College Football Straight Up Picks for Every Game in Week 0 (Bet Hawaii to Upset Stanford)

Hawaii is an underdog against Stanford in Week 0 of the college football season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Football is officially back! Week 0 of the college football season is set to take place this week, with eight games set to take place across the country.

This weekend's slate serves as a perfect appetizer for the upcoming season. In this article, I'm going to give you my pick for each game. We don't care about point spreads here; all we care about in this piece is which teams are going to walk away with a victory.

All odds listed are via Caesars Sportsbook

College Football Week 0 Moneyline Picks

North Carolina vs. TCU Prediction

Pick: TCU -325

I wouldn't be surprised if Bill Belichick doesn't last the year in Chapel Hill. There has been nothing but negativity and controversy coming out of the program since he was hired, and he has the odds stacked against him in 2026.

Keep an eye on TCU's new quarterback, Jaden Craig, who was fantastic in FCS play for Harvard last season, racking up 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Horned Frogs cruised past the Tar Heels last season, and I expect a similar result this time around.

San Jose vs. USC Prediction

Pick: USC -20000

NC State vs. Virginia Prediction

Pick: Virginia -218

Jacksonville State vs. North Dakota State Prediction

Pick: North Dakota State -280

Based on the Bison's historic results against FBS teams, it's hard not to think they'll immediately find success at this level, especially against a team as underwhelming as Jacksonville State. NDSU lost by just five points to Colorado in 2024 and lost by only three points to Arizona in 2022. Prior to that, they had six straight wins against FBS teams, with their most recent being a 23-21 victory against Iowa in 2016. I have faith they can continue that success this season and should be able to take care of business against a team from Conference USA.

Sacramento State vs. Eastern Michigan Prediction

Pick: Eastern Michigan -380

New Mexico State vs. Florida State Prediction

Pick: Florida State -10000

Hawaii vs. Stanford Prediction

Pick: Hawaii +157

Hawaii's quarterback, Micah Alejandro, is poised for a huge season. The sophomore was beyond impressive as a freshman. He threw for 3,106 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He gets to open his season against a Stanford defense that significantly struggled last year, ranking 96th in opponent EPA. The Rainbow Warriors are live to pull off the upset as road underdogs.

Memphis vs. UNLV Prediction

Pick: Memphis +181

These two teams had two of the best rushing attacks in the nation last year, but it was Memphis that was much better at defending the run. They ranked 18th in the country in opponent EPA per rush. Meanwhile, UNLV ranked 127th in that metric. If those numbers carry over to 2026, the Tigers are going to have the advantage on the ground and could be live to pull off the upset.

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