College football returns with the Week 0 schedule on Saturday, kicking off the season with a meeting between No. 13 Notre Dame and Navy in Dublin. Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman is set to make his debut after leaving Wake Forest, and he will be tasked with covering one of the largest Week 0 college football spreads. The Fighting Irish are 20.5-point favorites in the latest Week 0 college football odds. Should you back Notre Dame with your Week 0 college football bets?
No. 6 USC is a 30.5-point favorite against San Jose State in the Week 0 college football lines. Defending Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is looking to get off to a hot start, while the Trojans are hoping their transfer portal additions pay off on defense. Before locking in any college football picks for Week 0 of the 2023 season, be sure to see the college football betting guide from legendary Vegas handicapper Bruce Marshall.
For years Vegas-based Marshall was synonymous with The Gold Sheet, the famed sports betting newsletter. With a background in play-by-play work and sports information while in college, Marshall joined TGS in 1981 when hired by the legendary Mort Olshan and served as executive editor for many years. He now supplies his unique and colorful brand of football and basketball analysis to SportsLine members.
An in-demand guest on numerous sports talk radio and TV shows across the country, Bruce's vast array of editorial work has been featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the New York Post and many other outlets. He has won various handicapping titles and also is working on several book projects.
Now, using his Tech Corner technique, Marshall has turned his attention to the latest college football odds for Week 0 and evaluated each matchup. Head here to see every pick.
Top college football predictions for Week 0
One of the top college football picks Marshall is recommending for Saturday: Hawaii (+17.5) covers on the road against Vanderbilt at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Vanderbilt is a popular pick to cover the spread after beating Hawaii by 53 points in the opener last year, but Marshall is taking the contrarian route. The Rainbow Warriors improved significantly down the stretch of the 2022 campaign, covering the spread in seven of their final eight games.
They added players from the transfer portal, lessening the talent gap between these teams. Hawaii also has a motivational advantage following last year's loss, while Vanderbilt could get caught overlooking its Week 0 opponent. The Commodores are winless against the spread in home games against non-conference opponents over the last two years.
Hawaii was a double-digit underdog in its final five games last season, so it is comfortable playing in this role. The Rainbow Warriors have gone under the total in nine of their last 12 games, while Vanderbilt has gone under in five of its last six games. A low-scoring game favors the large underdog on Saturday night, giving Marshall another reason to back Hawaii. See which other picks to make here.
How to make college football picks for Saturday, Aug. 26
Marshall has evaluated every other matchup and he's found an alarming trend that leads to an edge for one of the week's biggest underdogs. Get betting analysis for each matchup at SportsLine.
So what college football picks can you make with confidence, and what alarming trend points to a huge underdog? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams to back, all from the legendary Vegas expert who has won multiple handicapping titles, and find out.
College football odds for Saturday, Aug. 26
See full Week 0 college football picks, odds, predictions here
Saturday, Aug. 26
Navy vs. Notre Dame (-20.5, 49)
UTEP at Jacksonville State (+2, 54.5)
UMass at New Mexico State (-7, 45)
Ohio at San Diego State (-2.5, 48)
Hawaii at Vanderbilt (-17.5, 56)
San Jose State at USC (-31, 66)
FIU at Louisiana Tech (-12, 57.5)
