College football odds, Week 1: 5 long shots that could payoff in a big way

If you study the college football odds closely, these are the long shots that can pay out in a big way in Week 1 if you’re bold enough to bet the underdog.

Florida Atlantic Owls (+2000) at Ohio State Buckeyes – Sat, 12:00 p.m.

Taking down Ohio State is a shot in the dark, but the odds are well worth the somewhat minimal risk involved. Depending on where you look, Lane Kiffin and his Owls can be had between +1,300 and +2,000, meaning they could return $2,000 on a simple $100 bet. A 27.5-point spread — up a point from where it opened — speaks to the Owls’ chances, but Buckeye quarterback Justin Fields is an unproven commodity and head coach Ryan Day has just three games under his belt, compared to 82 for Kiffin.

FAU quarterback Chris Robison is one of seven returning players on an offense that boasts a senior tight end and three upperclassmen starting on the outside. According to Sports Insights, 62 percent of bettors are opting for the Owls in an upset. Don’t be afraid to follow along and hope for some early-season madness.

Ball State Cardinals  (+650) vs Indiana Hoosiers- Sat, 12:00 p.m.

To return back to earth, this one is a lot better than a pipe dream. Ball State has shorter odds at three books so anything at or above 6/1 is good value. These Cardinals are bound to improve on last year’s four-win season, and they sit 92nd in The Power Rank‘s predicted margin of victory.

Indiana is 59th, but they lost four bodies on each side of the ball while Ball State gets back all but five of its starters across the board. There is a ton of experience on both units, including quarterback Drew Plitt and their top two receivers from a year ago — a formula for taking advantage of Indiana’s 75th-ranked defense in 2018. Exactly 73 percent of the public is on Ball State for the moneyline, and 43% are taking them with the (17) points for what it’s worth.

Liberty Flames (+750) vs Syracuse Orange – Sat, 6:00 p.m.

Liberty finished 121st in Football Outsiders‘ S&P+, and they are 116th in The Power Rank’s current projections.  But if you’re asking me, the numbers don’t give them the proper build-up for a potential upset over the Orange. Last year, they finished 5-1 at home with a win over a very good Troy team. When you add in that they boast 16 returning starters, whereas Syracuse has notable losses. One of the nine players missing is four-year starter Eric Dungey, pushing sophomore Tommy DeVito into a starting spot. The opportunity is there for the Flames.

Fresno State Bulldogs (+450) at USC Trojans – Sat, 10:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs are the shortest “longshot” worth targeting at their current moneyline odds. The big thing to note is that they have moved from +290 at the open while the spread has shifted from +9.5 to +13.5 even though they’ve drawn 75 percent of the moneyline bets. Something smells fishy, and those are the types of games to hang around for betting enthusiasts. After all, USC is fresh off a five-win season and have but 11 returning starters.

Fresno State has two fewer, but six starters are back for a defensive unit that finished 12th in S&P+, which leads to them trailing USC by just 16 spots according to The Power Rank. Redshirt senior Jorge Reyna will be asked to pick up for the departed Marcus McMaryion, but experienced skill players and a strong defense could just boot them to victory over their in-state foes.

Houston Cougars (+900) at Oklahoma Sooners – Sun, 7:30 p.m.

You will have to wait until Sunday night for this one, but believe me, it should be worth the patience. A 79.5-point total screams fireworks, and we will get to see Jalen Hurts take to the air for his first time as an Oklahoma Sooner. But don’t forget about Deriq King and the Houston Cougars.

FanDuel Sportsbook has King listed at +3000 to win the Heisman, and rightfully so. The senior racked up over 3,600 total yards and 50 scores via the air and ground. He’s the kind of player that can decide a game for an underdog like Houston, especially one that could be a shootout. The Cougars have gained 2.5 points on the spread and have much more favorable odds than they did at the open, but they’re still drawing 68% of moneyline bets. The intrigue only adds to the overwhelming excitement that comes with this

high-flying early-season matchup.