The sport we all love is back. Well, kind of. College football week 0 is a hodgepodge of matchups. Unsurprisingly, this makes it hard to build a nice parlay. There are only seven contests to bet on in 2023 which is the same number as the previous year. The pickings are slim, to say the least.
But beggars can’t be choosers and we are still throwing a few bucks at this slate of games, although the payout is paltry by our standards. Enough with the intro; here’s our college football week 0 parlay.
College Football Record in 2023
Moneyline: 0-0 (All Underdogs/Pick’ems)
ATS: 0-0
Parlays hit in 2023: 0
More College Football: Ranking the Mountain West Conference football stadiums
The Touchback’s college football week 0 parlay
Game 1
Ohio Bobcats at San Diego State
The pick: San Diego State -3.5 (-110)
Ohio is a solid team but starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke will be playing his first game since tearing his ACL in November 2022. As for the Aztecs, they have won four straight matchups against MAC sides and return several key pieces from last year’s team. That should give them enough of an advantage to clear the line here.
Game 2
Norte Dame vs. Navy
The pick: Navy to win (+800)
There are enough unknowns here to think Navy could possibly win this matchup. First, it’s in Dublin which adds an unexpected factor. Last year, Northwestern won a single game. That was in Dublin against Nebraska. Second, the Midshipmen outscored Notre Dame 19-0 in the second half of their contest in 2022. That 35-32 loss should give the side confidence that it can hang with the Fighting Irish.
Look, this is a long shot. But it is more promising than the other options out there on week 0.
Game 3
UTEP Miners at Jacksonville State
The pick: Jacksonville State to win (-105)
As we saw with James Madison last season, the jump between FCS and FBS isn’t as great as we have been led to believe. The Dukes blew out a decent Middle Tennessee side in their first game after the jump and there is reason to believe Jacksonville State can produce a similar. They are worth a punt as a home underdog going up against a flawed UTEP.
The payoff
Our college football week 0 parlay features odds of +3252. That means if you bet $10, you would win $335.21.
Keep Reading: Smart college football win-total bets for 2023
