Week 1 Predictions for College Football: Alabama and UCLA Lead the Charge
Explore the top predictions and insights for Week 1 of college football, featuring key matchups and expert analysis.
The start of the 2025 college football season features a lineup of exciting matchups that could impact the College Football Playoff outlook. The opening games began on Thursday and will continue through Monday, with marquee matchups that include:
- Texas vs. Ohio State (-1)
- LSU vs. Clemson (-4)
- Notre Dame vs. Miami (+2.5)
These games are all closely matched but some teams have lopsided odds, particularly the matchups involving Michigan (-34.5) against New Mexico and Ole Miss (-34.5) versus Georgia State.
Expert predictions are particularly challenging for these early games due to a lack of in-season data and notable player transfers. For comprehensive insights, ensure to check the latest predictions from SportsLine’s model.
The simulation model performs 10,000 simulations for each FBS game, and historically it has yielded over $2,000 in profit for $100 bettors on its top college spread picks. It was profitable on 27-16 lines in 2024’s bets. For those placing wagers, following its insights on college football betting picks could be beneficial.
In focusing on Week 1 predictions, the model favors No. 8 Alabama (-13.5) in a likely rout against Florida State. Alabama maintains a 23-game win streak in season openers, and they stand at 63-1 in regular season non-conference games since 2008. The Seminoles, recovering from a difficult 2-10 season last year, ranked poorly in total offense, making this matchup troublesome for them.
Another notable prediction favors UCLA (+5.5) to remain competitive at home against Utah. Their last clash in 2022 saw UCLA claiming victory by 10 points. The Bruins are coming off a strong finish last season, buoyed by the arrival of quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Meanwhile, Utah is dealing with a roster change with their new quarterback, Devon Dampier, who has a challenging track record.
The model analyzes scenarios carefully, predicting Alabama to win by over two touchdowns and UCLA to cover the spread. For a comprehensive breakdown of all matchups and insights, visit SportsLine for more predictions.
