NCAAF: Saturday betting preview, picks and when to watch

Duke v Alabama (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
BT Sport ESPN, 8.30pm Saturday

Alabama enter Week One as overwhelming favourites over the Blue Devils in what looks to be complete mismatch.

Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected by many to be the first-overall pick in the 2020 draft, and he leads an offence with a wealth of talent.

Alabama firmly hold the advantage on offence, with wide-receiving tandem Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III returning after last year’s stellar season that saw them put up 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns between them.

Losing their 1-2 punch at running back from last year - Oakland Raiders’ Josh Jacobs and New England Patriots’ Damien Harris - should not slow them down as the next man up is Najee Harris, who racked up 783 yards himself last season with a team-high 6.7 yards per carry and looks set for a big year in the lead role.

In contrast, the Blue Devils’ offence is much-changed, with quarterback Daniel Jones having been drafted sixth overall by the New York Giants. They have handed the reins to Quentin Harris, a dual-threat quarterback with just two starts to his name.

Duke’s top six receivers and tight ends have not returned either, so it really is a complete overhaul in their passing game, which was key in their recent successes.

Alabama have retained enough of their offensive stars and should continue to score at will this season and a young, inexperienced Blue Devils offence look likely to struggle.

Recommendation
Alabama -31.5
2pts 20-23 Betfair, Paddy Power

Oregon v Auburn (at AT&T Stadium, Texas)
BT Sport ESPN, 12.30am Saturday night

Oregon’s offensive line and Auburn’s defensive line are in the conversation for being the best in the country and they will be key in the outcome of this game.

The biggest imbalance between the sides is at quarterback, at least in experience. Five-star recruit Bo Nix gets his first collegiate start for Auburn, while Oregon’s Justin Herbert surprised many in returning for his senior year and is a live Heisman candidate and projected first-round draft pick next year.

Experience goes a long way, especially at the quarterback position, but Herbert lost his top target Dillon Mitchell to the NFL and has seen their remaining corps decimated by injuries, so success through the air is not guaranteed early on.

With Nix in his first start, Auburn will look to establish their ground game, but the Ducks return seven starters on defence and have added the exciting prospect in Kayvon Thibodeaux, so it will not be easy for Nix.

This game could go either way, but with the Oregon’s injuries, Nix’s inexperience and the outstanding Auburn defence it could be a fairly low-scoring opener.

Recommendation
Under 57.5 points
1pt 4-5 Sky Bet

Ole Miss at Memphis
BT Sport ESPN, 5pm Saturday

The Ole Miss Rebels haven’t been to a bowl game since winning the Sugar Bowl in 2016 and head coach Matt Luke is on the hotseat this season.

The hiring of Rich Rodriguez as offensive coordinator could be a fruitful decision by Luke, who has seen great success offensively when head coach at Arizona, Michigan and West Virginia.

Memphis see their starting quarterback Brady White return after a solid season as a first-year starter last year, ranking 22nd in the nation.

The Tigers have lost their two most potent weapons in Darell Henderson and Tony Pollard, who combined for 3,214 all-purpose yards and 34 touchdowns last season.

The Rebels head into this as 5.5-point underdogs, and probably rightly so based on the teams of last season.

However, the hiring of Rich Rodriguez and the addition of the highly touted quarterback Matt Corrall could be key in turning around the Rebels’ recent fortunes, and a Week One upset over the Tigers would be a big first step.

Recommendation
Ole Miss
1pt 167-100 bet365

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