College Football Betting Trends for Week 1: CFB Moneyline, Spread & O/U Trends This Week

It's the opening week of the 2025 campaign for many across the country, and my college football betting trends for Week 1 help bettors make informed college football picks. Let's examine historical patterns for the moneyline, spread, and total angles ahead of the week's biggest games.

🏈 Alabama vs. Florida State preview

Alabama vs. Florida State betting trends

• Alabama is 7-6 ATS under Kalen DeBoer; Florida State is 27-31-2 under Mike Norvell
• The Crimson Tide lead the Seminoles in the all-time series, 3-1-1
• Alabama went Under at an 85.71% clip in the back half of 2024
• Florida State was 9-3 to the Under overall (6-1 at home) last season
• The Seminoles were 2-5 SU at home in the previous season, the Crimson Tide were 2-3 SU on the road

Alabama vs. Florida State prediction

Newly announced Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson isn't exactly a world-beater.

However, as anybody who has watched the Crimson Tide over the last decade and a half knows, he doesn't have to be, especially with the complementary talent littered across the team's depth chart.

Meanwhile, the rebuilding task ahead for Florida State is far too great to expect immediate results. The Seminoles ranked 131st of 134 FBS teams in points per game (15.4) last season, so improvements will take time. I believe the continuity on Alabama's defense will be too much for the transfer-heavy hosts to handle.

These were two of college football's premier Under teams in 2024. Considering there will be new starters under center for both sides, I like that trend to continue. 

Our Philip Wood weighed in on this matchup in his Alabama vs. Florida State prediction. 

✅ Best bet: Under 50.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Latest Alabama vs. Florida State odds

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🏈 LSU vs. Clemson preview

LSU vs. Clemson betting trends

• Clemson is 117-101-1 ATS under Dabo Swinney; LSU is 21-19 ATS under Brian Kelly
• The Bayou Bengals lead the all-time series 3-1
• LSU is 0-2 vs. ACC opponents since Kelly's arrival in 2022
• Clemson is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games against SEC opposition
• The two Tigers combined to go Under in 15 of 27 games last season

LSU vs. Clemson prediction

Garrett Nussmeier looked exactly like a first-year starter in many key moments last season because, well, he was one. LSU quarterbacks have taken major leaps in their second seasons under center in recent years, a la Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels.

While Nussmeier may not win the Heisman Trophy - that very well could go to Saturday's opposing gunslinger, Cade Klubnik - I expect the LSU to boast one of the nation's best offenses. It has one of the deepest skill position groups in college football, and its versatility opens many doors for OC Joe Sloan.

Clemson's bread and butter this season will be its receiving corps, which features Biletnikoff Award hopefuls Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco as complementary pieces to Klubnik. They will outscore plenty of teams, but I believe their homonymous visitors will be able to keep pace in Week 1.

For more analysis on Saturday's game, check out my LSU vs. Clemson prediction. 

✅ Best bet: LSU +4 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Latest LSU vs. Clemson odds

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🏈 Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina preview

Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina betting trends

• Virginia Tech is 18-19 ATS under Brent Pry; South Carolina is 28-22-1 ATS under Shane Beamer
• The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 11-7-2
• No team has won more than two straight games in this series (South Carolina has won the last two)
• South Carolina and Virginia Tech combined to go 15-11 to the Over last season in 2024
• The Hokies are 8-1 to the Over and the Gamecocks are 7-2 to the Under in their last nine games against their opponent's conference

Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina prediction

Two words: LaNorris Sellers. South Carolina's quarterback is one of the early favorites to be selected with the top pick by the latest NFL draft odds, and for good reason. The Gamecocks' quarterback is the best dual-threat signal-caller in the country.

I believe he'll be the difference maker with his legs against a Virginia Tech team that ranked 63rd against the run last season. The Hokies don't return a ton of production on the defensive side of the ball, which will hurt against an experienced offense that has something to prove.

South Carolina felt snubbed by the College Football Playoff committee last season, so Beamer will have his squad fired up and ready to go for a national audience in the opener.

Our Philip Wood took a different stance in his Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina prediction. 

