College Football

How to bet College Football Week 1: Odds, picks, futures and more

Updated Sep. 3, 2021 10:33 p.m. ET

In sports, you'll often hear reference to a team being at "full strength," meaning everyone is healthy and ready to go.

This Saturday, college football bettors are officially at full strength themselves, with a full smorgasbord of games and countless opportunities to make wagers on point spreads, moneylines, total over/unders, Heisman Trophy futures, national title futures and more.

As Week 1 shifts into high gear, here's everything you need to know about how to bet on Week 1 in college football, from picks and the odds on the biggest games to how those aforementioned futures markets are shaping up early in the season (with all odds via FOX Bet).

What are the current odds on the board?

You can head on over to FOX Bet right now to watch the lines change in real time (and make your bets, of course), but if you're curious for a glimpse at the odds on the games involving Top 25 teams in Week 1, click over to our story on the lines and gambling-based results for each and every game featuring a Top 25 squad.

OK, but where should I consider putting my money?

Our crew of betting experts is here to help. This week, Jason McIntyre broke down his favorite bets on five marquee games, including why he thinks Wisconsin will take care of business at home against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Former Oregon and NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz also gave his best bets for the weekend, focusing on the Pac-12 he knows so well (sorry, USC fans) and on the No. 1 team in the country, Alabama, which should roll (pardon the pun) as a 19-point favorite against Miami.

Last but not least, Sam Panayotovich spoke to oddsmakers across the country about what they're seeing as college football fans get back to betting with gusto and had the bookies offer up a couple of winning wagers of their own.

How can I get in on the action?

We're glad you asked. Check out our "How to bet" stories on the biggest games this weekend:

How to bet Alabama vs. Miami
How to bet Georgia vs. Clemson
How to bet Penn State vs. Wisconsin
How to bet Louisiana vs. Texas
How to bet Notre Dame vs. Florida State

What about a more long-term play?

If you're interested in placing a wager on who will win the national championship this year, we took a snapshot on the top 10 teams' odds to win it all ahead of Week 1.

If the Heisman Trophy race is more your speed, you'll be excited to know that it looks like this year's competition is wide open. Check out the lines for yourself.

Anything else I should know?

If you're not in a FOX Bet state (or even if you are!), check out FOX Super 6 for your chance to win thousands of dollars absolutely for free. Really.

This week features a $10,000 grand prize for the Big Noon Kickoff game between Penn State and Wisconsin, as well as a $25,000 grand prize for the overall college football Super 6 game encompassing six of the weekend's biggest matchups. In fact, each week will offer you a chance to win big with Super 6, including next week's $1 million NFL Week 1 contest.

Until then, good luck with your bets!