College Football Week 1 Odds, Picks & Prediction: UNC vs. Appalachian State (2022)

Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 1 odds, picks, and predictions for this week’s game: UNC vs. Appalachian State.

And check out our other game previews and picks for Week 1 of College Football:

• Western Michigan vs. Michigan State
• TCU vs. Colorado
• Indiana vs. Illinois
• Old Dominion vs. Virginia Tech
• New Mexico State vs. Minnesota
• Georgia State vs. South Carolina
• Nevada vs. Texas State
• Western Kentucky vs. Hawaii
• North Carolina State vs. East Carolina
• Clemson vs. Georgia Tech
• Boise State vs. Oregon State
• Arizona vs. San Diego State
• Utah State vs. Alabama
• Middle Tennessee vs. James Madison
• Cincinnati vs. Arkansas
• Florida State vs. LSU
• Utah vs. Florida
• Colorado State vs. Michigan
• Rice vs. USC
• Oregon vs. Georgia
• Louisiana-Monroe vs. Texas
• Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

College Football Week 1 Early Odds, Picks & Prediction: UNC vs. Appalachian State

UNC's defense had some struggles against a seriously under-manned Florida A&M team. App St will pose a much greater challenge led by veteran QB Chase Brice, 1^st team All-Sun Belt RB Nate Noel, and four returning starters on the offensive line (4.0% sack rate in 2021). I see App St scoring in bunches against what was a truly awful UNC defense last year (100^th in scoring defense, 94^th in 3^rd down defense) that has shown little signs of improvement early.

While Drake Maye impressed last week, I expect him to have a much tougher go-around against App State. App State's defense has consistently been among the better defenses in the country, and UNC's offensive line was among the worst last year in sack rate (122^nd). App State will be geared up to host in-state UNC, and the crowd may be just enough to tip the scales towards the home team.

Bet: Appalachian State ML (+110)

What is Betting Against the Spread?

Betting "against the spread" refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.

What is an Over/Under Bet?

Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.

What is a Moneyline Bet?

A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.

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