✅ Best bet: South Carolina -7.5 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Latest Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina odds

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🏈 Notre Dame vs. Miami preview

Notre Dame vs. Miami betting trends

• Notre Dame is 28-13-2 ATS under Marcus Freeman; Miami is 14-23-1 ATS under Mario Cristobal
• The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series 18-8-1
• Miami is 7-6-1 SU against Notre Dame at home in the series' history
• The Fighting Irish and Hurricanes combined to go 18-10-1 to the Over in 2024
• Miami starter Carson Beck was 9-17-1 ATS and 14-13 to the Under as a starter at Georgia

Notre Dame vs. Miami prediction

This game will feature fresh faces - well, sort of - under center for Miami and Notre Dame, with Cam Ward and Riley Leonard now in the NFL. The Hurricanes will turn to Carson Beck, who racked up a 24-3 record as the starter at Georgia. The Fighting Irish will turn to a significantly less experienced option in freshman CJ Carr.

Ultimately, though, the visitors' offense runs through Doak Walker Award contender Jeremiyah Love. The sky is the limit for Notre Dame as long as Love is healthy. He is back to full fitness following an injury he suffered the College Football Playoff, which is bad news for Mario Cristobal's men. 

The Fighting Irish have been the best ATS team in the country since Freeman took over for Brian Kelly. They proved their big-game prowess to the country in last year's run to the CFP national championship, whereas we're still waiting on Miami to get that big win under the bright lights. Both Beck and the Hurricanes are automatic fades against the spread, as well.

For those reasons, I like Notre Dame on the road.

Our Brenden Schaeffer took a similar stance in his Notre Dame vs. Miami prediction. 

✅ Best bet: Notre Dame -2.5 (-108 via DraftKings) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Latest Notre Dame vs. Miami odds

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🏈 Texas vs. Ohio State preview 

Texas vs. Ohio State betting trends

• Ohio State and Texas have split the all-time series, with all four games occurring over the last 20 years
• The Buckeyes beat the Longhorns in the CFP semifinals last year, 28-14
• Ohio State is 42-32-3 ATS under Ryan Day; Texas is 28-26-1 under Steve Sarkisian
• The Buckeyes and Longhorns combined to go 17-13-2 to the Under in 2024
• Heisman Trophy odds favorite Arch Manning is 1-1 ATS as a starting quarterback

Texas vs. Ohio State prediction

The public was all over Ohio State early on, presumably because the national champions rank first in the country in SP+. However, as kickoff approaches, bettors continue to be enamored by Texas' signal-calling sensation, Arch Manning.

Manning went 2-0 as a starter when filling in for Quinn Ewers last season, but he faced two subpar programs in Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. A trip to "The Horseshoe" against arguably the nation's best team is a different ballgame entirely. It's worth noting, Ohio State is 24-15-1 ATS at home under Day.

The Buckeyes have the best defense that the young quarterback has faced to date - and it's not particularly close. Caleb Downs marshals a unit that returns enough talent to drop Sarkisian's squad to 2-6 ATS over its last eight outings. I'll back the Buckeyes to cover a 3-point spread at home in Week 1.

Our Mike Spector, however, took an opposing stance in his Texas vs. Ohio State prediction. 

✅ Best bet: Ohio State -3 (+110 via BetMGM) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Latest Texas vs. Ohio State odds

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🔮 College football Week 1 expert picks

• College football AI predictions
• College football predictions & picks
• College football anytime touchdown scorer predictions
• College football player props
• College football best bets
• College football moneyline parlay
• College football picks against the spread
• College football upset picks
• College football trends that matter

❓ College football trends FAQs

How do college football spread odds work?

When betting on college football, the favorite needs to win by a certain number of points to cover the "point spread" - also known as the betting line. Conversely, the underdog needs to lose by fewer than the points displayed in the spread or win outright to cash. For example, a 3-point favorite would need to win by more than a field goal to reward bettors.

How do college football moneyline odds work?

When betting on college football, the underdog will have the "longer" odds and is typically priced at "plus-money" odds that indicate the profit on a $100 bet. For example, a team with +150 odds would turn a $100 bet into a $150 profit - or a $10 bet into a $15 profit - according to our odds converter.

Where can I find the best college football betting odds?

Shop around our best college football betting sites to find the best odds for your college football picks. Our best sports betting sites for all sports include BetMGM, bet365, Caesars, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

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