FREE College Football Picks Today 8/30/24 NCAAF Week 1 Betting Picks and Predictions

army versus Lehi game preview and prediction overview on Friday August 30th 2024 the Army Black Knights will host the Lehigh Mountain Hawks at Blake field at Mitchie stadium for their season opener the Army enters the game as slight underdogs with a plus 2.5 spread and the over under is set at 47.5 points this matchup kicks off the college football season for both teams setting the stage for what each hopes will be a successful year team matchups Army Black Knights recent form Army is coming off a season where they've been a challenging opponent especially at home with a strong offensive line anchored by Lucas Scott the Black Knights running game is expected to be a focal point once again however they will miss their deep threat Isaiah Alon which might limit their passing game Casey rold returns as a key receiver looking to build on his 16 receptions from last year defensive Outlook Army's defense is expected to be strong again with Kyle Lewis leading the way the defense will rely on clock control by the offense to stay fresh and effective throughout the game safety Casey Lin will play a crucial role in the secondary needing to step up in key moments key to Trends Army has won its last 16 home games against non FBS teams and covered the spread in three of their last four games against nonap ranked teams Lehi Mountain Hawks recent form Lehi struggled last season finishing with a 2 to9 record however with 18 returning starters including key defensive players like Mike denucci and Nick pelia they aim to improve in Kevin kahill's second year as head coach offensively Lehi will look to improve their passing game which was more effective than their rushing attack last season defensive Outlook lehi's defense will be tested against Army's option heavy offense their ability to stop the run will be critical in keeping the game close the mountain Hawks defensive front will need to be disciplined and prepared for Army's Relentless ground attack key to trends Army has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five home games which could be a factor in lehi's favor Best Bets under 47.5 points both teams are expected to struggle offensively particularly Lehi against Army Stout defense the game will likely feature a heavy dose of running from army leading to a slower paced low-scoring Affair Army to win Army's strong home record against non FBS teams and their dominant running game should be enough to secure a win although they're slight underdogs Army's ability to control the block and dominate on the ground gives them the edge prediction Lehi struggles on offense and Army Strong HomeField Advantage make the Black Knights the likely winners in a low-scoring game expect Army to control the game with their ground attack and defense keeping lehi's offense in check final score prediction Army 20 Lehigh 13 Michigan State versus Florida Atlantic game preview and prediction overview the Michigan State Spartans face the Florida Atlantic owls in their season opener on Friday August 30th 2024 at Spartan Stadium Michigan State is favored by 14 points with the over under set at 45 both teams are starting fresh with new rosters and coaches eager to make a mark team matchups Florida Atlantic owls offense Under head coach Tom Herman FAU aims to improve from last season's 4 to8 record cam fer a transfer from Marshall leads the offense the running game features Zub Moi and Florida State transfer CJ Campbell the receiving core is bolstered by transfers Marlon Johnson and Milan Tucker defense fau's defense will lean on linebacker Jackson Ambush the team's leading tackler last season and a reinforced D line the secondary though inexperienced adds depth with transfers Philip Dunham and kazir brown key to Trends FAU has covered the spread in its last four games against Big 10 teams and has a strong record in season openers Michigan State Spartans offense new head coach Jonathan Smith brings in Aiden Childs to lead the offense the Spartans receiving core led by montere Foster and jiren Glover is solid while the running game is powered by Nate Carter and UMass transfer KRON Lynch Adams Defense Michigan State's defense has seen significant upgrades especially in the front seven with key transfers like Jordan Turner and Wayne Matthews Malik Spencer leads the secondary key to trends Michigan state has been strong at home in non-conference games winning six of their last seven and covering the spread in five of their last six Best Bets Michigan State minus 14 with Superior talent and a strong home record the Spartans are expected to cover the spread under 45 points both teams may take time to find their Rhythm leading to a lower scoring game prediction Michigan State's depth and home field advantage should secure a comfortable win final score prediction Michigan State 20 8 Florida Atlantic 10 Oklahoma versus Temple game preview and prediction overview the Oklahoma Sooners host the temple owls in their season opener on Friday August 30th 2024 at Gaylord family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Oklahoma is heavily favored by 43.5 points with the over under set at 59.5 both teams have contrasting expectations for the season with Oklahoma looking to build on a strong 2023 campaign while Temple continues to struggle for relevance team matchups Temple Owls offense Temple under coach Stan drton is entering a rebuilding phase the team has struggled over the past two seasons winning just three games in each of the last three years the offense will be led by quarterbacks Evan Simon a ruggers transfer and Zack Baines with jok Smith and Antoine Littleton anchoring the backfield however the offensive line and receiving core remain areas of concern defense Temple's defense will have to compensate for the loss of its top six tacklers from last season key returners include Elijah der Ravel and dwin black but overall the unit lacks depth and experience Keys Trends Temple has struggled on the road losing 20 of its last 21 Road games and failing to cover the spread in its last five Road openers Oklahoma Sooners offense Oklahoma enters the season with significant changes including a new quarterback Jackson Arnold who takes over after limited action last year despite a revamped offensive line the Sooners have a dynamic receiving core featuring anre Anthony Nick Anderson and Jalil faroo the offensive success will hinge on how quickly the new pieces can gel defense the sooner defense is expected to be strong led by linebacker Danny stman who had 104 tackles last season with a solid secondary and a proven pass rush Oklahoma's defense should have an edge over Temple offense key trends Oklahoma has been dominant at home against non-conference opponents winning 22 of their last 23 games and covering the spread in five of their last six non-conference games Best Bets Temple plus 43.5 while Oklahoma is likely to win the large spread in the season opener makes Temple an appealing pick the Sooners are breaking in several new key players and it may take time for them to hit their stride under 59.5 points given the uncertainties on both sides of the ball for Oklahoma and Temple's offensive struggles this game could see fewer points than expected prediction Oklahoma's Talent should secure a comfortable win but Temple might do enough to keep the game within the spread final score prediction Oklahoma 38 Temple 7 Colgate Raiders versus Maine Bears college football prediction overview on August 30th 2024 the Colgate Raiders face the main bears at Alon Stadium Colgate enters as a slight favorite in this non-conference Clash team matchups colge readers off fence led by QB Gavin mcclin who passed for 25,500 yards and 20 TDS last season the running game featuring Jordan mcbry adds balance defense strong with linebacker Alex Cummings leading and a solid defensive line Maine Bears offense QB Dan Collins and RB Malik Johnson are key players Maine relies on a strong running game defense led by lb Jake Barton with a focus on containing colgate's offense key trends Colgate covered the spread in their last three non-conference games Maine struggled in non-conference games and covering spreads Best Bets Colgate minus three the Raiders balanced attack and strong defense should secure a win under 42 points both teams defensive strengths and running game suggest a lower scoring game prediction colgate's overall strength and balance should help them cover the spread final score prediction Colgate 24 Main 13 Colgate readers versus main bears