Best College Football Week 0 Picks & Bets: Will Delaware State Make it to Hawaii?

• Florida State and Georgia Tech open the season in Ireland 

• Delaware State missed its 10.5-hour plane to Hawaii

• Preston Stone leads SMU into the ACC

Week 0 of the 2024 college football season is here, and while the action is limited, there is still much betting value on the board. The Saturday slate begins with Florida State and Georgia Tech from Ireland.

The Yellow Jackets will look to upset the 10th-ranked Seminoles. Although this is the only game featuring a ranked team, it hasn’t drawn as many eyes as Delaware State vs. Hawaii. 

The Hornets had a bus issue, which caused them to miss their flight to Hawaii. The 10.5-hour journey isn’t easy, especially for an East Coast team, so it will be interesting to see how they adjust. 

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Florida State vs. Georgia Tech Odds on bet365

• Date: Saturday, August 24

• Time: Noon EST

• Moneyline: Florida State (-425) | Georgia Tech (+325)

• Spread: Florida State -10.5 (-110) | Georgia Tech +10.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 55.5 (-110) | Under 55.5 (-110)

Pick: Under 55.5 

Florida State and Georgia Tech have the most formidable challenge of Week 0: playing in a foreign country. The Week 0 Ireland game has become a tradition in college football, and both teams enter looking to make a statement. 

Florida State is on a revenge tour after being rejected from the College Football Playoff last season despite having an undefeated record. Jordan Travis was injured, which caused the committee to debate that an undefeated team wasn’t one of the top four.

They made the correct decision because Georgia beat them by 60 points in the Orange Bowl. On the other hand, Georgia Tech has the chance to knock off the 10th-ranked team in college football. 

The Seminoles are a much better team, but it’s a big ask to cover 11 points on the road internationally. The Ireland turf is usually challenging for teams to overcome, resulting in limited points. 

DJ Uiagalelei enters his fifth college season with his third team. While he is a talented quarterback, he hasn’t been overly consistent in college football. It should take some time for him to adjust to the Seminoles offense, so don’t expect many points. 

We also expect the Yellow Jackets to struggle offensively. Georgia Tech wants to run the ball, but they should be trailing in this game, forcing them out of their comfort zone. Florida State returns the second-best passing defense in the ACC Conference and the best scoring defense in the conference. 

Points will be tricky to find on Saturday, so take the lofty 55.5-point total. 

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Delaware State vs. Hawaii Odds on bet365

• Date: Sunday, August 24

• Time: Midnight EST

• Moneyline: Delaware State (-425) | Hawaii (+325)

• Spread: Delaware State +38.5 (-110) | Hawaii -38.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 57.5 (-110) | Under 57.5 (-110)

Pick: Delaware State +38.5 

If Delaware State can get to Hawaii, they can cover the late-night slot in Week 0. Hawaii has been very successful covering in-season openers, but this is the first time they will play an FCS opponent in their first game since 2009. 

The Rainbow Warriors beat Central Arkansas by five points in this matchup. Hawaii usually opens the season with a conference opponent or a Power Five team. They played Vanderbilt hard last season but lost by a touchdown. 

Even though they have been a strong cover team in season openers, the pressure is on as a 38.5-point favorite, and the Rainbow Warriors aren’t the best team in the world.

Hawaii only won five games last season, and while they have a strong returning quarterback in Brayden Schager, they don’t have a defense. 

The Rainbow Warriors will score points behind Schager, who was second in the Mountain West last year with 272.5 passing yards. Yet, the defense won’t help the offense’s cause. 

Hawaii was fourth to last in the Mountain West Conference in points allowed per game. They surrendered 32.2 points per game, which isn’t a good sign for a team that must win by 39 points to cover.

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