College football odds, picks, top predictions for Week 1, 2024: Proven computer favors Penn State in best bets

The 2024 college football season has already seen some big moments such as Georgia Tech upsetting Florida State in the Irish during Week 0 as well as thrilling wins by Colorado and North Carolina on Thursday of Week 1. The main portion of the Week 1 college football schedule now begins on Saturday and bettors will be closely studying Week 1 college football odds for big contests like No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (-12.5 via SportsLine consensus) and No. 20 Texas A&M (-3) vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, as well as dozens of other matchups.

With the NFL still a week away from kickoff, college football will still be in the spotlight on Sunday, with No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (-4) and FSU trying to bounce back against Boston College (+16.5) on Monday. Which Week 1 college football lines have the most value heading into Labor Day weekend? Before locking in any college football picks for Week 1 of the 2024 season, be sure to check out the latest college football predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its launch, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a 13-9 season in profits on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.

Now, it turns its attention to the latest college football odds and Week 1 college football betting lines on the spread, money line and over/under. Head here to see every pick.

Top college football predictions for Week 1

One of the college football picks the model likes the most during Week 1: No. 8 Penn State (-7.5) plays against West Virginia on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. Located just 180 miles apart, these schools have met 60 times in history and it was an annual occurrence from 1947 to 1992 before Penn State settled in the Big Ten. They renewed the rivalry for a home-and-home in 2023 and 2024, and PSU won 38-15 in State College last year.

The model is expecting a similar scenario this year as the Nittany Lions look to improve on their impressive 49-9-2 head-to-head record against WVU. The Nittany Lions have a 21-5 record over the past two seasons, and they haven’t been able to beat the top powers in the Big Ten lately, but these are games in which James Franklin has excelled. The model projects that PSU will go over by 20 points this time around, covering the 8.5-point spread in over 70% of simulations. See what other picks the model likes here.

Another prediction: Western Kentucky (+32) stays within the spread on No. 5 Alabama at Saturday’s 7 p.m. ET kickoff. WKU covered in its last two of 2023, while Bama failed to cover in two of its last three to end the season. As is typically the case, the Tide lost several players to the pros — 10 in the 2024 NFL Draft — in addition to several players moving into the transfer portal. But their biggest loss was the retirement of Nick Saban, and no one should be surprised if Alabama needs a bit of an adjustment period under Kalen DeBoer.

The Hilltoppers have an offensive game that can keep up with Alabama for a while as they were 15th in the FBS in passing yards per game a year ago. Despite that volume, they still have efficiency as only seven teams have allowed fewer than WKU’s 13 sacks. Coach Tyson Helton has won at least eight games in four of his five seasons, and has a 4-1 bowl record, so he prepares his teams for big games. With Western Kentucky’s style of play and the way these teams finish 2023 ATS, the model is favoring the Hilltoppers (+31.5) to cover more than 50% of the time. Check out the rest of the model’s picks here.

How to make college football picks for Week 1

The model also predicts who wins and who covers in every FBS matchup in Week 1, and it also projects the odds for an upset in one of the week’s biggest games. You can find every pick for every game only on SportsLine.

So which college football picks can you make with confidence, and which underdog wins outright? Check out the latest college football odds below, then head over to SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has generated over $2,000 in profit since its inception, and find out.

College Football Odds for Week 1

Check out complete Week 1 college football picks, odds, predictions here

Saturday, August 31

Clemson vs. Georgia (-12.5, 48.5)

Penn State vs. West Virginia (+7.5, 50.5)

Miami (Florida) vs. Florida (+2.5, 54.5)

Akron vs. Ohio State (-48.5, 57)

Colorado State vs. Texas (-34.5, 60)

Western Kentucky vs. Alabama (-32, 59.5)

Fresno State vs. Michigan (-21, 45.5)

Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M (-3, 47)

UCLA at Hawaii (+14, 53)

Sunday, September 1

USC vs. LSU (-4, 64.5)

Monday, September 2

Boston College vs. Florida State (-16.5, 50)