College Football Week 0 Against the Spread Picks: Best Bets for Marquee Games

Although this is just a warmup to get us ready for those 14-hour-long Saturdays during the season, Week 0 won't be short on fun with five games featuring FBS programs, including an AP Top 25 matchup.

My college football Week 0 against the spread picks expect Kansas State to live up to its billing as a College Football Playoff odds contender in the Irish edition of Farmageddon, Western Kentucky's transfer addition to shine, and Hawaii to turn back the clock to the June Jones days.

While none of the top programs in the college football national championship odds race or Heisman Trophy odds favorites are set to take the field, there's plenty of good football for your college football Week 0 predictions.

🎯 College football Week 0 against the spread picks

College football picks based on the best college football odds, and subject to change; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

🏅 My favorite Week 0 ATS picks

Our college football player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🍀 Iowa State vs. Kansas State (-3) 

📊 Best odds: -105 via Caesars ($10 to win $9.52)
🔢 Implied probability: 51.22%

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This is a treat to kick the entire college football season off, with both Kansas State and Iowa State ranked in the preseason AP Top 25. And the Wildcats look like they're equipped for a conference championship run and a College Football Playoff berth this year.

As the co-favorites by the Big 12 Championship odds, the Wildcats' rushing attack should be one of the nation's best this season, and it's the key reason why K-State is No. 16 in SP+ on offense entering the campaign. Chris Klieman's team returns starting QB Avery Johnson and dynamic running back Dylan Edwards, who could hurt a Cyclones defense that ranks outside the top 50 in returning production.

The Wildcats also bring back linebacker Austin Romaine and safety VJ Payne to lead a defense that can take advantage of an Iowa State team that lost its top two offensive weapons to the NFL draft (Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins). A lot more is going to be on Iowa State QB Rocco Becht's plate this year after he finished with the sixth-most turnover-worthy plays in the country last season (20).

🎈 Sam Houston vs. Western Kentucky (-9.5) 

📊 Best odds: -122 via FanDuel ($10 to win $8.20)
🔢 Implied probability: 54.95%

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While you could argue that Western Kentucky is dealing with more change than Sam Houston, that's nothing new to Hilltoppers head coach Tyson Helton. He's one of the best Group of Five head coaches when it comes to hiring coordinators and utilizing the transfer portal, and Helton is at his best when he makes a hire and brings in said hire's QB (see: Bailey Zappe, Zach Kittley).

This time, Helton hired Abilene Christian offensive coordinator Rick Bowie, who brings QB Maverick McIvor with him, and the pair should thrive against Sam Houston. The Bearkats are No. 109 in SP+ and No. 116 in returning production, plus they have a new head coach after K.C. Keeler went to Temple. And I, for one, am not convinced that hiring a newly fired offensive coordinator as your head coach is smart.

Though Phil Longo's air raid might work long-term for Sam Houston, playing basketball on grass in Big Red's house against a WKU team that also added Matthew Henry (Western Illinois), Jairus Mack (Charlotte), and La'Vell Wright (Austin Peay) is ill-advised. 

🌺  Stanford vs. Hawaii (-2) 

📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars ($10 to win $9.09)
🔢 Implied probability: 52.38%

This is Timmy Chang's shot to prove why Hawaii brought him home to clean up Todd Graham's mess. The Rainbow Warriors look poised to break through and become bowl-eligible. But first they need to take care of business against a rocky Stanford squad that had Andrew Luck fire Troy Taylor and bring in Frank Reich in March following an investigation into the former's conduct. 

That change led to a mass exodus, which is why Stanford is set to start sixth-year QB Ben Gulbranson, the former Oregon State backup. Given the circumstances around the Cardinal's situation, and the fact they're traveling to Honolulu, the Rainbow Warriors are set to pull off a season-opening win. The public has been all over Hawaii, too, after Stanford opened as a 2.5-point favorite.

Though Hawaii isn't a world beater, it does boast enough offense to create mismatches against a Stanford defense that's No. 92 in SP+. Rainbow Warrior QB Micah Alejado showed flashes in the run-and-shoot offense during limited time last year, and he's throwing to two of the Mountain West's best receivers in Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle.

There's just too much working against Stanford for it to win.

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