The first official week of the college football season is underway, which means betting on game props and player props is back on the menu.
Teams will need time to get transfers or new starters acclimated early in the season, making it crucial to be somewhat reserved until we have more information on how some programs will operate.
With some intriguing matchups taking place in Week 1, we’ll be taking a look at a couple of game, team, and player props that are worth wagering on.
CFB Week 1 Best Props
Liberty: Over 29.5 Points (-120)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Liberty will host Bowling Green in Week 1, with the Flames entering the contest as nearly 10-point favorites. Liberty is coming off an 8-5 season with Hugh Freeze as head coach, though ex-Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell is taking over for the program in 2023.
Chadwell is coming off three straight seasons with at least nine wins, and Liberty registered a solid 28.1 points per game in 2022.
This number appears to be lower due to the uncertainty of Chadwell’s debut, but with the MAC’s Bowling Green giving up 30.3 points per game last season, the value is certainly there at (-120).
Fresno State: Over 2.5 Touchdowns (-105)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
It was a slow start for Fresno State in 2022, beginning the season with a 1-4 record through the first five weeks. The Bulldogs would then reel off nine consecutive wins, including a 29-6 victory over Washington State in the LA Bowl.
In the final nine games of last season, Fresno State averaged 34.4 points per game and scored at least three touchdowns in the last eight contests.
Jeff Tedford is in the second year of his stint with the Bulldogs, and they should find the end zone at least three times against a Purdue squad that surrendered 29.5 points per game in 2022, making this one of my top CFB props for Week 1.
Track our reports on the best NCAAF props this weekend:
CFB Week 1 Player Props
Devin Leary: Over 225.5 Passing Yards (-115)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
NC State transfer Devin Leary is set to start under center for Kentucky this season, with Liam Coen returning as the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats. Coen was the one calling the plays when Will Levis had his best collegiate season at Kentucky in 2021.
Leary was limited to six games a season ago, but he eclipsed 225 passing yards in three of them. If you go back to his 2021 campaign, Leary tallied at least 232 passing yards in all 12 of his starts.
- Complement your prop bets with our CFB Week 1 Best Bets.
Ball State doesn’t have a daunting pass defense that would prevent Leary from hitting this number in his debut for Kentucky, so the Over is the best play.
Drake Maye: Over 31.5 Rushing Yards (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Maye enters the 2023 season with a first-round projecton for the 2024 NFL draft. This will be Maye’s second year as the starting signal-caller at North Carolina, and expectations are high for the strong-armed quarterback.
Maye is also capable of creating yards with his legs, finishing with at least 32 rushing yards in 11 of his 14 starts in 2022. He can get off to a fast start this season by proving that he’s in the same tier as USC’s Caleb Williams when it comes to playmaking.
- Read up on even more CFB betting tips for Week 1.
It also doesn’t hurt that South Carolina allowed a whopping 202.8 rushing yards last season, and it’s tough to envision them performing much better in 2023.
