College Football: 2 Best Bets and Player Props for Fresno State at Kansas

Week 0 of the 2025 college football season has arrived, and there are five games set to be played on Saturday. The third contest of the Week 0 slate will pit the Fresno State Bulldogs against the Kansas Jayhawks in a matchup between programs looking to hit the ground running to begin the new season.

Saturday's Fresno State-Kansas showdown is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

All college football betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Fresno State at Kansas Betting Picks

Fresno State Over 17.5 Points (-104)

Along with writing up the over in this game as one of my favorite college football bets in Week 0, I'm willing to take a chance on Fresno State's offense amid uncertainty surrounding how the team will look in head coach Matt Entz's debut on the sideline.

Entz previously coached North Dakota State to multiple national titles before joining Lincoln Riley's coaching staff at USC last season, and it shouldn't take much for the Bulldogs to show improvements on the offensive side of the ball compared to last year.

Even with Fresno State ranking 92nd in net expected points added per play (-0.05) on offense and 116th in offensive success rate (38.2%) in 2024, they still managed to average 26.1 points per game. All we need from the Bulldogs in this game is 18-plus points, and it certainly helps that the Jayhawks' defense isn't a dominant unit.

Despite facing a Kansas squad that is in the Big 12 -- which is a jump up in competition from the Mountain West Conference -- Fresno State can find success versus a Jayhawks defense that was 102nd in net expected points added allowed per play (0.10) and 112th in defensive success rate (44.4%) a season ago. While Kansas could have four new transfers starting on defense in hopes to fix the issues from last season, I'm still skeptical they've made enough progress to hold many teams to fewer than 18 points right now.

Jalon Daniels Over 37.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

Our Austin Swaim listed Jalon Daniels' under on passing yards as one of his favorite college football prop bets in Week 0, and I agree that Daniels may not be ultra-effective through the air against Fresno State. However, if the Bulldogs' defense does have a weakness, it's stopping the run.

Just last season, Fresno State was 74th in defensive rushing success rate (40.6%) and 52nd in expected points added allowed per rushing attempt (-0.01), compared to sitting at 21st in defensive passing success rate (37.4%) and 28th in expected points added allowed per pass attempt (-0.12). This could lead to Daniels and the Jayhawks leaning more on their running game, especially in a contest where Kansas are double-digit favorites at home.

Down the stretch in 2024, Daniels utilized his legs more often, prompting him to record 58-plus rushing yards in four of his final six starts, and he carried the ball 10-plus times in three of those outings. Look for Daniels to be a threat on the ground in Saturday's contest with Kansas hoping to get off to a 1-0 start in 2025 in front of their home crowd.

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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.