NCAA Football Week 1 Parlay Picks: Our +545 Parlay as College Football Returns

The college football season properly got underway Thursday night, with the marquee game being Florida’s trip to Utah following a whirlwind off-season. The Pac-12 is now just the Pac-4, after UCLA, USC, Washington, and Oregon defected to the Big 10, and Arizona, ASU, Colorado, and Utah joined the Big 12. With Texas and Oklahoma heading to the SEC next year, this season is the last with the familiar Power 5 divisions we’ve become accustomed to over the past couple of decades. 

College football is still a sport that can offer great entertainment, and also great value for bettors. With that in mind, we’ve decided to put together a weekly parlay pick for each week of games, with our thoughts on why we’re backing each selection. 

Our Week 1 College Football Parlay: +545 with Fanduel

Colorado +20.5

Colorado at TCU – 12PM ET, Saturday 2nd September

Joe Milton Over 2.5 Passing Touchdowns

Virginia at Tennessee – 12PM ET, Saturday 2nd September

Caleb Williams Over 290.5 Passing Yards

Nevada at USC – 6:30 ET, Saturday 2nd September

Why We’re Backing Colorado at +20.5

Never has a team that went 1-11 in the previous season received so much hype and media attention. New Head Coach Deion Sanders arrives in Boulder with over 70 new players via the transfer portal and the national media’s firmly fixed eye. Along with Coach Prime comes top talent like former No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter, but a long season still awaits the Buffaloes and their win line sits at only 3.5. 

It was a dream debut season as TCU Head Coach for Sonny Dykes, who led the Horned Frogs to the National Championship game. But they’ve lost their three offensive starmen in QB Max Duggan, RB Kendre Miller and WR Quentin Johnston. TCU should still win this game and much of Colorado is still an unknown, but a spread this large they should be able to cover. 

Why We’re Backing Joe Milton Over 2.5 Passing Touchdowns

Tennessee came back down to Earth towards the end of the 2022 season after being ranked No. 1 overall following the win over Alabama. Hendon Hooker thrived in Josh Heupel’s offensive system, and his replacement at QB Joe Milton comes into the starting role with a rocket arm. Bru McCoy is set for a big year at receiver after the Vols lost Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt to the NFL, and with a clear number one and a season sitting behind Hooker, Milton is primed to thrive. A weak Virginia roster is the perfect game for Milton and the Vols to start the 2023 season.

Why We’re Backing Caleb Williams Over 290.5 Passing Yards

Caleb Williams is the reigning Heisman Champion, the current favorite for this season’s Heisman award, and defacto first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after averaging 324 passing yards a game in 2022. The USC Trojans started their season in Week 0 against San Jose State, with Williams throwing for 278 yards and 4 touchdowns. With a game to iron out any kinks and a second week of sub-par opposition, Williams is set to eclipse 300 yards for the first time in 2023.