College football makes its glorious return this Saturday with five games on the Week 0 slate. While the opening week of the season typically doesn’t feature the most high-profile teams, this year offers one of the best Week 0 matchups we have ever seen with Farmageddon between Kansas State and Iowa State in Ireland.
One way to make these games, especially the lower-tier matchups, more exciting is by diving into, and possibly dabbling in, some betting lines. Let’s take a look at the matchups and what the sportsbooks are predicting for each Week 0 game.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook (8/19)
Iowa State vs Kansas State (Dublin, Ireland)
Spread
- Iowa State +3 (-110)
- Kansas State -3 (-110)
Moneyline
- Iowa State (+132)
- Kansas State (-160)
Total
- 49.5 (Over -115/Under -105)
The Wildcats are field goal favorites in this Big 12 matchup, which could have massive conference implications in the long run. Both teams return their starting quarterbacks, along with multiple key starters on both sides of the ball. Kansas State’s rushing QB-RB duo of Avery Johnson and Dylan Edwards will be something to watch here going against an Iowa State defense that ranked second-to-last in the Big 12 at defending the run in 2024.
With Chris Klieman and Matt Campbell leading these programs, the Cyclones lead the series 4-2. The last three meetings have all been decided by one possession, with the average total score in the past six games sitting at 48 points.
Idaho State at UNLV
Spread
- Idaho State +25.5 (-105)
- UNLV -25.5 (-115)
Moneyline
- Idaho State (+1400)
- UNLV (-4000)
Total
- 64.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
The Dan Mullen era in Las Vegas kicks off with what should be a cakewalk. When looking for potential FCS over FBS upsets, this likely is not one of them, with Idaho State having just two winning seasons since 2004. However, the Bengals do have six all-time wins over FBS/Division I-A opponents with the most recent coming in 2017 against Nevada. Idaho State did have a high-powered offense last season, averaging 32 points per game, but they will be replacing their quarterback who threw for over 3,000 yards
With Barry Odom’s departure this is a new look UNLV squad, but they certainly do not have a shortage of talent thanks to the transfer portal. Former Virginia two-year starter Anthony Colandrea is expected to be the starter at quarterback for the Rebels, but I would expect a healthy package for former Michigan Wolverine Alex Orji to be used as a rushing threat. Idaho State has lost its last 10 matchups against FBS opponents by an average margin of 29.6 points, including a 52-21 loss to UNLV in 2022.
Fresno State at Kansas
Spread
- Fresno State (+13.5)
- Kansas (-13.5)
Moneyline
- Fresno State (+365)
- Kansas (-490)
Total
- 50.5 (Over -114/Under -106)
This is a solid matchup that could end up being more competitive than expected. Fresno State comes in with new head coach Matt Entz who recently was a dominant head coach at North Dakota State where he had a 60-11 record and won two national titles. The Bulldogs have an experienced quarterback in transfer E.J. Warner (son of Kurt Warner), who has over 30 starts and thrown for nearly 9,000 yards in his college career. Though with Entz at the helm and a new offensive coordinator who had two 1,000-yard rushers in the FCS last season, expect Fresno State to look to run the rock.
Kansas is coming off a disappointing 5-7 season as head coach Lance Leipold enters his fifth year in Lawrence. This is a big question mark game for the Jayhawks as they have several key pieces to replace around Daniels, including their top eight pass catchers from a season ago, which makes me surprised to see the spread at two touchdowns. Kansas finished last season strong, covering the spread in five of their final six games, but they are just 1-3 ATS in season openers under Leipold.
Sam Houston State at Western Kentucky
Spread
- Sam Houston State (+10.5)
- Western Kentucky (-10.5)
Moneyline
- Sam Houston State (+300)
- Western Kentucky (-385)
Total
- 62.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
This is the second interconference matchup of the slate with two teams from Conference USA. Sam Houston enters the season with a new head coach in former longtime offensive coordinator Phil Longo, known for his version of the Air Raid offense. It will be interesting to see Longo’s style of play with the Bearkats, who are normally known for running the football. They are coming off a strong 2024 campaign, finishing 10-3 in just their second season at the FBS level.
Western Kentucky got hit hard by the transfer portal, but head coach Tyson Helton returns, and the Hilltoppers typical high-powered offense should remain with quarterback Maverick McIvor transferring in from Abilene Christian. At the FCS level, McIvor threw for over 8,000 yards and 61 touchdowns across three seasons. Last year he nearly reached 4,000 passing yards while leading ACU to its first-ever FCS playoff appearance and win.
WKU has won this matchup each of the past two seasons, but both teams covered the spread once. Also of note, this spread originally opened at -7 meaning the people loved the Hilltoppers early.
Stanford at Hawai’i
Spread
- Stanford +2.5 (-104)
- Hawai’i -2.5 (-118)
Moneyline
- Stanford (+114)
- Hawai’i (-137)
Total
- 50.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
This beautiful nightcap on the island is the perfect way to close out Week 0. This is a complete rebuild year for Stanford with new general manager Andrew Luck and longtime NFL coach Frank Reich taking over as interim head coach. The Cardinal do have 14 returning starters, but that does not mean as much when they are returning starters from a team that was not good. Realistically, this could be the lowest spread Stanford sees all season.
On the other side, Hawai'i is not great, but they could be a very exciting team to watch this season. Micah Alejado will take over at quarterback after lighting it up in last season’s finale, where he totaled 523 yards and five touchdowns in his first start. It’s no surprise the spread is nearly a pick’em as who knows what could happen in this one.
More College Football News: