The 2026 college football season officially gets started this afternoon. Week 0 isn’t the main course, with only a select group of squads taking the field. However, beggars can’t be choosers; any Saturday on the gridiron presents an opportunity for bettors to cash in.
Keeping that in mind, let’s break down two underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook that could pull off an upset on Saturday.
Best CFB Upset Picks for Week 0
Hawaii ML (+164) vs. Stanford
This one isn’t too far fetched, considering Hawaii pulled off a last-second victory when these two teams kicked off the 2025 season. Granted, much has changed for both sides heading into Saturday’s matchup. Stanford has been active in the transfer portal in an attempt to support its defense. Still, one offseason alone might not be enough to fix this secondary. They allowed 288.9 passing yards per game to opponents last year, second-worst among all Division 1 programs.
It just so happens that this Hawaii offense prioritizes the passing game. Micah Alejado is returning for another season in Honolulu. Last year, he threw for 3,106 yards and a MWC-best 24 touchdowns. There’s no reason to think he can’t be even better as a sophomore under head coach Timmy Chang, a former signal caller himself. Wideouts Pofele Ashlock and Tama Uilata should remain busy during Saturday’s contest.
Hawaii’s defense is far from a sure thing, especially with several new pieces coming in via the transfer portal. With that being said, it’s not as if this unit was a complete pushover. The Rainbow Warriors allowed 344.3 yards per game in 2025, sixth-best in the Mountain West Conference. if Alejado takes another leap this season, the other side of the ball only needs to be decent for Hawaii to hang around in most matchups. A date with Stanford, in the midst of an extensive rebuild, isn’t the most intimidating. Running back Micah Ford is a difference-maker, but quarterback Davis Warren didn’t look very impressive last season with Michigan. To make matters worse, he’s coming off of a serious knee injury.
Hawaii has experience in this matchup and the more reliable option at quarterback. At +164, the visitors are a decent bet to earn an upset in Palo Alto.
Memphis ML (+160) vs. UNLV
UNLV comes into 2026 as a favorite to win the new-look Mountain West. Still, Saturday presents a notable non-conference challenge. Memphis has been a consistent force in the American, most recently going a respectable 8-5 last season. A brand new staff comes to town, led by head coach Charles Huff. That alone could cause some trepidation to back the new-look Tigers.
Marcus Stokes will be the man under center, a surprising move given former four-star Air Noland is on the roster. However, the dual-threat impressed during his time at West Florida. It’s not as if this is the most difficult defense to pick apart. UNLV coughed up 28.0 points per game in 2025, fifth-worst in the Mountain West. That includes 7.6 passing yards allowed per attempt, fourth-worst in the conference. Deep ball threats Tychaun Chapman and Terrell Timmons are both capable of stretching the field.
The biggest question marks come on defense, and for good reason. The portal has hurt this group, leaving Huff without many returning players. Still, it’s fair to say both of these teams are fairly vulnerable on that side of the ball. UNLV’s scoring attack will revolve around the ground game, led by star running back Jai’Den Thomas. That’s good news for a Tiger team that stocked up along the defensive line. If Stokes and the offense are cooking, a handful of stops might be all that’s required on Saturday. A sprinkle on Memphis at +160 makes plenty of sense this weekend.
