There’s a buzz in the air with college football back in action – it’s Week 1, baby! The Saturday slate is where the real fun begins with just about every program in the nation across the day.
Last year, Texas Tech won the Big 12 handily and made it to the College Football Playoff, though the Red Raiders ultimately fell flat in their lone postseason matchup. After something of a tumultuous offseason, the program is once again a favorite for the conference – and a villain to fanbases across the country. They play host to the FCS’s Abilene Christian Wildcats to open their season today at 7 p.m., but what does the betting outlook have in store for this matchup?
Here’s a preview, prediction and pick for Texas Tech vs. Abilene Christian to open Week 1 of the 2026 college football season.
Abilene Christian vs. Texas Tech prediction, preview
First up, the visitors. Abilene Christian didn’t have to travel very far to get to Lubbock – just two to two-and-a-half hours – and they’re something of a power at their own level in the FCS. The program went 9-5 overall last season and made it two rounds deep in the postseason bracket, but lost its starting quarterback, top wideout, and three of its leaders in total tackles since then. The Wildcats opened play in Week 0 and were upset 21-14 by the Lamar Cardinals, who they beat in the FCS Playoffs last year. With both of those programs nationally ranked at their level of competition, it was hardly a bad loss for ACU.
There’s some talent here on both sides of the ball. John David Black completed 60.0% of his passes for 142 yards and two scores last week and nearly led a late comeback after entering for the typical starter, who threw two picks. Alex Broome ran for 75 yards on 14 carries, and a pair of wideouts had 50+ yards. The offense tallied 358 yards in total, and the defense held up for most of the game as well, holding the opposing side to 278 on the day. There’s plenty of room for the Wildcats to grow, but putting it on display today will be extremely difficult.
Texas Tech won 12 games last season and took the Big 12 without much competition, beating BYU twice and only falling to Arizona State while down their starting quarterback in the conference slate. A loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff is one the Red Raiders would surely like to forget, and the offseason turned them into one of the sport’s villains following the Brendan Sorsby saga. However, they’re positioned to contend once again this year following a reload via the portal.
The program was dominant on both ends last season, scoring a ton of points while commanding the line of scrimmage on the other side of the ball. Quarterback Will Hammond showed promise last year as a spot starter and is now recovered from a torn ACL – while it may sap some of his ability to escape the pocket as he works his way back, he’s shown to have a capable arm when reading the field. The offensive line should be strong and there’s a ton of talent for him to throw to – tight end Terrance Carter Jr. posted 55 grabs for 624 yards and five touchdowns last season, Coy Eakin is back in the slot, and Pitt transfer Kenny Johnson was very solid in 2025 as well. The run game is again led by Cam Dickey with depth from J’Koby Williams and Quinten Joyner. And defensively, this unit should once again hold opponents in check with a very deep front seven and an intimidating pass rush.
Abilene Christian vs. Texas Tech pick, best bet
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Texas Tech enters as a 45.5-point favorite. The game total sits at 59.5 combined points between these teams.
These teams met back in August 2024, a game that went to overtime with the Red Raiders narrowly escaping with a 52-52 overtime win in Lubbock. A repeat of that outcome is extremely unlikely – TTU has completely overhauled its program since then. Even with the Wildcats a very solid program in their own right, they’re nowhere near equipped to handle Tech’s talent at every level. There’s a massive gap between the FCS and the Big 12, especially when evaluating the types of players on this TTU roster. Now, a 44.5-point spread is absurdly wide – Texas Tech seemingly has a chip on its shoulder and is embracing its villain status, though. The Red Raiders should roll today.
Best Bet: Texas Tech -44.5 (-110)
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