What games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into Week 0 of the college football season?
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Week 0 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
– Week 0 & 1 Schedule, Times, Lines, Previews
– CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
– Week 0 Expert Picks & Predictions: College
– Week 1 Expert Picks & Predictions: NFL
Results So Far ATS: 0-0
Before getting started with the Week 0 best picks against the spread, there are a few point total picks thrown in there with just five game played this weekend.
Also, as a heads up, I don’t really like any of these all that much – I like what’s coming on the 10 Best Week 1 version that’s coming next week a whole lot more.
Whatever … these five picks are right.
Click on each game for preview
5. Nebraska at Illinois
LINE: Nebraska -7
ATS PICK: Illinois
Is Illinois playing at home? Yes.
Could Illinois win this game outright in Game One of the Bret Bielema era? Yes.
Has Nebraska done anything over the last four seasons to make you think something magical is coming. Not really.
Nebraska is the better team, though.
It might not have a slew of sure-thing superstar playmakers – and that still includes QB Adrian Martinez, for now – but it should be able to run the ball a bit, and the defensive front seven should take over against a mediocre group of Illinois skill parts.
However, this is strictly a believe-it-when-I-see-it play taking Illinois at home with the points.
– Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews, Lines, TV: Week 0
The Illini beat the Huskers 41-23 last year in Lincoln, lost by four in 2019, and got walloped in 2018 and 2017. Even with just one win in the series since 2015, this is still more up in the air than it might appear.
Illinois has veterans in the offensive backfield, a solid linebacking corps, and … yeah, if this goes one way big, it’ll be the Big Red going off and rolling. However, the Huskers have just two wins by more than seven points in their last 17 games.