Sweatin’ through Saturday: All-day college football parlay for Week 1

The absolute best thing about a college football parlay is that there's always another one to place. For a recreational bettor, it's all about the sweat and the fun. So who cares if the Sweatin' through Saturday parlay from Week 0 got smashed with Montana State and SMU not quite being up to the task? Now we have a juicy Week 1 slate of games with even more ways that we can spray the board and try to cash a parlay.

We're not going to have a pick for every big game -- sorry to those looking for ways to get action on Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M or the Sunday or Monday games. But the goal here is to create a good time and a good lather of sweat for everyone throughout Saturday, especially with Week 1 representing the first full Saturday of the college football season.

So let's get into our Week 1 college football parlay that features the likes of No. 1-ranked Georgia, Alabama at home against Western Kentucky, and some sickos picks that there is value in. Again, this is all for good fun and should not be taken as a surefire money-making investment. But come Sweat through Saturday together and have a blast.

Sweatin' through Saturday record for the 2024 season: 0-1-0 (-1.0 Units)

All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. All bets are 1 unit unless otherwise noted. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

First Leg: Georgia -9.5 vs. Clemson (-148)

Taking the No. 1 team as more than a score favorite over the No. 14 team in the country in Week 1 is not exactly a favorable proposition but I'm sticking to my guns when it comes to how I feel about these two teams right now. Georgia is absolutely the death star. Their talent level is difficult for anyone to match, even more so with arguably the best QB in the country, Carson Beck, manning the offense. Moreover, I think their defensive front and secondary will cause a lot of issues for the Clemson O-line and some unproven receivers.

On the flip side, I simply have no faith in Clemson. Dabo Swinney's resistance to the transfer portal is actively hurting this team and, in a post-Brent Venables world, we've seen uber-talented defenses often underperform. Most importantly, I simply believe Cade Klubnik isn't the player we thought he was as a recruit, so give me the Dawgs to win by double digits, a slight alt line from the actual spread that's been between -12 and -13.5 but a little cushion for us in case Kirby Smart doesn't want to embarrass the Tigers.

Second Leg: UMass ML vs. Eastern Michigan (-135)

Last season, these two teams met and Eastern Michigan pulled out a 19-17 victory with a 50-yard touchdown pass in the final minute. I don't think UMass is a juggernaut but they were close in that game while being deep in Don Brown's quarterback depth chart and before they brought in a bevy of transfers on the defensive side of the ball to improve a leaky unit.

With Taisun Phommachanh back at QB for the Minutemen, though, I don't see marked improvement from the Eagles coming into this season outside of returning a good number of players from a team that was worse than their record showed. With this game in Amherst, give me UMass to get a revenge win at home to start the year.

Third Leg: Nevada +14.5 vs. Troy (-205)

During Stacking the Box: CFB Edition this week, Nevada outright to win was my upset/underdog pick. But for the purposes of this parlay, we'll stretch the alt line to just needing the Wolf Pack to keep it within two touchdowns to cover for us, which I obviously feel even more confident in.

Nevada under Jeff Choate (Re: A competent coaching staff) looked like a new program against SMU last week, even with some quarterback injuries. They're running a Lance Leipold-type offense that really evens the playing field and can cause a lot of issues for opponents, especially one like Troy. The Trojans not only lost head coach Jon Sumrall but saw their roster hit heavily by the transfer portal. My belief is that Troy and Nevada alike are being handicapped for what last year was and I don't think either team is remotely the same.

Fourth Leg: Jalen Milroe O1.5 passing TDs vs. W Kentucky (-190)

Because I'm a bit unsure of what to make of Alabama this year, I ultimately elected to stay away from a side or a total in this game. But you're telling me that Jalen Milroe to throw for two or more touchdowns is less than -200 on the odds board? Sign me all the way the hell up for that.

Western Kentucky's defense was porous, to say the least, a year ago and I don't see the improvements made that were needed. The biggest factor in being behind this, however, is the arrival of Kalen DeBoer. I expect the new Crimson Tide head coach to push Milroe to making strides and I think this is the perfect confidence-building game to show off some of that and let QB1 for Alabama chuck it around the yard a bit, especially in the first half, which should be more than enough to get us to two passing touchdowns.

Fifth Leg: Fresno State Team Total Under 14.5 vs. Michigan (-220)

This is the scariest leg of this parlay while also being my favorite pick of the bunch. The threat of a garbage-time score ultimately ruining this is top of mind, to be sure, hence the apprehension about how this could work out. But I expect Michigan to be up big in this one, so that's very much in play.

At the same time, I ultimately feel confident in it because I just don't see Fresno State having any answer. Even when the Wolverines turn to their second-stringers (if they do), the Bulldogs offensive line is a potential weak point for this team and I expect Michigan to still be able to generate pressure and blanket the opposing receivers. End of the day, there aren't many paths for Fresno to score against this defense, especially not more than two touchdowns.

Sixth Leg: Wyoming +10.5 vs. Arizona State (-181)

There are viable questions about the Wyoming offense, especially with their lead running back, Harrison Waylee, out for the season with an injury. And when you look at what Arizona State has done to improve from a dismal 2023 campaign, the most obvious improvements can be found in the defensive front seven.

Having said that, the Cowboys defense should be one of the best, not just in the Mountain West but among Group of 5 programs this season. And the Sun Devils offense struggled to move the ball routinely last year and now is perhaps even less reliable as a unit. Even in Tempe, I think the Wyoming defense keeps this game within a score but I'll give us a bit of cushion to say they keep it within 10 to finish our parlay in the middle of the night.