College football odds, predictions: Early picks for Ohio State-Texas, Alabama-Florida State, more Week 1 games

Betting odds are out for numerous games across college football’s opening weekend of the 2025 season, and you guessed it — there’s value to be had early! We’ve scoured the Labor Day weekend slate for lines that jump out in appetizing fashion amidst a robust slate of Week 1’s most intriguing matchups.

Narratives are generated early, and these teams will have had an entire offseason of roster building, talent acquisition and player development to figure things out before taking the field. We’re still in the unknown portion of the offseason relating to two-deeps and statistical projections, but coaching staffs generally have an idea of how these teams are going to look outside of the arrival of summer enrollees and post-spring portal additions.

Here’s a few picks we’re locking in before the start of summer in anticipation of the season. We’re just inside 100 days out, can you feel it?

All odds below via FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Appointment viewing. There’s no better description of a contest with a playoff-like feel pitting two of the nation’s most-talented — and wealthiest — programs this fall. The Longhorns and Buckeyes combined for 26 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the cupboard remains stocked for both. As a bettor, there should be no convincing needed to fall in love with Texas and Arch Manning getting points on the road. Those opportunities will be rare this fall. 

The pressure is on the defending national champions here, who are breaking in a new starting quarterback of their own and replace a vast of production up front at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. Lean toward the team with fewer questions defensively, and that’s Texas (+112) with pass rushers Collin Simmons and Anthony Hill Jr. pinning their ears back to spoil the Buckeyes’ coronation. Early pick: Texas +3.5

We can see it now — Joe Public goes heavy on Bill Belichick and his much-anticipated debut with the Tar Heels despite being oblivious to the fact the Horned Frogs welcome back a bevy of returning starters, including Josh Hoover, the quarterback who declined SEC offers to transfer this offseason. TCU ended last season red-hot under Sonny Dykes with a 6-1 finish following a disappointing start. Smart money should be on the Horned Frogs moneyline (-110). Early pick: TCU +1.5, TCU ML

Three straight underdog picks? Not so fast. Alabama has covered in 10 straight season openers, including a 17-point win over the Seminoles to begin the 2017 campaign as a touchdown favorite. Florida State is primed to rebound from last fall’s 2-10 demise with the hire of Gus Malzahn to overhaul the offense and a plethora of portal additions. That rebound does not begin here, however. The Crimson Tide, namely second-year coach Kalen DeBoer, have a statement to make in their 2025 debut. 

If you’re feeling frisky, you can get the Seminoles on the moneyline (+340) for a sizable payout, but that would be quite a feat. Thomas Castellanos may struggle through the air against the best secondary he’s going to face as FSU’s new QB1. The program’s last outright win as a double-digit underdog came in 2020 when the Seminoles upset UNC in Tallahassee. This Alabama squad is infinitely more talented than those Tar Heels under Mack Brown, though. Early pick: Alabama -11.5

Five wins and 15 losses. That is Dave Aranda’s record against nationally ranked opponents at Baylor, and all of those victories came during the Bears’ 2021 season. Baylor has lost 11 straight outright in this scenario, and we’re expecting the Tigers to crack the Preseason AP Top 25 rankings. The Bears faced a crossroads last season with Aranda’s future, and Auburn is in a similar predicament heading into Waco. If Hugh Freeze loses this one as a road favorite given the potential of impending doom across the SEC slate, that seat will be scorching. Early pick: Auburn -2.5

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Hear that applause in the distance? Oddsmakers have given the Vols a ton of respect here given substantial roster changes. One of the largest early lines of Week 1 pitting Power Four competition comes in Atlanta, the first matchup of a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Virginia Tech-South Carolina is the other ACC-SEC tilt inside the Atlanta Falcons’ home digs.

Recent portal acquisitions Joey Aguilar (Tennessee) and Steve Angeli (Syracuse) are expected to be the starting quarterbacks for each team after playing at Appalachian State and Notre Dame last season. Aguilar has a few months to learn Josh Heupel’s scheme, while Angeli has an opportunity to be a first-teamer for the first time in his career. This one comes down to which staff you trust with ample time to prepare for what’s thrown at them. If this one begins to swell closer to kick, you might want to stay away, however. Early pick: Syracuse +12.5