{
  "id": 5749624,
  "title": "10 Best College Football Picks Against the Spread for Week 1 Saturday: Let the Blowouts Begin",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/10-best-college-football-picks-against-the-spread-for-week-1-saturday",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T08:59:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/10-best-college-football-picks-085908530.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "1. Fordham vs North Dakota State: North Dakota State -41.5 ATS Pick: North Dakota State\nNorth Dakota State is expected to dominate in their game against Fordham at the Fargodome. Fordham struggled last season with a 1-11 record, starting with a 66-10 loss to Boston College. In contrast, North Dakota State has shown strong performance this season, defeating Jacksonville State 33-7 in their opener.\n\n2. Wyoming vs Colorado State: Point Total 46.5 ATS Pick: Under\nWyoming's offense is anticipated to be more potent this season, despite their struggles in converting points in their last four games. Their previous seasons' records also indicate a challenging trajectory - 28-0 in 2025, 24-10 in 2024, 24-15 in 2023, and 14-13 in 2022.\n\n3. Nicholls vs Kansas State: Kansas State -41.5 ATS Pick: Kansas State\nNicholls made a surprising run to start the season by defeating Mississippi Valley State. However, it is expected to be an uphill battle against Kansas State's offensive powerhouse led by new coach Collin Klein. Nicholls may struggle to keep up with Kansas State's attack.\n\n4. Lafayette vs UConn: UConn -19.5 ATS Pick: UConn\nLafayette's performance was inconsistent last season, with losses to Bowling Green and Oregon State. However, UConn is expected to start the season strongly under new head coach Jason Candle. UConn has shown early promise, despite Lafayette not playing in their last game due to a lightning storm.\n\n5. Boise State vs Oregon: Oregon -24.5 ATS Pick: Oregon\nBoise State has not won against a power conference team since 2019 when they beat Florida State. Although their 2017 Las Vegas Bowl win against a mediocre Oregon team is noteworthy, they have not beaten Oregon since. Boise State, however, appears to have improved in recent seasons and Oregon is expected to go all out this season.\n\n6. Ball State vs Ohio State: Over 56.5 ATS Pick: Over\nBall State is expected to struggle in this matchup against Ohio State. Ohio State's strong offense might result in a score significantly higher than Ball State's contribution, making the Over Pick a reasonable choice.\n\n7. Coastal Carolina vs West Virginia: Over 54.5 ATS Pick: Over\nCoastal Carolina, under new head coach Ryan Beard, is a new team working to establish its identity. Their offensive capabilities have improved since last season, but West Virginia's powerful offense is expected to overcome Coastal Carolina's efforts, making the Over Pick the better option.",
  "summary": "It should be a Saturday of lopsided games and giant point totals, which is exactly what we want. Here are the ten best picks against the spread for Saturday.",
  "key_points": [
    "North Dakota State favored at -41.5 ATS against Fordham",
    "Kansas State favored at -41.5 ATS against Nicholls",
    "Over 56.5 points expected in Ball State vs Ohio State game"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}