The point spreads in the early part of the college football season provide bettors with some of the best chances to find value. When the season starts, oddsmakers have to work with very limited information because of major roster changes during the offseason, player transfers, the arrival of new coaching staffs and the total absence of data from the current season. The opening spreads are therefore mainly determined by power ratings, previous team performance and what the market believes.
But a bettor still must find that value, and I have two reliable systems that have produced strong results, ones that have consistently performed at or above 60% across a large sample size. (Warning: No betting system is undefeated so tread carefully.) Below I will explain each system, while also identifying two picks using each from Week 1.
In addition to the system picks, I will also share my computer model's projection for those games, which is a completely separate predictive metric. When my model and the system agree, that selection is more likely to bring home cash.
(Below, Hochman, who has hit better than 60 percent of his against-the-spread college football selections over the past five seasons, shares his systems, model predictions and four plays for Week 1 of the season, including one on a +3.5 underdog.)
What are some of the best bets for Week 1 of the college football season based on proven expert Jeff Hochman's reliable systems and computer model? ... Join SportsLine to see Hochman's top handicapping selections for Week 1!
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