When it comes to Week 0 college football or Week 1 in both CFB and NFL, calling these articles an “Opening Line Report” is a misnomer because these odds have been up for a long time. But, it is great to have college football back and we have four FBS vs. FBS games in Week 0, plus one FBS vs. FCS contest, as UNLV hosts Idaho State in a game that was moved to account for Canelo vs. Crawford at Allegiant Stadium next month.
Even though we are short on volume this week, we are high on intrigue. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin is the “Farmageddon” game between Iowa State and Kansas State with a Big 12 conference game right out of the chute. We also have a conference game in Conference USA between Sam Houston and Western Kentucky.
Oh, and perhaps most importantly, VSiN will be on the road for the Stanford vs. Hawaii game, as Tim Murray and Matt Youmans will be live in Honolulu for some special broadcasts. They will host VSiN Primetime from 7-11 p.m. ET on Friday, August 22 and then do VSiN Weekend Morning Line from 1-4 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 23. [LISTEN LIVE | WATCH LIVE]
Week 0 College Football Odds Report
Lines as of Sunday, August 17 at 5:30 p.m. PT
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Kansas State Wildcats (-3, 49.5)
Saturday, Noon ET
I had the pleasure of visiting Dublin this summer and now Iowa State, Kansas State, and their respective fan bases have the pleasure as well. So far, the sportsbooks have done a pretty good job with this game. Any shops that opened 3.5 took away the hook and we’re sitting -3 basically market-wide with Kansas State as the field goal favorite. The total has ticked up a tad on this one, as we do have two returning starters at QB in Rocco Becht and Avery Johnson.
This game will get a lot of love, but the action should be pretty balanced. I imagine we’ll see 3.5 and/or 2.5 this week as the books know how to get the money that they need if the balance starts to sway one way or the other.
Fresno State Bulldogs at Kansas Jayhawks (-12.5, 50.5)
Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET
We’ll have a long wait after Iowa State and Kansas State for our next game, but another team from the Sunflower State is in action, as the Jayhawks host the Bulldogs. The underdog seems to have some bark here, as bettors are backing the Bulldogs. This line was 14 or 14.5 at open and has slowly crept down to where it sits now. The total has also eked down a bit, likely a nod to new Fresno State head coach Matt Entz and his impressive defensive resume.
We’ll see if bettors keep swinging that way. There is good momentum within the KU program right now thanks to some renovations done to their home stadium and also a gigantic $300 million gift from donor David Booth, whose name is on said stadium.
Sam Houston State Bearkats at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (-10, 60.5)
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
The other conference clash in Week 0 is in Bowling Green, as the Hilltoppers and Bearkats pick up the pieces of tough offseasons. I wrote up Conference USA for our 2025 VSiN College Football Betting Guide and both teams experienced ample losses. The heroes of Huntsville bid adieu to head coach K.C. Keeler and brought in former OC Phil Longo for his first head gig. The defense is a shell of what it was last season thanks to transfers and graduation.
The Hilltoppers have basically one starter back on offense and a new OC, who brought Abilene Christian QB Maverick McIvor with him. Bettors seemed more enthusiastic about the Hilltoppers here with a move from 7.5 to 10 over the summer and most sportsbooks simply opened up 10 after that initial wave at DraftKings. The Hilltoppers defense had heavy losses, too, but we’ve seen more interest towards the Under than the Over given that the total has dropped a point or so.
Stanford Cardinal at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (-2.5, 52.5)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday represents our first opportunity for a “chase game” out on the island. While we encourage everybody to bet responsibly, taking a late night Hawaii game is an annual rite of passage. This one isn’t all that late, as CBS carries this one for the entire nation. Expectations are low at Stanford, where GM Andrew Luck and head coach Frank Reich try to get the program back on the right track.
Meanwhile, fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang seems to be building a better group with the Rainbow Warriors. This is a flipped favorite scenario, as Circa actually had Stanford -2 at the outset, but summer action combined with some team news turned Hawaii into the hunted as opposed to the hunter. Not only does this game have the most notable spread movement, it also has the most movement on the total, as it has dropped upwards of three points at some shops. This game should get a pretty good handle and I’ll be interested to see if we get to -3 or if some buyback comes in on the Trees.
Keep an eye out for more line movements by tracking our VSiN College Football Betting Splits.
