Record: 1-2
West Virginia +8.5 vs Penn State
For weeks and weeks leading up to this weekend on Is It Saturday Yet?, I’ve stood strong with my take that West Virginia is going to beat Penn State in week one. While my bet is West Virginia +8.5 and I just need them to cover, I still think they’re going to pull out a win against the Nittany Lions. Penn States defense will be good, per usual, but Garrett Greene and a handful of Mountaineer starters are back from last season. Speaking of last season, West Virginia only lost one time at home in 2023. Again, for the sake of my bet, I’m not concerned with the Mountaineers winning the game, but I think it’s going to happen.
Notre Dame +3 at Texas A&M
No game has given me a harder erection for the past few weeks than this one. I’ve had Notre Dame vs Texas A&M on the brain for months. Now it’s here and we’re taking Notre Dame +3 in College Station. The Irish return Howard Cross, Riley Mills and Xavier Watts on defense and brought in Riley Leonard on offense which feels like the recipe for success. Playing in College Station is no easy task, but Notre Dame was 4-2 on the road in 2023. While the Aggies are good at home, A&M has holes all across their roster from the offensive line to their secondary. If you’re smart like Big Hoppa and I, you’ll also ride with the Irish.
Syracuse -9.5 1H vs Ohio
I never thought I’d do it. I never thought I’d bet a first half line, but the moment feels right to bet Syracuse -9.5 first half. Syracuse is looking to show off their new offensive fire power of Kyle McCord, Zeed Haynes and Jackson Meeks, so they are going to come out of the gates firing. The Orange only led by more than 9.5 points in three games last year, but they have a new head coach, a new quarterback and high expectations for the season.
Oklahoma State -9.5 vs South Dakota State
One reason and one reason alone is leading me to bet Oklahoma State -9.5. It’s that Ollie Gordon, as a punishment for getting a DUI, is going to carry the rock north of forty times. The Cowboys won five of their ten games last season by over ten points in 2023, and that included their first two games of the season. Gordon is the best back in college football and is the sole reason I’m betting on the Cowboys. Maybe that’s dumb. Maybe it’s genius. We’ll have the answer to that around 5:00PM.
On top of these four, surefire winners, make sure you checkout this weeks episode of the Is It Saturday Yet? podcast to hear who my colleagues Big Hoppa and Luke Owens bet on this weekend.