We’ve officially crossed the halfway mark of the college football offseason.
Without a spring transfer portal window, rosters are more or less locked into place. The coaching carousel has ground to a halt, and spring practices have concluded coast to coast.
As fans count down the days until kickoff, sportsbooks have started to offer more and more lookahead lines for Week 0 and Week 1.
I found two matchups set to be played at NFL stadiums on opening weekend that need to be bet now before sharp money starts pounding the underdogs.
Let's dive into my college football picks and NCAAF predictions for Week 1.
Louisville vs Ole Miss Pick
| Louisville Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -115 | 53.5 -110o / -110u | +235 |
| Ole Miss Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -105 | 53.5 -110o / -110u | -290 |
The last time we saw Ole Miss, the Rebels were on a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss carved up Tulane and Georgia before nearly dragging the Rebels to their first bowl game with national title implications in 63 years.
With Chambliss and company still basking in the glow of a dream season, it’s easy to overlook a few key details when it comes to Ole Miss.
The Rebels played in a lot of close contests, finishing 6-2 straight up in one-possession games. They also rode the emotion of the Lane Kiffin circus perfectly. Defensive coordinator and new head coach Pete Golding and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. pushed all the right buttons emotionally and tactically during their playoff run.
But Weis has reunited with Kiffin in Baton Rouge. John David Baker takes over play-calling duties with an entirely new receiving corps. A slower-than-usual start for Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense wouldn’t surprise me at all.
As for the Louisville side of things, this is an auto-bet situation.
When Jeff Brohm is catching points, you back him. Dating back to his time at Purdue, Brohm has gone 26-15-1 ATS (63.4%) as an underdog, making him one of the most profitable Power 4 coaches in the past nine years.
He returns All-American caliber playmakers on both sides of the ball in Isaac Brown and Clev Lubin.
Brown’s career yards-per-carry average of 7.7 is otherworldly, and Lubin averaged more than one tackle for loss per game last season.
If Ohio State transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz hits the ground running, we’ll have a four-quarter battle in the Music City.
Keep in mind, Kienholz battled Julian Sayin for the starting role at Ohio State last offseason after a decorated high school career. The four-star talent, in the hands of Brohm and the UL staff, could be a breakout star.
It’s time to nab Louisville before this line ducks below a full touchdown.
Pick: Louisville +7.5 (-115 at bet365)
Wisconsin vs Notre Dame Pick
| Wisconsin Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+20.5 -110 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | +1000 |
| Notre Dame Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-20.5 -110 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | -1800 |
We’ve seen this movie before when it comes to Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish will open the season near the top of the AP Poll, and their sophomore quarterback, CJ Carr, is a co-favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
A combination of hype and the Notre Dame brand has inflated this number to nearly three touchdowns.
In 1994, a nearly identical scenario played out as the Irish opened the year playing a Big Ten opponent in an NFL stadium when it faced Northwestern at Soldier Field.
The Irish were second in the AP Poll with a Heisman hopeful in Ron Powlus at quarterback, and the point spread reflected that (ND -24.5). The Irish dominated lowly Northwestern, covering the spread by a field goal.
It’s worth noting, however, that Northwestern players may have been point-shaving during the 1994 season.
Wisconsin is no doormat, despite a down 4-8 mark in 2025.
The Badgers have a chance to flip the script in this game because of their major recruiting coup at quarterback. Colton Joseph arrives from Old Dominion, and he’s the perfect dual-threat weapon to inject some life into this offense.
Joseph is one of two Power 4 quarterbacks who accounted for more than 2,600 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards last fall.
The Badgers covered in four of their last five games in 2025, while upsetting nationally-ranked Washington and Illinois. Back Joseph and take the points here.
Pick: Wisconsin +20.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
