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The Purdue Boilermakers and Fresno State Bulldogs will both have new quarterbacks under center when they square off in a season opener on Saturday afternoon. Purdue reached the Big Ten title game last year, while Fresno State won its final nine games en route to a 10-4 campaign. The Bulldogs claimed the Mountain West Conference title before capping the season off with a victory in the LA Bowl. This is the first-ever meeting between the Boilermakers and Bulldogs. 

Kickoff at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette is set for noon ET. The Boilermakers are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Purdue vs. Fresno State odds, per SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 47.5. Before making any Fresno State vs. Purdue picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Purdue vs. Fresno State and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Fresno State vs. Purdue:

  • Purdue vs. Fresno State spread: Purdue -3.5
  • Purdue vs. Fresno State over/under: 47.5 points
  • Purdue vs. Fresno State money line: Purdue -180, Fresno State +150
  • Purdue vs. Fresno State picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Purdue can cover 

Purdue might have lost quarterback Aidan O'Connell, but the program still has plenty of momentum after reaching the Big Ten title game last year. The Boilermakers replaced O'Connell with Texas transfer Hudson Card, who played in 20 games (five starts) for the Longhorns over the past two seasons. Card has 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 194 career attempts, racking up 303 yards and three touchdowns in a win over West Virginia last year. 

He has some returning production behind him, with sophomore running back Devin Mockobee racking up 968 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. Senior wide receiver TJ Sheffield is also back after catching 46 passes for 480 yards and four scores last year. Purdue is 10-4 in its last 14 Saturday games, and having home-field advantage is extremely important in Week 1. 

Why Fresno State can cover

Fresno State has the third-longest active winning streak in the FBS after rattling off nine consecutive victories last year. The Bulldogs claimed the Mountain West Conference title and won the LA Bowl during their 10-4 campaign. UCF transfer Mikey Keene will be the starting quarterback after beating out Logan Fife, Joshua Wood and Jayden Mandal. 

Keene started 10 games as a freshman for UCF in 2021, completing 63.6% of his passes for 1,730 yards and 17 touchdowns. Junior running back Malik Sherrod is ready to take a step forward as the lead back after rushing for 428 yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role last year. Fresno State has covered the spread in five of its last six games, while Purdue has only covered twice in its last eight contests. See which team to pick here.

How to make Purdue vs. Fresno State picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine. 

So who wins Fresno State vs. Purdue, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Purdue vs. Fresno State spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up nearly $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.