CFB Week 1 Picks & Predictions !!

Lonte Smith and Dave Essler talk betting for CFB Week 1.
Lonte Smith and Dave Essler open the college football season in full with a week one preview that moves through nearly every marquee matchup on the board, weighing new coaching hires and transfer portal roster turnover against the numbers the market has already set. The two start by looking back at week zero, where underdogs generally held value and where thin betting volume made several lines difficult to trust, before turning to the headline game of the week, Colorado traveling to Georgia Tech in a homecoming trip for quarterback Julian Lewis. Colorado enters year four under Deion Sanders with a new go go offense installed by coordinator Brennan Marion, while Georgia Tech, under fourth year coach Brent Key, breaks in quarterback Alberto Mendoza and new coordinator George Godsey after losing five of its top six defensive backs. Dave raises the Atlanta heat and humidity as a factor working against a high altitude team, while Lonte likes Colorado receivers Danny Scudero, Kam Perry and DeAndre Moore to stress a rebuilt Georgia Tech secondary, landing on Colorado plus six and a half as one of his favorite numbers of the week. From there the conversation shifts to Cincinnati and Boston College, where Scott Satterfield's steadily improving Bearcats and a loaded offensive line face Bill O'Brien's roster overhaul in year three, with new defensive coordinator Ted Roof drawing praise and the hosts ultimately favoring a first half angle over a side. The rivalry between Wyoming and Colorado State follows, with new Colorado State coach Jim Mora seeking revenge for last year's shutout while Wyoming breaks in transfer quarterback Tyler Hughes under coordinator Christian Taylor, a pairing reunited from William and Mary. UCLA and Cal each arrive with new head coaches in Bob Chesney and Tosh Lupoi, and the discussion centers on whether Cal's rebuilt run defense can slow returning UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava and transfer running back Wayne Knight, with both hosts leaning toward the under. Baylor and Auburn get significant attention as programs trending in opposite directions, with Dave Aranda's seat temperature a running theme and Alex Golesh making his Auburn debut against a Baylor team retooled around quarterback DJ Lagway, with both hosts taking the points. UNLV traveling to Hawaii closes out the marquee slate, with both teams coming off entertaining week zero losses that give the hosts actual data on quarterbacks Jackson Arnold and Micah Alejado rather than preseason guesswork, and both lean toward the over. The back half of the show covers quick hitters, including a Louisville team built around transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and a deep backfield that Lonte calls his best bet of the entire week against Ole Miss, plus a Monday night showdown between Lane Kiffin's LSU and Dabo Swinney's Clemson that Lonte frames as a must win spot for a first year coach trying to make an immediate statement. The episode closes with each host sharing a single best bet, Dave taking the Colorado State team total and Lonte sticking with Colorado against Georgia Tech, wrapping a preview built for bettors who want the reasoning behind every number rather than just the final pick.

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