How to bet on 2026 college football Week 1: Betting guide, odds, previews, promo codes, trends, apps, schedule — SkimNews
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- DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365 are offering sign-up promos for Week 1, including $200 in bonus bets from DraftKings on a $5 wager, $350 from FanDuel, and up to $1,500 from BetMGM with code CBSSPORTS, as online sports betting is legal in 30-plus states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.
- LSU, a 10.5-point home favorite over Clemson with a total around 51.5, opens its 2026 season Saturday night under new head coach Lane Kiffin against a Clemson team that finished 7-6 last year and enters unranked for the first time since 2011.
- No. 9 Ole Miss faces No. 24 Louisville (-6.5) on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville in the only Top 25 vs. Top 25 matchup of the week, with Ole Miss returning QB Trinidad Chambliss (3,937 passing yards, 22 TDs in 2025) and RB Kewan Lacy (24 rushing TDs).
- No. 4 Notre Dame meets Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday night as a 20.5-point favorite, with QB C.J. Carr listed among the Heisman betting favorites after passing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns last season.
- No. 8 Texas A&M, coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, opens as a 41.5-point favorite over Missouri State with QB Marcel Reed returning after throwing for 3,169 yards and 31 total touchdowns in 2025.
- Michigan debuts new head coach Kyle Whittingham (hired from Utah) on Saturday against Western Michigan, with sophomore QB Bryce Underwood facing a Broncos team that went 10-4 and is favored to win the MAC behind QB Broc Lowry and RB Jalen Buckley.
- Washington hosts Washington State for the 118th Apple Cup on Sunday as a 23.5-point favorite, holding a 77-34-6 all-time series edge after a 59-24 win last year, while new Wazzu coach Kirby Moore takes over a roster built 77% from freshmen and transfer-portal additions.
Why it matters: The Week 1 card concentrates multiple ranked-vs-ranked tests, coaching debuts (Kiffin at LSU, Whittingham at Michigan), and marquee neutral-site games (Notre Dame-Wisconsin at Lambeau, Ole Miss-Louisville in Nashville) into a single betting window — giving sportsbooks their first major handle of the 2026 college football season across 30-plus legalized states.
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