The 2026-27 college football season is officially underway! We have a full Saturday of Week 1 games on tap. It’s time to lock in our CFB Best Bets before the action gets underway. Check out these CFB Picks for Saturday’s Week 1 slate. Without further ado, let’s jump into the top CFB Predictions for the week. 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Saturday, 9/5

Our CFB Best Bets kick off with Saturday night’s matchup between Clemson and No. 11 LSU. Plus, we’ll dish out CFB predictions for Arkansas State vs. Memphis. Be sure to check out more CFB picks below, including some college football player props. Good luck!  

 

 

 

Clemson vs. LSU Prediction: Saturday, September 5th

This is the marquee game on Saturday’s slate. LSU is around a 10-point home favorite against Clemson with tons of storylines and intrigue on both sides. It’s Lane Kiffin’s coaching debut with No. 11 LSU, and the recent court drama is a whole other deal. Meanwhile, Clemson is trying to rebound after going 7-6 last year. 

Clemson enters with plenty of question marks on offense. Chad Morris returns as the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator, a position he held from 2011 to 2014. Those offenses were good, but it may take time to get things back on track. Morris hasn’t called plays in 6 years since he was the OC at Auburn, which shouldn’t be overlooked.  

More notably, the Clemson offensive roster has uncertainties all over. Christopher Vizzina is the new starting quarterback after backing up Cade Klubnik last year. There could be some growing pains for Vizzina manning the offense in this first game. Plus, freshman QB Tait Reynolds may reportedly see playing time as well. 

The Tigers’ offensive line, though, is a bigger concern. They replace both starting tackles from last year and could struggle to block talented defensive fronts. That’s exactly what LSU brings to this matchup, with key offseason additions. LSU also did well to retain defensive coordinator Blake Baker. Last year, the defense ranked 27th in total yards allowed per game and gave up just 19.8 PPG (23rd in FBS). 

On the other side, LSU’s offense under Kiffin should be high-scoring this year. Still, it may take a game or two to get going. QB Sam Leavitt missed most of spring practice while recovering from a foot injury. The rust factor may be evident in the first half against a respectable Clemson defense. 

All in all, we’re looking at the first-half under for this matchup. Both offenses could get off to slow starts with new quarterbacks and schemes getting into rhythm. The defenses should set the tone early and keep things lower-scoring at the half. 

Arkansas State vs. Memphis Prediction: Saturday, September 5th

Memphis began its season on a high note last week with a 27-21 road victory over UNLV. It was an impressive result over a team many expect to win the Mountain West. Now Memphis hosts Arkansas State this weekend. 

The Tigers are double-digit home favorites, but Arkansas State is no pushover opponent. Let’s back the Red Wolves to cover the spread and keep it closer than the oddsmakers suggest. There’s clear value on the underdogs for a few reasons. 

First off, this is a tough sandwich game for Memphis. The Tigers may be in for a slight letdown after the big road win at UNLV, especially in head coach Charles Huff’s first game. Then, they take on Boise State on the road next week. In between, it’s a sneaky matchup against a respectable Arkansas State squad.  

The Red Wolves have made three straight bowl games under coach Butch Jones. They return an experienced offensive line and revamped the defense in the transfer portal. Quarterback Jaylen Raynor is gone, but in comes Texas transfer Trey Owens with plenty of potential. Arkansas State also brings in Vanderbilt’s offensive coordinator from last season, which is a good sign. 

The Ark State offense should move the ball well in this matchup. Memphis’ defense allowed 460 total yards to UNLV last week and especially looked vulnerable against the pass. It’s worth noting that the Red Wolves put up 456 total yards and 337 through the air when it faced Southern Miss last year, which was Charles Huff’s defense that’s now at Memphis. 

We also have to consider that this is a rivalry game, which usually leads to tighter matchups. It’s a series that dates back to 1914, though this is the first meeting since 2022. Arkansas State’s campus is just 70 miles from Memphis, so the road trip isn’t a bad one either. 

 

 

 

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