College Football Upset Picks & Predictions: 3 Best Moneyline Underdog Bets for Week 0

With just five games on the slate, we're highlighting three underdogs with a chance of pulling off the outright upset on Saturday.

Mike Spector

Last Updated: August 20, 2025 3:43 PM EDT • 5 minute read

College Football Upset Predictions Week 0: 3 Best Underdog Betting Picks — Pictured: Stanford Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright (6) gestures as we look at our college football upset predictions for Week 0. Photo by Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images.

The college football season gets underway Saturday with five games on the Week 0 slate, starting with a ranked vs. ranked Big 12 matchup in Dublin. Our college football upset picks are focused on three matchups later in the day, including two double-digit underdogs across the best sports betting sites.

With the pickings being slim as far as outright moneyline underdogs to back, our Week 0 college football upset predictions are taking a shot on some big upsets with a three-leg moneyline parlay paying out at roughly 40/1 odds as part of our college football Week 0 predictions.

🏈 Best college football upset picks: Week 0

College football picks made Wednesday; odds subject to change. Follow the latest college football scores for updated line movement and matchup info.

✅ Fresno State (+375 via BetMGM) at Kansas ⭐⭐
✅ Sam Houston (+320 via DraftKings) at Western Kentucky ⭐⭐
✅ Stanford (+110 via bet365) at Hawaii ⭐⭐⭐

🚨 Our Week 0 upset predictions

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🎯 Fresno State (+375) ⭐⭐

Fresno State was picked fifth in the Mountain West preseason poll after finishing under .500 (6-7) for the first time in five seasons. First year head coach Matt Entz has plenty of experience from his time at the FCS-dominant North Dakota State, and he takes over a program that has won double-digit games under four different head coaches this century.

Kansas has the edge in returning its signal caller, Jalon Daniels, who has thrown for 6,751 yards and rushed for another 1,401. However, much of that experience is mitigated with him learning a new system under a different coordinator for a third straight season, and the Jayhawks return just five of 15 defenders who logged 200-plus snaps last year.

If this game is close in the fourth quarter, look for Kansas to get tight after finishing 1-5 in one-possession games last season. If Fresno State can pull off the outright upset, a $10 bet would return a $37.50 profit at these +375 odds via BetMGM, which imply a 21.05% chance of an upset.

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📊 Live Fresno State vs. Kansas odds

🎯 Sam Houston (+320) ⭐⭐

Sam Houston was the only Conference USA team to win double-digit games last season, finishing with an identical 6-2 conference record as Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers handed the Bearkats their first conference loss last season with a 31-14 road win, but it was a 3-point game in the fourth quarter before Western Kentucky hit on a 74-yard touchdown pass to break the game open.

Sam Houston finished in the top 10 of all FBS teams in turnover margin last season, and turnovers can be an important part of an upset. The Bearkats also return more offensive production (56%) than Western Kentucky (38%), and the Hilltoppers could start slow after breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball.

The line is moving away from Sam Houston State, but that just means even more value at DraftKings with these +320 odds for an outright upset, which imply a 23.81% chance with a winning $10 bet returning a $32 profit.

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📊 Live Sam Houston vs. Western Kentucky odds

🎯 Stanford (+110) ⭐⭐⭐

If you believe in roster continuity in this day and age of rampant transferring, the Cardinal brings back a ton of players from last year.

Stanford ranks 26th in the country and third in the ACC with 64% of its roster returning. The most production comes back on defense (73%), including 15 of 20 players who played 150-plus snaps. I trust in interim head coach Frank Reich, who brings an NFL pedigree, and will lean on an offensive line that returns three starters.

Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado threw for 469 yards and five touchdowns in the season finale against New Mexico. But I believe that was more of a product of an awful Lobos defense than potential success that could carry over into this season.

ESPN FPI projects the Rainbow Warriors to win just 3.4 conference games, so this is likely the best chance for an outright upset in Week 0. bet365 is among the best sports betting apps offering +110 odds, which would turn a winning $10 bet into an $11 profit in the Week 0 finale.

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📊 Live Stanford vs. Hawaii odds

💰 Best Week 0 underdog moneyline parlay

❓College football upset picks FAQs

What are the best upset picks for Week 0?

Our best Week 0 upset picks feature Fresno State, Sam Houston, and Stanford to win outright as underdog predictions.

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 underdog odds for your college football upset picks. Our best sports betting sites for all sports include BetMGM, bet365, Caesars, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

🏆 College football betting odds

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Written by:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”