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3 Best College Football Bets for Week 0

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3 Best College Football Bets for Week 0

Each week in college football, there are tons of games available to us.

While this can be a bit overwhelming, it also gives us plentiful spots we can target when searching for betting value. From the biggest games of the week all the way on down, we're never lacking for options.

Week 0 of the 2025 college football season is upon us, and we have five games to watch on Saturday, beginning with the preseason No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones squaring off against the preseason No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats in a Big 12 clash at noon ET in Dublin, Ireland. Saturday's slate will conclude with the Stanford Cardinal taking on the Hawaii Warriors at 7:30 p.m. ET in a matchup between two programs that are looking to return to relevancy.

Using the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as a guide, what are the best college football bets for this week?

All college football betting odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

College Football Week 0 Betting Picks

No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State Over 26.5 Points (-128)

We should be treated to an exciting contest when the Cyclones face the Wildcats on Saturday in Dublin, as both teams are returning important pieces on the offensive side of the ball. While Iowa State has quarterback Rocco Becht returning for another year, Kansas State has quarterback Avery Johnson, running back Dylan Edwards, and wide receiver Jayce Brown back following a 2024 campaign where they were 46th in scoring with 30.8 points per game.

Kansas St Total Points

Over
Aug 23 4:00pm UTCMore odds in Sportsbook

Despite Johnson needing to develop as a passer, he's an electric dual-threat quarterback who totaled 605 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns in 2024. Although Edwards operated as the backup to DJ Giddens a season ago, he posted the 5th-most rushing yards per attempt (7.4) and 36th-most yards after contact per attempt (4.15) among college backs with 50-plus attempts, per PFF.

The trio of Johnson, Giddens, and Edwards helped the Wildcats finish 31st in expected points added per rushing attempt (0.08) and 44th in offensive rushing success rate (43.5%) last season. The loss of Giddens to the NFL could cause Kansas State to need an adjustment period to get the ground game back to where it was a season ago, but they should still take advantage of an Iowa State defense that was 73rd in expected points added allowed per rushing attempt (0.02) and 84th in defensive rushing success rate (42.2%) a year ago, pushing me toward the over for the Wildcats' team total.

Fresno State Bulldogs at Kansas Jayhawks

Over 50.5 (-114)

The Fresno State Bulldogs took a step back in 2024, concluding the year with a forgettable 6-7 record, prompting the program to bring in head coach Matt Entz and transfer quarterback E.J. Warner (Kurt Warner's son) in hopes to get back on track in 2025. Entz experienced plenty of success as the head coach at North Dakota State from 2019 to 2023, winning two FCS national titles before being named an assistant head coach for the USC Trojans last season.

Total Match Points

Over
Aug 23 10:30pm UTCMore odds in Sportsbook

Besides there being some optimism surrounding the Bulldogs, the Jayhawks have quarterback Jalon Daniels returning under center after Kansas ranked 52nd in points per game (29.7) a season ago. Although Daniels' 2024 numbers don't jump off the page, the Jayhawks were still 21st in expected points added per play on offense (0.19) and 9th in offensive success rate (47.8%). Plus, Kansas has three new transfer wideouts joining the offense to provide a spark in the passing attack.

Even before the arrival of Entz, Fresno State supplied a modest 26.1 points per game in 2024, so it's not out of the ordinary to expect slight improvements from the Bulldogs' offense in 2025.

Taking all that into account, there could be a decent number of points put up in Saturday's contest -- even if the Jayhawks need to do the heavy lifting.

Stanford Cardinal at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

Hawaii -2.5 (-105)

There is undoubtedly a feeling of uncertainty when it comes to backing either Stanford or Hawaii in Saturday's contest. However, the Rainbow Warriors have a slight edge due to playing at home, having their head coach (Timmy Chang) return, and a quarterback (Micah Alejado) who flashed some potential in his lone start last season.

Spread

Hawaii
Aug 23 11:30pm UTCMore odds in Sportsbook

On the other hand, Stanford has Frank Reich acting as the program's interim head coach until they find a long-term option at the position, and he's tasked with trying to revive a team that has won three games in each of the last four seasons. Not to mention, Reich will need to help turn around an offense that was 101st in success rate (39.9%) and a defense that was 103rd in success rate (43.5%) a season ago.

If Hawaii can build upon their 48th-ranked offensive success rate (43.3%) from last year, they should have no issues moving the ball against Stanford's woeful defense. Additionally, even with the Rainbow Warriors finishing with a disappointing 5-7 record in 2024, they were 6-1 against the spread (ATS) at home.


Futures Day is coming August 26th. Learn more here.


The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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