After college football gave us a small taste of what’s to come last weekend, Week 1 is finally here with a loaded slate and plenty of betting opportunities ahead.
Friday night puts California in the spotlight, with two ranked programs taking the field at the same time. No. 7 Miami begins its season with a cross-country trip to Stanford, where the Cardinal will look to build on last week’s 37-27 victory over Hawaii.
Down in Los Angeles, No. 14 USC returns to the Coliseum after a convincing season-opening win to welcome Fresno State for its first game of the year. With Miami and USC both carrying major expectations into 2026, tonight gives us our first real look at how each team stacks up.
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First Pick: Fresno State +21.5 over USC
Rundown: While USC’s Week 0 victory over San Jose State was an encouraging start for Jayden Maiava and the offense, the defense left plenty to be desired after allowing 23 second-half points.
New defensive coordinator Gary Patterson’s unit appeared to take its foot off the gas after halftime, allowing the Spartans to stay within a gaudy point spread. Now, the Trojans are being asked to cover another big number against Fresno State.
The Bulldogs should have a capable offense this season, with every starter returning from last year’s unit except at quarterback.
Maryland transfer Khristian Martin remains a question mark under center, but he will have plenty of experience surrounding him, including leading rusher Bryson Donelson, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry on 140 attempts last season.
Expect a blowout in USC's favor tonight, but Fresno State's offense should score enough to prevent the Trojans from covering this spread.
Second Pick: Stanford +25.5 over Miami
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Aug 29, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Hawaii Rainbow Warriors wide receiver Kainoa Carvalho (6) runs after a catch against Stanford Cardinal cornerback Leroy Bryant (4) during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium.
Rundown: We are taking both underdogs to cover on this Friday night of football, as with Stanford, we are getting a Cardinal team with home-field advantage and a Week 0 victory under their belt.
Stanford fended off and covered against Hawai'i in its season opener in large part due to a big game from transfer quarterback Davis Warren, who threw for 310 and a touchdown.
There is no denying that Stanford is greatly outmatched from a talent standpoint, but Miami must open its season with a 3,000-mile trip across the country. The Hurricanes did not leave Florida until November last season, when they traveled to Dallas and were upset by SMU.
With Warren already looking comfortable and the Cardinal playing their second consecutive game at home, Stanford should have enough working in its favor to prevent Miami from turning this into a four-touchdown blowout.