This year’s CFB Week 0 slate is like when a restaurant leaves out an item on your to-go order. It isn’t everything you hoped it would be, but who cares because you’re hungry. There won’t be any top 25 teams on your color television this weekend. However, there’s enough to wet the beak and ease into the shallow end of the 2022 college football season.
The picks this week are to get us warm. We aren’t expecting much other than to recondition ourselves to the rollercoaster of adrenaline rushes we will be experiencing each Saturday until the end of this calendar year.
Here are three picks that will have you covered for the entirety of the day. Tail these picks, or fade them, it’s your call, but the Judge is providing a foundation for you to enjoy this first football gameday.
CFB Week 0 odds powered by DraftKings
Nebraska vs. Northwestern, 12:30 PM ET (FOX)
The first marquee game of the week gives us a Big Ten matchup with Nebraska and Northwestern. One small, minor detail about the game is that it will be played in Dublin. As in Ireland. So we are obligated to watch and bet this game.
In an overseas Week 0 game, the Judge wants the points.
The Judges Pick – Northwestern +13 (-110)
Wyoming at Illinois, 4:00 PM ET (BTN)
Illinois is 10-1 straight up in its last 11 season openers. Wyoming is 0-6 straight up in their last six games against Big Ten opponents. The Cowboys were wrecked in the offseason by the transfer portal.
The Judge says 11 is too low for the home favorite on CFB week 0.
The Judges Pick – Illinois -11 (-110)
Vanderbilt at Hawaii (+8), 10:30 PM ET (CBSSN)
Vanderbilt will actually have the longest commute to its destination this week travelling to Hawaii. This is the late game on Saturday, kicking off at 10:30pm Eastern time.
For no other reason than the time and venue, the Judge likes the home team to cover the points here.
The Judges Pick – Hawaii +8.5 (-110)