We're officially back.
Our staff has been waiting all summer for this very moment: to dive deep for some Week 0 winners.
We have four best bets for the eight-game FBS slate, including picks from experts Collin Wilson, Mike Calabrese, Doug Ziefel and more.
Read on for our college football picks and NCAAF best bets for the Week 0 games on for Saturday, August 29.
College Football Picks, Best Bets
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 0 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. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 10 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. | ||
North Carolina vs TCU Pick
TCU walks into Dublin as the more settled, more physical team, even in a transition year.
Head coach Sonny Dykes handed the offense to new coordinator Gordon Sammis, who comes over from UConn, where his unit ranked 15th nationally in scoring at 36.9 points a game.
Sammis brings a run-first, physical-line identity that should lift a ground game that limped to just 131 yards per contest last season.
The new trigger man is Harvard transfer Jaden Craig, who comes in for Indiana transfer Josh Hoover. Dykes wants him used as a runner behind the improved front.
The trench advantage also belongs to TCU on both sides of the ball.
Bobby Petrino comes in as UNC's new offensive coordinator, and the key to his offense is establishing the run. Two running backs will look to create explosives for the Tar Heels, starting with Benjamin Hall.
However, the former Michigan Wolverine has been lackluster in open space, generating just 2.5 yards after first contact and forcing only 12 missed tackles a season ago.
Demon June will also be a ground component for North Carolina, but he struggled in 84 attempts last year, producing just 15 forced missed tackles.
The TCU defensive line has the size to limit Petrino's ground attack.
Look for the Horned Frogs' playbook to start conservatively under the Dublin sky, which could produce precipitation. North Carolina's vulnerability in coverage will give the Horned Frogs sustained drives and scoring opportunities.
As for UNC's offense, Billy Edwards' chance to throw downfield will only come with successful rushing attempts that set up the play-action pass. I don't see the Heels having the success on the ground needed to set those plays up.
Check out the rest of Wilson's Week 0 card here:
Pick: TCU -7.5
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NC State vs Virginia Pick
Forget the points. I’m on the Wolfpack moneyline.
Virginia’s 2023 season was real but fragile.
Tony Elliott went from 11-23 in his first three years to an 11-3 breakthrough, but a lot of those wins were squeakers. Three wins came in overtime, one came against a middling Washington State team and one was a six-point bowl victory.
That kind of record is hard to replicate in the portal era, especially when a team is replacing a lot.
Well, the Hoos lost a lot of key pieces.
Quarterback Chandler Morris is out. Their top two rushers, J'Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee, combined for over 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns, and both are gone.
Wide receiver Trell Harris got poached by Oklahoma, Cameron Ross is in the NFL, and Jahmal Edrine is no longer with the program for legal reasons.
So, you’re looking at new backs, new receivers and Beau Pribula at QB.
Pribula fits the scheme because he’s mobile, but he’s had turnover and protection issues with 12 turnover-worthy plays and 25 sacks taken in 10 games at Missouri. Morris was a clutch, gutty guy under center, but I’m not convinced Pribula is that yet.
Defensively, John Rudzinski's unit is promising, and the pass rush could be boosted by Matthew Fobb-White.
But here’s the swing point: UVA’s season mirrored its run defense. When it stopped the run, it won. When opponents topped 135 rushing yards, the Cavaliers went 3-3. NC State can run the ball.
The Wolfpack rebuilt their line in smart ways, bringing in East Carolina transfer Jimarion McCrimon at left tackle and Texas transfer Daniel Cruz at center.
That balance should make running the ball — and keeping quarterback CJ Bailey clean — a lot easier.
Bailey was excellent in last year’s 35-31 win over UVA. New receivers Victor Snow and Jojo Trader will need time, but the Jayden "Duke" Scott-led ground game should be able to give them that time.
So, keep the points. I’ll take the Wolfpack on the moneyline.
Listen to the whole Week 0 6th Gear episode here:
Pick: NC State ML +160
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Hawaii vs Stanford Pick
By Bet Labs
Saturday's Hawaii vs. Stanford Week 0 matchup fits a historically profitable betting system called "Short Early 'Dogs" from our Bet Labs database.
In college football, early-season matchups with moderate spreads and low totals often create opportunities for underdogs to cover.
In the first two games of the year, oddsmakers and the public have limited data, leading to inflated lines for favorites.
When the total is set on the lower end, each point becomes more valuable, and games tend to be tighter.
In this window, taking short early dogs capitalizes on market uncertainty, conservative game plans and the likelihood that talent gaps have not yet translated into dominant scoreboard margins.
This system boasts an all-time record of 180-142-12,good for a 56% win rate and an ROI of 8%. Last season, it cashed at a 60% clip and posted an ROI of 13%.
Pick: Hawaii +4.5
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Memphis vs UNLV Pick
By Doug Ziefel
Kluse's 2025 season was defined more than anything else by inconsistency. Over the course of the year, he cracked 30 receiving yards in a game exactly once, an 83-yard outing against Tulane that stood out because it was so far from the norm.
Most weeks, he was in the single digits or low 20s, which makes a number like 40.5 a real reach if you're just going off his established production.
Layer on the fact that Memphis is running a completely different operation in 2026, and it looks even better. New head coach Charles Huff arrived from Southern Miss and brought over 70 new players, turning over almost the entire roster.
Kluse is genuinely one of the only recognizable pieces left on offense.
That kind of turnover means a new offensive coordinator in Kevin Decker and, more importantly, no named starting quarterback heading into kickoff.
Huff has deliberately withheld the depth chart with an open "OR" battle under center, which is about as clear a signal as you'll get that this passing offense isn't fully installed or settled yet.
Add that this game doesn't have the highest total and that UNLV holds the edge in QB experience and a legitimate workhorse back in Jai'den Thomas, and you can see how the Rebels are expected to control the tempo.
The whole context points to a capped, run-first script rather than one that funnels 40-plus yards to a role receiver in a true Week 0 environment.
Check out the rest of Ziefel's Week 0 player props here:
Pick: Brady Kluse Under 40.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
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Stuckey's Full Action App Betting Card
Action Network expert Stuckey is locked in for Week 0 and Week 1.
He has a pick in for NC State vs. Virginia to go along with five plays for Week 1. Be sure to check the Action Network App to see any other bets that Stuckey adds ahead of kickoff in Week 0.
