BackCollege Football Week 1 Friday Best Bets: DraftKings Promo and Expert Picks
College Football Week 1 Friday Best Bets: DraftKings Promo and Expert Picks
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CBS Sports44 minutes agoSports3 min readUnited States

College Football Week 1 Friday Best Bets: DraftKings Promo and Expert Picks

Quick Look

  • SportsLine experts and projection model recommend three college football bets for Friday: Under 48.5 points in Michigan State vs.
  • Toledo, Miami -24.5 vs.
  • Stanford, and Over 51.5 points in Fresno State vs.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The article discusses college football betting picks for Week 1 of the 2026 season, featuring expert analysis from SportsLine and promotional offers from DraftKings for new users.

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Week 1 of the college football season continues on Friday, perfect for claiming the latest DraftKings promo code, which gives new users $200 in bonus bets after making a $5 bet, paid within 21 days. The SportsLine Projection Model and team of experts have locked in college football picks involving these teams, including SportsLine expert Emory Hunt backing the Hurricanes to cover as 24.5-point favorites in Miami vs. Stanford as part of his Friday college football best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook. There are eight games on the Friday college football schedule.

The model is backing Under 48.5 total points in Michigan State vs. Toledo. SportsLine expert Eric Cohen has locked in college football picks on USC vs. Fresno State as part of Friday best bets at DraftKings. Claim the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $200 in bonus bets after making a $5 wager:

Check out our DraftKings promo code review for full details about one of our best sports betting apps.

The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It is on a 32-19 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks on betting sites since the 2024 season, and it has been upgraded for the 2026 season to even better factor in the transfer portal. Anybody following its college football betting picks could have seen strong returns.

Friday best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook

Toledo vs. Michigan State: Under 48.5 total points

Miami (-24.5) vs. Stanford

Fresno State vs. USC: Over 51.5 total points

Combining the three picks into a Friday parlay betting at DraftKings would result in a payout of +621 (risk $100 to profit $621, odds subject to change). Claim $200 in bonus bets after your first $5 wager at DraftKings here:

Toledo vs. Michigan State: Under 48.5 total points

Michigan State has a tendency to play lower-scoring season openers, especially when it is the superior team. Each of the Spartans' last two season openers totaled less than 30 points, and the year before totaled 38 points. Michigan State won all three games, as it is favored to do on Friday. The Under is 5-3 over the last two seasons when Michigan State was the home favorite. The Under was 5-1 in Toledo road games last season, and the Rockets have an offense filled with transfer portal players and a new quarterback, which could lead to a slower offensive start as chemistry develops. The model projects the Under to hit in 65% of simulations. Bet the Under at DraftKings here and claim $200 in bonus bets after making a $5+ wager as a new user:

Miami (-24.5) vs. Stanford

"Miami has shown the ability to reload the last three seasons," SportsLine expert Emory Hunt said. "This year they land arguably the best QB in the country in Darian Mensah. There's an abundance of weapons across the board and expect them to keep the pressure on a Stanford defense all throughout the game." Bet on Miami at DraftKings here and claim $200 in bonus bets after making a $5+ wager as a new user:

Fresno State vs. USC: Over 51.5 total points

"I'm playing the early-season Trojans Over trend once again," SportsLine expert Eric Cohen said. "Including the Week 0 42-26 win over San Jose State, Lincoln Riley has coached eight games at home against non-conference opponents in August and September. In those games, the average score has been USC 57, Opponents 17. USC has never scored less than 42 points in any of those contests. I was less than impressed with the Trojans' defense on Saturday, while their offense was crisp and in midseason form, led by quarterback Jayden Maiava. Expect points galore once again in the L.A. Coliseum on Friday night. USC 44, Fresno State 21." Bet the Over at DraftKings here and claim $200 in bonus bets after making a $5+ wager as a new user:

Want more college football picks for Friday?

You've seen some of the model's and SportsLine team of experts' Friday best bets. Now, get against the spread, total and money-line picks for all games, including NFL, MLB, college football, and more, all from the SportsLine Projection Model, which has simulated every game 10,000 times.

Responsible Gaming at DraftKings

DraftKings provides a "Responsible Gaming Center" tab for users on their profile pages. This landing page includes help for problem gambling as well as "Safer Play Tools," a list of options that allow users to limit their use of the app with deposit limits (daily, weekly or monthly), wagering limits, max wager limits and time limits. The platform also has a support team available 24/7 via live chat, and provides contact information for state and national helplines for those who need additional help. If you think you may have a gambling problem, you can call or text 1-800-MY-RESET.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Under 48.5 total points will be hit in Michigan State vs. Toledo

    Likely · Within days

  • Miami will cover the -24.5 point spread against Stanford

    Likely · Within days

  • Over 51.5 total points will be hit in Fresno State vs. USC

    Likely · Within days

Open Questions

  • What is the actual win rate of the SportsLine Projection Model beyond the stated 32-19 run?
  • How do the betting odds change as game time approaches?
  • What specific factors does the model consider when simulating games 10,000 times?

Related Topics

This article was originally published by CBS Sports.

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