After what has been a long offseason full of drama, rumors and realignment, college football is well and truly back. This also means the return of college football betting has arrived, and it has fallen to me to help the readers of Good Bull Hunting wager wisely this season. I will be taking a list of six games per week and providing you with my picks. As a bonus, I’ll throw in one upset special to sprinkle a little bit of extra change on. All odds and lines are according to DraftKings Sportsbook*. Please note that this blog does not constitute financial advice.

North Carolina State at East Carolina (Over 52)

It’s not often that you see a Power Five program make a road trip to a Group of Five team but that is the case when the Wolfpack head to Greenville, NC on Saturday to play ECU. NC State and quarterback Devin Leary are expected to put up a lot of points this year but I’ve a feeling QB Holton Ahlers and the rest of the Pirates will rise to the occasion and turn this into more of a firefight than expected. NC State will still come out on top but I love the over here. Keep an eye on East Carolina as a dark horse in the American as well.

Oregon vs. Georgia (Atlanta, GA) (Oregon +17)

The Ducks are under new management once again after former head coach Mario Cristobal took his talents to Miami during the offseason. He was replaced at Oregon by former Georgia Defensive Coordinator and Outside Linebackers Coach Dan Lanning. I think the familiarity of Lanning with his former team combined with the fact that the Bulldogs are replacing a lot on defense will allow Oregon to hang around in this contest. Add to that the fact that Georgia will be replacing quite a few key components from their national championship run and I think Oregon covers.

Cincinnati at Arkansas (Arkansas -7)

It pains me to say this but I am high on the Hogs in 2022 and the Bearcats are just replacing too many pieces after making the playoff last season. With Cincy walking into what is sure to be a hostile environment in Fayetteville bolstered by the fact that Arkansas has a good deal of hype around the program for the first time in a long time, I expect the Razorbacks to win by two scores.

Houston at UTSA (Houston -4)

What Coach Jeff Traylor and his staff have done in San Antonio has been nothing short of impressive and you can count on the Alamodome to be rocking come Saturday. With that being said, I expect Houston to finish as the top Group of Five team in the country in 2022 and I think they have too much talent for UTSA to be able to hang around. I like the Cougars to cover here.

Utah at Florida (Utah -3)

The Gators are in desperate need of a culture change after a collapse in 2021 resulted in Florida moving on from Dan Mullen. Unfortunately for new Florida Head Coach Billy Napier, their first opponent of the season is a Utah team that I have making their way to the playoffs in 2022. The homefield advantage provided by the Swamp should keep the Gators in it for a half but I expect Utah to pull away in the 4th and cover.

Notre Dame at Ohio State (Ohio State -17)

Notre Dame is the 5th-ranked team in the nation coming into this season but there is a wide gap between the top three and the rest of the field in my opinion. Ohio State will be out for blood after a disappointing 2021 campaign (by their standards) and I expect them to dominate the Fighting Irish from the first whistle in Columbus. CJ Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the rest of the Buckeyes will cruise to victory by multiple scores, covering with ease.

Upset Special: North Carolina at Appalachian State (Appalachian State +100)

In another contest where a Power Five program is traveling to an in-state Group of Five opponent, the Tar Heels are headed to the mountains of Boone, NC to take on Appalchian State. However, unlike North Carolina State I don’t see UNC and Mack Brown coming away with a win. I expect this App State team to kick off a stellar 2022 campaign with a win at home against the Tar Heels. Texas A&M fans should be very thankful their contest with the Mountaineers is taking place at Kyle Field as opposed to Kidd Brewer Stadium

What games are you looking forward to betting on in week one? Let us know in the comments and happy hunting!

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.