Week 0 College Football Predictions: Early Odds and Picks for Every Game

While college football doesn't fully return with a full Saturday slate until Week 1, there are still five games involving FBS programs as part of Week 0 on Saturday, Aug. 23. With an Irish edition of Farmaggedon, a new look UNLV squad, and a Kansas program looking to bounce back, there are plenty of Week 0 college football predictions to be made ahead of the season kicking off.

Iowa State vs. Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, is the highlight of the college football Week 0 odds and schedule, but that AP Top 25 matchup isn't the only must-watch game. Although no college football championship odds favorites are set to take the field on the first Saturday of the season, all five games are worth considering for your Week 0 college football predictions.

🗓️ Week 0 college football odds & schedule

See the college football odds from our best college football betting sites for every college football game in Week 0 (Saturday, Aug. 23).

• Noon ET: Iowa State vs. Kansas State (-3)
• 4 p.m. ET: Idaho State vs. UNLV (-25.5)
• 6:30 p.m. ET: Fresno State vs. Kansas (-12.5)
• 7 p.m. ET: Sam Houston vs. Western Kentucky (-9.5)
• 7:30 p.m. ET: Stanford vs. Hawaii (-1.5)

🔮 Week 0 college football predictions

🔎 College football picks made Aug. 15; odds subject to change. Our NEW college football player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your area!

🍀 Iowa State vs. Kansas State predictions

✅ Moneyline pick: Kansas State (-148 via DraftKings)
✅ Against the spread pick: Kansas State -3 (-110 via Caesars)
✅ Over/Under pick: Under 49.5 (-110 via Caesars)

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This is one heck of a game to open the college football season, with Kansas State being the co-favorite by the Big 12 championship odds and Iowa State being a popular College Football Playoff odds sleeper bet. And if there's anywhere Farmaggedon should be played outside of the beer-loving states of Kansas and Iowa, it's probably Dublin, Ireland. However, there could be more Guinness consumed by the average fan than points scored.

Despite both teams returning their star quarterbacks, this looks like it could be the third straight Week 0 game in Aviva Stadium to hit a game total below 50. Both teams are ranked top 30 on defense by SP+, and the Wildcats are No. 29 in returning defensive production, led by potential All-American linebacker Austin Romaine.

This rivalry game is normally played in late November, and rarely earlier than October, which could lead to mistakes as both teams get used to new starters. Early season offensive hiccups in a game over 3,500 miles from both teams' campuses could also play a factor in keeping the scoring to a minimum. 

📊 Best bet: Under 49.5 (-110 via Caesars)

♠️ Idaho State vs. UNLV predictions

✅ Moneyline pick: UNLV (-4000 via FanDuel)
✅ Against the spread pick: UNLV -25.5 (-110 via FanDuel)
✅ Over/Under pick: Over 62.5 (-110 via BetMGM)

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Dan Mullen is taking over a UNLV team coming off only its second ever 11-win season, and the other one came in 1984 as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. However, this is essentially a new team with the Rebels slated to start at least a dozen first year transfers, and likely closer to 20. But luckily for Mullen and Co., they're taking on a middling FCS squad.

UNLV's transfer QB combo of Alex Orji (Michigan) and Anthony Colandrea (Virginia) should be able to put up points on an atrocious Idaho State defense that allowed 77 points in a game last season. The Bengals gave up 37-plus in seven games last year, and only one of those came against an FBS team. Rebels running back Jai'Den Thomas should run wild.

But the Rebels' defense could take its lumps too. They're 81st in defensive SP+ entering the season and No. 133 in returning defensive production. Meanwhile, Idaho State returns a potential breakout star in running back Dason Brooks.

