We did it. Week one and games all over the board, stretching to Labor Day, will bless us and refill our much-depleted college football souls. Non-conference play means we have a total of 16 games with Big 12 teams involved. So buckle up as we navigate all of the Big 12 week one winners. Who should be worried about laying an egg in week one? All lines are courtesy of FanDuel.
Big 12 Week One Winners
New Hampshire At UCF (-41.5)
The Big 12 week one winners start on Thursday “Knight”. Last Word better see some head nods from the UCF faithful. UCF’s rushing attack absolutely overwhelms New Hampshire to cover the number. But the tempo won’t be lightning speed, so with a final of 55-7, the game comes in just under the total.
Moneyline: UCF ATS: UCF Over/Under 63.5: Under
Lindenwood At #22 Kansas (-43.5)
Jayhawk quarterback Jalon Daniels is a prime Darkhorse candidate to win the Heisman for a reason. Too much Kansas in this one.
Moneyline: Kansas ATS: Kansas Over/Under: None listed
North Dakota State (+9.5) At Colorado
Head Coach Deion Sanders made a tongue-in-cheek remark to his athletic director about scheduling the Bison as an opening game. Good news for the Buffs, this is not the same program that had been rattling off FCS national championships. The bad news? Sanders has been really hush about his offensive line and this is not the opponent anyone would want to face to break them in. Colorado survives with a last-second field goal.
Moneyline: Colorado ATS: North Dakota State Over/Under 58.5: Under
Southern Utah At #12 Utah (-37.5)
Kyle Whittingham finally has all of his key playmakers from the 2022 season healthy. That will spell bad news for Southern Utah. The Utes pitch a shutout 44-0.
Moneyline: Utah ATS: Utah Over/Under 52.5: Under
TCU (-9.5) At Stanford
The Big 12 winners now shift to a Friday night showdown in California against an ACC opponent. While that weirdness hasn’t gone away yet, Stanford is in full-blown rebuild mode. Sonny Dykes, even coming off a five-win season, should have too much firepower for the fighting trees.
Moneyline: TCU ATS: TCU Over/Under 60.5: Under
#8 Penn State At West Virginia (+8.5)
Fox’s Big Noon kickoff show is traveling to Morgantown for the marquee Big 12 game of week one. West Virginia is being slept on by most. Neal Brown has a physical team with a playmaking quarterback. This is about the last place any team would want to debut a new offensive coordinator. Penn State should firmly be in playoff discussions all year. However, the Last Word Big 12 week one winners finally come to the point of the program with a major upset. Lock up the Mountaineers to cover the 8.5 points at a minimum.
Moneyline: West Virginia ATS: West Virginia Over/Under 51.5: Under
South Dakota State (+9.5) At #17 Oklahoma State
Much like Colorado, Mike Gundy finds his team in a no-win situation in week one. The back-to-back FCS national champs coming to Stillwater, but are on their third coach in three seasons. They also lost some key contributors from last year. Expect the Pokes to grind out a victory behind the best running back in the conference. But Jackrabbits sneak in the back door at the end of the game to cover the 9.5 points.
Moneyline: Oklahoma State ATS: South Dakota State Over/Under 54.5: Under
Towson At Cincinnati (-31.5)
Cincinnati must figure out how to finish drives with touchdowns. The good news for Scott Satterfield is they have a good “tune-up” opponent to work out any week one issues.
Moneyline: Cincinatti ATS: Cincinatti Over/Under 54.5: Over
North Dakota (+27.5) At Iowa State
Matt Campbell’s Cyclones are a trendy sleeper pick as a Big 12 conference champion. But the ‘clones have had a history of slow starts against competent FCS programs. Covering four touchdowns against North Dakota is a tall ask. Expect a low-scoring affair, but Iowa State is never in serious doubt of losing this game.
Moneyline: Iowa State ATS: North Dakota Over/Under 51.5: Under
UT Martin At #18 Kansas State (-37.5)
For this Big 12 week one winner selection, Last Word is hoping that the Wildcats don’t even attempt a forward pass. Let the questions about Avery Johnson’s passing linger for one more week. Even with zero passing attempts, Kansas State would cover the 37.5 points against the Skyhawks.
Moneyline: Kansas State ATS: Kansas State Over/Under 56.5: Over
Tarleton State At Baylor (-26.5)
Baylor is in a make-or-break season for Dave Aranda. Tarleton State is not going to provide enough resistance to provide any real takeaways for the Bears. But the schedule picks up quickly next week with Utah in a non-conference game.
Moneyline: Baylor ATS: Baylor Over/Under 55.5: Under
UNLV At Houston (-1.5)
Houston did a great job of hiring Willie Fritz to take over this program. The talent in place is not great to compete in the Big 12. UNLV, who made a surprise appearance in the Mountain West title game last year, can give Houston problems. In a shootout, the Cougars survive and get one of their lone wins of what projects to be a long 2024 season.
Moneyline: Houston ATS: Houston Over/Under 54.5: Over
Abilene Christian At Texas Tech (-32.5)
The Red Raiders, who are one of 11 Big 12 teams with an FCS foe on the schedule, should come out of the gate quickly in this one. The on-paper talent, again like most of these FCS matchups, combined with doing their basic assignments should result in a sweat-free victory and cover.
Moneyline: Texas Tech ATS: Texas Tech Over/Under 56.5: Over
Southern Illinois At BYU (-14.5)
All college football is better than none. This game though is not the brightest bulb. BYU needs to show improvement offensively this year if they are going to get back to bowling. The Cougars will cover, but it won’t be the most aesthetically pleasing game one could watch.
Moneyline: BYU ATS: BYU Over/Under 48.5: Under
New Mexico At Arizona (-31.5)
Big 12 week one winners now shift into full #Pac12AfterDark mode. With the Arizona schools joining the conference, fans can expect that late-night window to be occupied by a Big 12 team all season. New Mexico gave away its week zero game to Montana State. But against the firepower of Arizona, they will not be able to keep up as the scoreboard will be active frequently for the Wildcats.
Moneyline: Arizona ATS: Arizona Over/Under 54.5: Over
Wyoming At Arizona State (-6.5)
If the Sun Devils were traveling up to Laramie, the Pokes would have been another lock in the Big 12 week one winners. Ask Texas Tech how that type of trip can go to open a season. But, Arizona State is hosting a program that is replacing its legendary head coach and is not the same team away from Wyoming. The schedule is brutal for a team that is still early into a major rebuild, so they have to get wins when they are able. Luckily for Kenny Dillingham, his team will be 1-0 after week one.
Moneyline: Arizona State ATS: Arizona State Over/Under 47.5: Over
