Week 1 of the college football season gets rolling with a fun slate of Thursday night games. These are the best player prop bets to consider at DraftKings Sportsbook for the first night of Week 1.
Week 1 Prop Bets
South Florida vs. Boise State: Byrum Brown Anytime TD Scorer (-135)
Byrum Brown is one of the most exciting quarterbacks to watch in the country. He has had issues staying healthy throughout his career, but in Week 1, he will be fresh and ready. This Boise State team lost a lot of talent from last year’s special College Football Playoff team. Not just Ashton Jeanty, but on the defensive side as well, like star EDGE Ahmed Hassanein. Brown only played five games last year, but scored a rushing touchdown in three of those. The only two games where he didn’t run for a score were against two of the best teams in the nation, Miami and Alabama. In 2023, Brown ran for 11 touchdowns in 12 regular-season games, including four across the first two games of the season. When Brown is healthy, he’s nearly impossible to stop on the ground, and he should find the end zone against Boise State.
Nebraska vs. Cincinnati: Dylan Raiola 2+ Passing Touchdowns (-130)
Dylan Raiola could be set for a breakout sophomore season. He had a lot of pressure and expectations on him as a freshman, and while he had his struggles at times, he also showed flashes of why he was such a highly-touted prospect. Nebraska made some improvements to the team around Raiola, so he should be better protected with more weapons to work with. Between those additions and the experience Raiola now has under his belt, it should be a big season for him. This Cincinnati defense ranked 120th in the nation in explosive pass defense last season. Raiola should be able to hit some deep shots against them and register at least two passing touchdowns, just like he did in Week 1 last season.
Wisconsin vs. Miami (OH): Billy Edwards Anytime TD Scorer (+185)
Wisconsin is hoping to have an improved team after going 12-12 over the past two regular seasons. They parted ways with offensive coordinator Phil Longo after his air raid offense was deemed a failure in Madison. Wisconsin brought in Jeff Grimes to be their new offensive coordinator and call a smashmouth run-heavy offense, which was successful at Wisconsin for so many years. Billy Edwards was brought in to quarterback this new look offense after having a good season at Maryland in 2024. Edwards doesn’t have blistering speed or freak athleticism, but he is a smart runner of the football who knows how to pick his spots. In 2023, despite being the backup QB, he was used as a specialist near the goal-line for option run plays, scoring seven rushing touchdowns that season. He then scored five rushing touchdowns last year. Wisconsin should have a big edge in the trenches here, and Edwards can use his legs to find the end zone in his first game as a Badger.
