FREE College Football Picks Today 8/29/24 NCAAF Week 1 Betting Picks and Predictions

Southern Utah Thunderbirds versus Utah Utes game preview and prediction overview the southern Utah Thunderbirds will face off against the Utah Utes at Ryle Stadium on Thursday August 29th 2024 at 9:00 p.m. Utah is heavily favored with a spread ofus 38 and the overunderwear up pits an FCS team against the highly regarded FBS opponent setting the stage for what could be a lopsided affair team matchups Southern Utah Thunderbirds offense Southern Utah enters the 2024 season after a respectable 6 to5 campaign in 2023 where they finished 4-2 in wac play the Thunderbirds will need to rebuild their offense especially with the loss of their top passer and receiver from last season however they do return Braden Whistler who led the team with 686 rushing yards and five touchdowns along with tardy Lamson to provide depth in the back field Zack Mitchell the team's second leading receiver from last year also Returns the offensive line will need to provide ample protection and create running Lanes against a tough Utah defense defense defensively Southern Utah brings back key players like Reland sua Pho and Conor cmore kmore was the team's leading tackler last season with 73 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss the Thunderbirds front seven will be crucial in trying to slow down Utah's offense but they face a daunting task against a much more physically dominant team Utah Utes offense the Utes are coming off an 8 to Five Season where they struggled with consistency particularly on offense with Cam Rising fully clear to start a quarterback Utah's offense should be much more stable this season Micah Bernard and Jaylen Glover form a strong running back Duo while the receiving core is bolstered by the return of money parks and te Brent keyth as well as the addition of Dorian singer from USC Utah's offensive line will look to dominate in the trenches providing Rising with time to exploit Southern Utah's defense defense Utah's defense is expected to be formidable led by junor Tuna on the defensive line and Karine Reed at linebacker the UTS excel at applying pressure and should overwhelm Southern Utah's offensive line with a strong pass rush and a solid secondary Utah's defense will aim to stifle the Thunderbirds offensive efforts Best Bets Utah minus 38 Utah has historically dominated non8 ranked teams at home winning 28 consecutive games at rcle stadium given Southern Utah's need to rebuild key positions and Utah's overall Talent Advantage the Utes are likely to cover the large spread this game has the potential to be a blowout similar to their last meeting where Utah won by 66 points under 52.5 while Utah is expected to score in bunches Southern Utah May struggle to put points on the board against the tough UT's defense this could lead to a one-sided Affair where the total points fall under the line prediction Utah combination of a returning Star Quarterback a powerful running game and a dominant defense makes them heavy favorites in this matchup Southern Utah will likely find it difficult to compete against the superior Utah team especially on the road in a challenging environment like ricecel Stadium expect the youths to win comfortably covering the spread with a final score around Utah 49 Southern Utah 7 Eastern Illinois Panthers versus Illinois fighting Eli gain preview and prediction overview the east Illinois Panthers will take on the Illinois fighting Eli at Memorial Stadium on Thursday August 29th 2024 at 9:00 p.m. Illinois opens this non-conference matchup as a heavy favorite with a spread of minus 28 while Eastern Illinois is the underdog at plus 28 the over under for this game is set at 45.5 points team matchups Eastern Illinois Panthers offense the Panthers come off a strong 2023 season finishing 8 to3 and third in the ovc they returned quarterback Pierce Holly along with their leading receiver making the passing game a key strength however the running game struggled last season and while the offensive line returns with experience they'll need to improve in this area to compete against a big 10 defense defense Eastern Illinois had a solid defense last season but struggled in generating sacks ranking toward the bottom of the conference in this area with many starters returning they'll be looking to make a statement against an Illinois offense that has its own set of challenges Illinois fighting Eli offense the Ali had a disappointing 2023 season finishing 5 to7 the return quarterback Luke almeer who showed potential despite turnover issues however with the top running back and two leading receivers gone the offense will need new contributors to step up Illinois's offensive struggles from last season may continue unless they can quickly find Rhythm and cohesion defense the on Stout Illinois defense took a step back last season and they've since lost key players on the defensive line while still capable this unit will need to tighten up to prevent Eastern Illinois from Gaining confidence and keeping the game close Best Bets Eastern Illinois plus 28 Illinois struggled as a home favorite last season failing to cover the spread in their last eight games in this situation with Eastern Illinois returning a veteran Squad they are poised to challenge the Eli and keep the game within the 28 point spread total points under 45.5 Illinois offensive inconsistency and Eastern Illinois solid if unspectacular defense suggests this could be a lower scoring a making the under an appealing bet Sacramento State Hornets versus San Jose State Spartans game preview and prediction overview the Sacramento State Hornets will face off against the San Jose State Spartans at seu Stadium on Thursday August 29th 2024 at 10 p.m. San Jose State enters the game as a slight favorite with a spread of minus three while the over under is set at 58.5 points this week one non-conference matchup offers an intriguing test for both teams as they they look to start the season strong team matchups Sacramento State Hornets offense the Hornets are coming off an 8 to Five Season which ended in the second round of the FCS playoffs they boast an experienced roster bolstered by several key transfers from FBS programs including Dewan Butler and Bryson Summers quarterback Kaden Bennett had a breakout season last year throwing for impressive yardage while also contributing significantly in the ground game with a solid Supporting Cast Sacramento State offense is expected to be potent especially against the San Jose State Defense with some vulnerabilities defense Sacramento State's defense has been inconsistent in recent Seasons but they've made some key additions that could help Shore up their secondary the Hornets will need to focus on disrupting San Jose State's passing attack and tightening up on third Downs to limit the Spartans offensive efficiency San Jose State Spartans offense the Spartans had a 7 to6 record last season but fac a significant transition this year with the departure of head coach Brent Brennan and several key players via the transfer portal new head coach Ken numo formerly of Navy will look to implement a more pass oriented offense led by EMT Brown a transfer from Washington State the success of San Jose State's offense will largely depend on how quickly they can adapt to the new system and established consistency defense last season San Jose State's defense struggled to get off the field on third Downs an area they must improve to be competitive this year their linebacking core is the strength of the defense and they'll need to lead the way against the dynamic Sacramento State offense that can hurt them both through the air and on the ground Best Bets Sacramento State plus three Sacramento State enters this matchup as the more experienced team with a solid core of returning starters and key FBS transfers given sanos State's Transitions and potential growing pains under a new coach the Hornets have a strong chance to cover the spread and potentially win outright total points over 58.5 both teams have offenses capable of putting up points and with San Jose State likely to adopt a more pass heavy approach this game could turn into a high-scoring affair Sacramento State's offensive prowess combined with San Jose State's defensive challenges makes the over an attractive bit