5 Best College Football Predictions Against The Spread: Week 1 Thursday

What games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread for the Thursday games of Week 1 of the college football season?

1. Bowling Green at Tennessee

LINETennessee -35
ATS PICK: Tennessee

I make it a point that we never change the final score prediction in the game previews unless there’s a major injury or other extenuating circumstances.

Trust the research, trust the data, trust the …

Oh whatever. Tennessee needs to win this game by a hundred million points to kickoff the Josh Heupel era with a bang, and Bowling Green is still bad at college football.

The line moved up a few points, and this time around the prediction goes right along with it.

Maybe it’s a recency bias with the way UCLA rolled by Hawaii with ease, or with how UAB had no issues with a Jacksonville State team that should’ve made it a bit of a game, or …

Again, I’m getting too deep here when it’s really simple.

Bowling Green has scored a grand total of zero points against Power Five programs since 2018 – and this year’s version still has a whole lot to prove after being outscored 225-57 last season.

To be fair with the P5 thing, there were just two games against Notre Dame and Kansas State, the Falcons haven’t lost by fewer than 25 points to a Power Five program since beating Maryland in 2015.

Tennessee has struggled and fought through its last five season openers after winning 59-30 vs. … Bowling Green.

The offense will keep pouring it on no matter who’s in at quarterback – the staff want to still see who does what, even if all eyes are on Michigan transfer Joe Milton to be amazing.

It’s football time in Tennessee. It’s also big statement time, and Bowling Green is in the way.

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