadership, and he brought most of the team with him, including the starting quarterback (Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Braylon Braxton), best receiver, and over a dozen defensive players.
I also quite like offensive coordinator Blake Anderson (Utah State, Arkansas State) and the Eagles’ deep running back room.
If the seven incoming offensive line transfers mesh, Southern Miss’ offense could be borderline-elite at the Group of 5 level.
Huff brought his defensive coordinator, Jason Semore, with him. Semor’s 4-2-5 created a ton of Havoc last season, and Josh Moten picked off five passes as the Herd’s lockdown corner last season.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Herd won this game outright, but I’ll happily take the points.
Like our Bet Labs systems? Get an Action PRO subscription! Click here:
Pick: Southern Miss +14 (-110, bet365)
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Stuckey's Full Action App Card
Need more picks for Saturday's slate? It's always wise to see what our guy Stuckey is betting on!
Check out his full card in the Action App.
If you haven't already, make sure you download the free award-winning Action Network App to track all your bets and tail all of your favorite experts:
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