College Football Week 1 Top Odds Matchups

The college football campaign kicks off this week with bettors hoping the favorites get the season started on the right foot. Week 1 typically means a lot of blowouts on the college gridiron, but not all teams in the Top 25 get a cupcake matchup to start their season.

There’s actually one ranked matchup on tap this weekend, as the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide battle the No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The oddsmakers at 5Dimes have listed the Tide as a 10.5-point favorite, expecting them to build on the 4-1 mark SU and ATS they’ve posted in their last five games versus the Big Ten.

Bettors may be more focused on Alabama’s 4-11-1 ATS record in their last 16 games and 4-7 ATS mark in their last 11 as a double-digit favorite.

The Ohio State Buckeyes get their national championship repeat drive underway with a visit to Virginia Tech in Week 1. The Buckeyes start the season as the No. 1 team in the nation and they’re a 12-point favorite versus the Hokies at the sportsbook. Ohio State is riding a 13-game winning streak during which they are 9-4 ATS.

Coincidentally the Buckeyes' last defeat was against the Hokies; last September Virginia Tech stunned the Buckeyes with a 35-21 win as a 10-point road underdog.

If there’s one team entering this season with a chip on its shoulder it’s the TCU Horned Frogs. The Frogs were excluded from the College Football Playoff last season and will look for some redemption entering the season as the No. 2 team in the nation.

Up first on TCU’s hit list in Week 1 are the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Not surprisingly, TCU is a 14.5-point favorite at 5Dimes. TCU is a bettor’s dream with a 14-2 ATS record in its last 16 games, but Minnesota is no pushover at 4-1 ATS in its last five and 4-1 ATS in its last five season openers.