In Week 1, all eyes will be on Clemson traveling to No. 11 LSU and No. 24 Louisville facing No. 9 Ole Miss.
However, there are plenty of games flying under the radar on this week’s slate that offer intrigue for bettors.
And with that, here are six of the best sleeper games to watch over Labor Day Weekend.
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Spread: USC -21.5
Moneyline: USC -2100, Fresno State +1100
The Outlook: USC got its season started with a 42-26 win against San Jose State in Week 0. The Trojans had over 500 yards of total offense and at one point were up 42-11 in the fourth quarter. Two late touchdowns from SJSU made this game seem closer than it was. Quarterback Jayden Maiava only had four incompletions while tossing two touchdowns and running for another. This week, the Trojans will play one of the best teams in the Mountain West from a season ago, the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs could have an advantage with their head coach Matt Entz, who spent the 2024 season at USC as the defensive assistant head coach. Entz also knows how to build elite defenses, having been part of six FCS national championship teams at North Dakota State, including two as head coach. His familiarity with the Trojans could help Fresno State keep this game close and cover the spread in their first game as a member of the Pac-12.
Player To Watch: Trent Mosley was one of the five true freshmen to start for the Trojans last week, and he might’ve had the biggest impact. The four-star receiver led the Trojans in all receiving categories in his first start with seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. With Mosley already making noise in L.A., he could continue being a big part of this offense.
Spread: SMU -3
Moneyline: SMIU -155, FSU +130
The Outlook: Over in the ACC, the top-25 SMU Mustangs begin their season on the road against a Florida State team that already has a game under its belt. The Seminoles opened up play in Week 0 with a 34-17 win over New Mexico State. In a game where they were 31.5-point favorites, it was not a promising win for the Noles. Still, Doak Campbell can be an environment that causes problems early in the season. Just ask Alabama about last season.
Player To Watch: SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings could be in for a big year, as the senior looks to follow up his 3,641-yard, 26-touchdown campaign from last season. He’ll lead the Mustangs into a hostile environment in Week 1 as they look to return to the CFP.
Spread: UCLA -2.5
Moneyline: UCLA -130, Cal +110
The Outlook: The Bruins begin their new era under Bob Chesney, hoping he can follow Curt Cignetti’s blueprint as a former James Madison head coach leading a Big Ten team to new heights. Cal also has a new head coach, Tosh Lupoi, the former Oregon defensive coordinator. He has brought in the 14th-best transfer class in the country for Year 1. His biggest accomplishment so far might be retaining quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, the freshman All-American who threw for 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025.
Player To Watch: UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava had a breakout game in UCLA’s historic upset against No. 7 Penn State last season. With a new revamped offense under Chesney, Iamaleava could be in for a big year.
Auburn Tigers vs. Baylor Bears
Spread: Auburn -7.5
Moneyline: Auburn -298, Baylor +240
The Outlook: Auburn defeated Baylor on the road in its season opener last season in Waco, 38-24. Now these teams will kick off in Atlanta. Auburn will have a totally new offense under new head coach Alex Golesh, as the former USF coach brought in the No. 9 transfer class, led by his dynamic quarterback Byrum Brown. Baylor will look to former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway to lead the offense against this Tigers’ defense. Auburn looks to start the Golesh era on a good note and give Baylor another Week 1 loss in two straight seasons.
Player To Watch: Auburn’s Byrum Brown could be the most dynamic quarterback in college football. He became the 13th quarterback to pass for 3,000 or more yards and rush for 1,000 or more in a season. Brown, with his same weapons and coach from last season, could cause tons of problems for defenses in the SEC.
Spread: Georgia Tech -6.5
Moneyline: Georgia Tech -265, Colorado +215
The Outlook: Colorado and Georgia Tech get ready to open their season against each other for the second straight season. The Buffaloes gave up a last-minute touchdown to lose 27-20 last year, but a lot can change in a year’s time. Tech lost the majority of its offensive productivity, losing Haynes King, its leading passer and rusher, plus five of its top six receivers. On the other sideline, Colorado was able to retain quarterback Julian Lewis and add two dynamic weapons on the outside in DeAndre Moore Jr. and Danny Scudero. Scudero was the leading receiver in CFB last season at San Jose State, and Moore was Texas’ second leading receiver. Deion Sanders’ team has a chance to avenge last season’s loss with a big win on the road.
Player To Watch: Colorado’s Gideon Lampron was one of the top tacklers last season in the country. The Bowling Green transfer racked up 119 combined tackles. The new Buffaloes linebacker could be a true game wrecker in this Week 1 matchup against a run-heavy Georgia Tech offense.
Spread: UNLV -3
Moneyline: UNLV -155, Hawaii +130
The Outlook: These two Group of Six teams started their season 0-1 after disappointing losses. Hawaii saw its second-half comeback hopes against Stanford fall short after a fumble return for a touchdown in the last minute. It didn’t help that the Rainbow Warriors gave up almost 500 yards of offense to a Stanford team that was second to last in the ACC last season. Meanwhile, despite Jackson Arnold almost passing for 300 yards and being the leading rusher for the Rebels, UNLV fell short against Memphis at home, 27-21. The story of his career followed him to Vegas, as the former Auburn quarterback was sacked six times in the second half. With both defenses struggling in the opener, despite good quarterback play, this could be a high-scoring game in Honolulu. Whichever offense has the ball last or which defense can make the last stop could ultimately end up winning the game.
Player To Watch: Hawaii’s quarterback Micah Alejado had 50 attempts in their loss against Stanford. Alejado completed 30 of those attempts for 269 yards. He’ll need more help from the run game, but it’s no question that this offense and quarterback aren’t afraid of a shootout against Dan Mullen and this UNLV offense.
