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There's no shortage of options for making college football combos with Week 1 rolling on this Saturday night.

Our college football picks are here to help you sort through the contenders and pretenders and present the best value on the board.

See why Alabama will make a statement vs. ECU, and much more.

Best college football combos for Week 1

For help understanding probabilities, please see our odds calculator.

Saturday, Sept. 5

Best Clemson vs LSU combo

Although LSU is one of the college football national championship odds favorites, the Tigers have plenty of Kiffin-related distractions heading into this game. They also have a starting QB coming off a season-ending injury and playing with a whole new group of receivers.

If Sam Leavitt, who had more turnover-worthy plays (12) than TD passes (10) last season, gets off to a slow start, Clemson will be in this game. Dabo Swinney's team has a projected first-round pick at every level of its defense (Will Heldt, Sammy Brown, Ashton Hampton), and the offense has one of the top wide receiver duos in the country (Bryant Wesco Jr., T.J. Moore).

However, I have LSU winning 27-17, so if this spread moves much, I would shy away from taking Clemson to cover.

Check out our full Clemson vs. LSU predictions.

Best UCLA vs California combo

There's a lot of newness on these rosters, but both have proven QBs with the physical tools to make plenty of plays and turn this into a shootout, like the good old days of Pac-12 After Dark.

JKS has a top-five arm in college football and can pressure a Bruins defense banking on more than a half-dozen transfers to flip a unit that was 108th in EPA per pass last season.

And though Iamaleava isn't on JKS' level, he's one of the better dual-threat QBs in the country and averaged over 4.6 yards per carry after contact last year. That mobility will hurt a Cal defense that was 126th in EPA per rush in 2025.

The lack of defensive continuity against talented QBs should lead to fireworks in California.

Check out our full UCLA vs. California predictions.

Best Baylor vs Auburn combo

The chemistry should be there with Auburn’s offense, and with Aranda’s defense failing to live up to expectations despite his defensive background, the Over is the move here.

Lagway should find some success through the air, even with questions surrounding his weapons. He does, however, get former Colorado receiver Dre’lon Miller and Gavin Freeman from Oklahoma State.

Both should provide some much-needed depth to the Bears’ offensive unit.

Check out our full Baylor vs. Auburn predictions.

Best Missouri State vs Texas A&M combo

No matter how good this Texas A&M defense is this season - and it may well be among the best in the country - I don't expect it to completely shut down this Missouri State offense in Week 1.

The Bears have brought in former UTEP Miners quarterback Skyler Locklear to run the offense. He offers a dual-threat look, and while he's been vulnerable to throwing interceptions, he also pushes the ball deep, with 23 touchdowns and 17 picks over 16 games as a starter.

Will that approach work often against the Aggies? Unlikely. But Locklear only needs to connect once to get Missouri State Over its total of 6.5 points. That combines well with the Over, while I still don't expect the Bears to score nearly enough to stop the Aggies from covering.

Check out our full Missouri State vs. Texas A&M predictions.

Best Texas State vs Texas combo

Texas State dual-threat QB Brad Jackson and his two 1,000+ yard receivers, Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn, returned this season. The Bobcats should be up against it Saturday, and their offense will be desperate to keep up with the Longhorns.

Furthermore, Texas State's defense is 98th in returning production from last year's team, according to ESPN college football analyst Bill Connelly, and its offense ranks 12th.

Even though Texas State should chip in on the Over leg of my combo cashing, Texas's defense is so good it could get defensive scores and give its offense short fields, leading to easy touchdowns.

Check out our full Texas State vs. Texas predictions.

Best Boise State vs Oregon combo

Since this is their Super Bowl, I'm expecting the Broncos to slow down the tempo, limit possessions, and increase the variance, because that gives them their best chance to pull off an upset.

In fact, Boise State almost upset Oregon two years ago. The Ducks needed a walk-off, game-winning field goal to beat the Broncos, 37-34. Oregon was nowhere near covering as a massive -17.5 favorite in that contest.

The public will hammer the Ducks ATS because they are one of the most popular football programs in the nation. Granted, betting splits aren't gospel, but I'd rather fade the market than follow it.

Finally, my favorite prediction in this game is the Under, which correlates with the underdog since fewer points means a smaller chance the favorite wins by margin.

Check out our full Boise State vs. Oregon predictions.

Best North Texas vs Indiana combo

When you have a team as good as the Hoosiers, the offense is competing with the defense. So, for every Indiana touchdown, its defense will be motivated to force a three-and-out so it doesn't look like the weaker side of the ball.

Also, if I'm sprinkling on a combo, I'd rather take a shot at the fatter payout unless the other option is too tightly correlated. That said, the Hoosiers ATS and the Under are +446, whereas Indiana and the Over have a +245 payout.

Check out our full North Texas vs. Indiana predictions.

Best East Carolina vs Alabama combo

I want the combo built around Alabama controlling this game from the opening possession while East Carolina struggles to sustain offense.

The Pirates’ 2025 offensive numbers shouldn’t carry much weight here because only one offensive starter returns. That lack of continuity becomes particularly problematic against an Alabama defense with enough speed in the secondary to force a new quarterback into long, difficult drives.

Alabama -28.5 and Under 52.5 naturally fit together if the Tide defense dictates the game. DeBoer has every reason to push for a convincing opener, but Alabama doesn’t need to score into the 50s to make a statement. Something in the neighborhood of 38-7 or 41-7 fits the handicap.

Check out our full East Carolina vs. Alabama predictions.

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Source: Yahoo Sports