The 2023 NCAA football season will commence this weekend. Although most duels for the upcoming Saturday appear one-sided, one match-up can swing both ways. Snapdragon Stadium in California is the stage for a season opener for Ohio State and San Diego State on Saturday, August 26th.
This will be the first encounter between the Aztecs and Bobcats since 2018, when Ohio scored 27 points, while San Diego did not manage to put points on the board, resulting in a dominant Bobcats victory at the DXL Frisco Bowl. The Saturday duel will definitely not be a rerun of that event. It's time to examine odds for college football best bets Saturday at betting sites with free bets and forecast the potential winner.
Assessing Team’s Capabilities
Both teams are entering the new season with winning records from their previous 2022 NCAA campaigns. Ohio was more convincing with a 10-4 overall record, while San Diego had a closer 7-6 season. Offensive Ohio is loaded, one curious aspect is that their quarterback Kurtis Rourke is the brother of Nathan Rourke, who defeated the Aztecs in 2018 at the Frisco Bowl.
And as the reigning Offensive Player of the Year in the Mid-American Conference, Kurtis is equally talented. Last year, Kurtis started all 11 games and recorded 3,256 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Taking into account that Ohio’s offensive line is packed with seniors and the wide receiver corps is loaded, scoring touchdowns should not be an issue for the visiting team.
San Diego State experienced a rebuild this offseason. The numerous replacements are still not in tune with the squad, and that can be a stumbling block for the team. Something similar was experienced last year when the Aztect really kicked into gear in the second half of the season. The key pieces such as QB Jalen Mayden are in place, and the defensive quality can be the deciding factor tipping the scale in San Diego’s Favor.
The Betting Lines
The best online betting apps allocate the favorite status to San Diego State, with a moneyline bet offering -155 odds. The Bobcats are the visiting team and have +130 odds to win this game. Looking at the moneyline odds, it's clear bookmakers are not convinced one of the teams has a definite advantage over the other. This is additionally obvious from the point spread, which is set at 3.5, meaning bettors can expect a close game.
As an underdog, Ohio gets a +3.5 point spread at -120 odds, while the Aztect needs to win by - 3.5 points to justify the +100 betting line. It’s encouraging that fans can expect to see a lot of touchdowns, considering the total is 49 points, with -110 odds for both the over and under.
The Most Likely Outcome
Ohio is a competent team, but it's worth mentioning that they lost their last 10 away games to non-conference teams. The Aztecs will be eager to avenge their loss in the Frisco Bowl. If San Diego State's defense controls the game pace, they will prevent Kurtis from replicating his brother's success.
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