While a handful of teams have already taken the field, college football truly gets underway on Saturday. Week 1 presents several intriguing matchups, along with plenty of opportunity for bettors. As seen during Thursday’s shocking UMass victory over Rutgers, anything is possible. Which underdogs are poised to come out on top during today’s loaded slate of games?
Let’s break down two plus money picks on DraftKings Sportsbook that could pull off an upset on Saturday.
Best CFB Upset Picks for Week 1
Wyoming ML (+130) at Colorado State
The Border War resumes on Saturday with two sides itching to turn the page. Wyoming only managed to win four games in 2025, but there’s some reason for optimism. New offensive coordinator Christian Taylor, former advisor for the Buffalo Bills, gives this scoring attack a desperately needed overhaul. Tyler Hughes, a dual-threat quarterback from William & Mary, threw for 2,330 yards and ran for 670 while racking up 31 total touchdowns last season. It won’t take much to improve on former QB Kaden Anderson’s production (12 TD, 10 INT).
Even if the points aren’t there, Wyoming’s defense is good enough to keep them in almost every game. It starts in the secondary, where the team allowed the 18th-fewest yards per pass attempt (6.3) last season. A slew of hard-hitting linebackers and a decent defensive line will make things tough on opponents. That’s not ideal for Colorado State, which still has yet to name a starting quarterback. New head coach Jim Mora Jr. brings aboard a parade of transfers to Fort Collins, hoping to jumpstart a program that just underwent a 2-10 campaign.
It’s important to note that the Cowboys absolutely dominated last season’s matchup in Laramie, reeling off a 28-0 victory. Similar domination tonight shouldn’t be expected, but it does show what this group is capable of. Keeping that in mind, it’s a bit odd to see Wyoming as underdogs on Saturday. Although Mora Jr. has some exciting new transfers, will that alone be enough to close the gap between these schools? At +130, I’m willing to back the visitors in this battle for the Bronze Boot.
Cal ML (+114) vs. UCLA
One of the more intriguing late slate matchups takes place in Berkeley. Both UCLA and Cal have plenty to prove, coming into Saturday with brand new head coaches. At home, I’m leaning towards the Golden Bears.
Picking Cal really comes down to one name, albeit a long one: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. As a freshman, he threw for 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns (nine interceptions). It’s no stretch to say that the now-sophomore has NFL potential. He comes into today’s contest as the undisputed best player on the field. Keep in mind, the gunslinger torched quality defensive units such as Minnesota, Louisville and SMU last season. He’s more than capable of carving up a UCLA secondary that allowed a mediocre 7.2 yards per pass attempt in 2025. Former Rutgers wide receiver Ian Strong should help; he recorded 52 catches and 762 receiving yards as a junior.
In fairness to UCLA, they come into this one with a quality passer as well in Nico Iamaleava. New head coach Bob Chesney brings aboard several standouts from his old school, James Madison. Still, an overhaul such as this usually takes some time. Four new offensive lineman doesn’t bode well for this group’s effectiveness at running the ball. On the other side, there isn’t much proven talent on the defensive line outside of JMU transfer Sahir West. Those question marks in the trenches can’t be ignored.
Much like Wyoming vs. Colorado State, these two West Coast squads are evenly matched. This one going in either direction wouldn’t come as a major surprise. With that being said, shouldn’t this line tilt towards the team with a better quarterback at home? Chesney is building something special at UCLA, but this is a difficult opening matchup to his tenure. Cal, one of the nation’s most underrated programs, makes a statement after dark.