📊 Best bet: Over 62.5 (-110 via BetMGM)

🐦 Fresno State vs. Kansas predictions

✅ Moneyline pick: Kansas (-476 via Caesars)
✅ Against the spread pick: Kansas -12.5 (-110 via Caesars)
✅ Over/Under pick: Over 50.5 (-110 via Caesars)

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For the first time since 2016, Jeff Tedford/a Tedford tree coach (Kalen DeBoer) won't be calling the shots for Fresno State. Former North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz, who most recently coached USC linebackers, takes over a Bulldogs team that will be begging not to be in Kansas anymore when it takes on the Jayhawks.

Fresno State is 88th in SP+ entering the season and slated to start Kurt Warner's son, E.J. Warner, at QB. He's on his third school and has substantially more turnover-worthy plays (62) than big-time throws (39) in his career. There's not much around him in terms of help, either; the Bulldogs are No. 112 in returning production.

Kansas, on the other hand, looks set to get back on track in Lance Leipold's fifth season. Quarterback Jalon Daniels is healthy and should torch Fresno State's defense, plus transfers like Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (Alabama) and Leshon Williams (Iowa) will boost this offense. The defense will be better, too, with Joseph Sipp Jr. (Bowling Green) and Bangally Kamara (South Carolina) joining Dean Miller and friends.

📊 Best bet: Kansas -12.5 (-110 via Caesars)

🎈 Sam Houston vs. Western Kentucky predictions

✅ Moneyline pick: Western Kentucky (-375 via DraftKings)
✅ Against the spread pick: Western Kentucky -9.5 (-122 via FanDuel)
✅ Over/Under pick: Over 61 (-110 via Caesars)

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There are few Group of Five coaches better at both hiring coordinators and finding productive quarterbacks in the transfer portal than Tyson Helton. He's doing a toned-down version of the Bailey Zappe/Houston Baptist transplant thing by bringing in Abilene Christian offensive coordinator Rick Bowie and his QB Maverick McIvor. McIvor is a CUSA Offensive Player of the Year candidate after throwing for 3,847 yards and 30 touchdowns for the Wildcats last year.

That spells major trouble for a Sam Houston team that hired Phil Longo as head coach - fresh off Wisconsin firing him - after K.C. Keeler left for the Temple job. The Bearkats are a major regression candidate, ranked No. 116 in returning production and No. 109 in SP+.

McIvor should hit the ground running against this defense, which could be starting up to nine first-year transfers, especially with fellow new WKU additions Matthew Henry (Western Illinois) and Jairus Mack (Charlotte) joining K.D. Hutchinson in the wide receiver room. Big Red will be going wild for four quarters in The Houch. 

📊 Best bet: Western Kentucky -9.5 (-122 via FanDuel)

🌺 Stanford vs. Hawaii predictions 

✅ Moneyline pick: Hawaii (-125 via BetMGM)
✅ Against the spread pick: Hawaii -1.5 (-115 via FanDuel)
✅ Over/Under pick: Over 52.5 (-110 via Caesars)

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Long gone are the Jim Harbaugh/David Shaw days at Stanford, with the Andrew Luck and the Cardinal probably begging for Harbaugh to fail with the Los Angeles Chargers so they can retread with him and his 10-year show-cause penalty. Luck fired head coach Troy Taylor in March following an investigation into his conduct and brought in Frank Reich to steady the ship - but the ship will be shaking on the island.

While Timmy Chang's Hawaii rebuild has taken time after what Todd Graham did to the Rainbow Warriors, this looks like the year they get bowl-eligible again. That starts with whipping up on this taped-together Stanford team in Honolulu. Reich named sixth-year QB Ben Gulbranson his starter, and the Oregon State transfer is about as uninspiring a Power Four starter as there is; he has little proven talent around him, other than tight end Sam Roush.

Hawaii is trending in the opposite direction, ranking top 60 in returning production, with wide receivers Nick Cenacle and Pofele Ashlock poised for big years as hyped redshirt freshman QB Micah Alejado takes over under center. The turmoil at Stanford, on top of the Cardinal having to travel over 2,000 miles, means the Rainbow Warriors can make a Week 0 statement. 

📊 Best bet: Hawaii -1.5 (-115 via FanDuel)

🏈 College football odds pages

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