After a long offseason, college football is here. We had a nice appetizer with Week 0, but the first true week of college football is now underway. There are plenty of games taking place on Friday, including a number of contests involving Power 5 teams. Illinois takes on Indiana in a Big Ten matchup, while TCU takes on Colorado out west. Other notable teams in action include Virginia Tech, Michigan State and Kansas.
Let’s look at the three components of our mega parlay for Friday’s action.
TCU -13.5 (-115)
Illinois ML (+100)
Old Dominion ML (+230)
Parlay odds: +1133
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
For this play we are going with one favorite against the spread and a pair of underdogs on the money line. Let’s break down each of these legs one by one.
Get our college football picks for all of the big Week 1 matchups
TCU -13.5 (-115) over Colorado
There’s a reason why TCU rose from a 10-point favorite to a 13.5-point favorite in this one. Colorado is projected to be one of the worst Power 5 teams and the Buffaloes didn’t do themselves any favors by bringing in new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. This team was decimated in the transfer portal and they field almost an entirely new roster from a season ago. That won’t bode well against a hungry TCU team eager to make a statement in the post-Gary Patterson era. New coach Sonny Dykes implements an explosive offensive scheme that should benefit quarterback Max Duggan. TCU’s passing game should dictate the tempo and Colorado’s poor secondary should be under siege from the opening drive.
The Horned Frogs have the firepower to expose Colorado’s defensive backs early and often. The same can’t be said of the Buffaloes, who will struggle to cross midfield. TCU should have no trouble picking up a win in its season opener, and this one could get ugly.
Be sure to check out our full TCU Horned frogs vs Colorado Buffaloes predictions
Illinois ML (+100) over Indiana
The oddsmakers took notice of Illinois’ dominant victory over Wyoming in Week 0, and for good reason. Illini quarterback Tommy DeVito looked like an answer to an offense that was bottom 10 in the nation last year in most passing categories, tossing a pair of touchdowns and completing 70 percent of his throws. Illini head coach Bret Bielema loves to run the ball and his team did so last week. Illinois rushed for over 200 yards and 2 scores in the win, and the Hoosiers’ defense isn’t much better. Indiana’s problems extend to its offense, as the Hoosiers were dead last in the Big Ten in offense last fall.
Indiana is hoping that Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak can amend those offensive woes, but this Illinois defense is a tough first matchup for the Hoosiers. The Illini finished top 30 in the nation in most defensive categories last season. This line has been moving all week, but I still think Illinois has value as a short underdog.
Be sure to check out our full Illinois Fighting Illini vs Indiana Hoosiers predictions
Old Dominion ML (+230) over Virginia Tech
For the final leg of our Friday mega parlay, we’re going with Old Dominion on the money line. This is a battle between teams with contrasting roster outlooks. Virginia Tech is implementing a new scheme under new head coach Brent Pry, while the Monarchs bring back a ton of production from last year’s team. Hayden Wolff returns at quarterback and finished last season on a tear, leading his team to 5 consecutive wins to end the year. On the other side, Grant Wells is a Jekyll-and-Hyde quarterback capable of greatness and mediocrity in equal measure. Unfortunately for the Hokies, Wells’ inconsistency could prove to be his downfall this one.
The Monarchs boast an offense with the better quarterback and more continuity as a whole. Playing a Power 5 team under the lights is a surefire way to generate fan excitement and there should be a good turnout for this matchup. At this price, I’ll take a shot on Old Dominion to add value to our parlay.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism