College Football Betting Picks for Sunday 9/3/23

As our last weekend without NFL action for the next six months, all eyes will be on the college game this Sunday.

In the 2023 Camping World Kickoff, the No. 5 LSU Tigers travel southeast to battle the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles at Camping World Stadium. If dueling dual-threat quarterbacks is your sort of jam, you won't want to miss this clash in downtown Orlando. Undoubtedly, it will be the pinnacle meeting of CFB Week 1.

Another AP Top-25 program will be on the gridiron this Sunday; keep an eye out for the No. 18 Oregon State Beavers heading down to Silicon Valley to face the San Jose State Spartans.

Of course, FanDuel Sportsbook has all the markets you'll need for a successful weekend. Let us sift through Sunday's slate to see which games and wagers are worth a play.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

College Football Betting Picks (9/3/23)

Jackson State Tigers vs. Florida A&M Rattlers

• Neutral site: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
• Time: 3 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Spread: JKST -4.5
• Moneyline: JKST -182/FAMU +150
• Total: 47.5

Embarking on their first season of the post-Deion Sanders era, the Jackson State Tigers are looking to continue their dominant reign. This Sunday, they'll participate in their third straight Denny's Orange Blossom Classic -- a recently resurged annual staple of HBCU football.

As is tradition, the Florida A&M Rattlers (a SWAC rival of JSU) will be the other side competing in the contest. Throughout history, the game was typically played at the Orange Bowl, but since restarted in 2021 after a 43-season stoppage, the Orange Blossom Classic has dawned upon Miami's Hard Rock Stadium -- home of the Miami Dolphins.

In both meetings over the previous two years, Jackson State has defeated FAMU, but with wildly different results. In 2022, the Tigers dominated en route to a 59-3 victory. The year prior, it was a much tighter showing; JSU edged out the Rattlers 7-6 via a rushing touchdown from Coach Prime's son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Now that the Sanders family has departed Jackson State for the Colorado Buffaloes, what can we expect from the Tigers in 2023?

Best Bet: Jackson State ML (-182)

JSU alum T.C. Taylor is the new head coach in Jackson, Mississippi. He steps in as the program has currently gone back-to-back seasons without losing a SWAC contest.

Taylor knows the brand and standards laid by Sanders quite well, as Taylor was most recently in charge of the Tigers' receiving corps. With Virginia Tech Hokies-transfer Jason Brown now at quarterback for JSU, I feel good about taking the Tigers for a W in the 2023 opener.

No. 18 Oregon State Beavers at San Jose State Spartans

• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Spread: ORST -16.5
• Moneyline: ORST -780/SJSU +530
• Total: 55.5 (-104/-118)

San Jose State gets the luxury of facing a Pac-12 powerhouse (in what is the final season that we can use that phrase) for the second consecutive week. After losing 56-28 to the USC Trojans, the Spartans will now host No. 18 Oregon State on Sunday.

The Beavers are my sleeper pick to win the next Pac-12 Championship Game. Oregon State has not won a conference title in football since 2000, but FanDuel Sportsbook has them at +1200 odds to do so this year. And after the way the Pac-12 crumbled around them -- 10 of 12 schools have announced looming moves -- I'd imagine ORST has a chip on their shoulders being one of two teams left in limbo (along with the Washington State Cougars).

Oregon State is strong in the important areas, such as on defense and through the offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, the O-line in Corvallis is ranked third-best nationally (including tops in the Pac-12); keep an eye out at right tackle for Taliese Fuaga. He's tough to miss at 6-foot-6, 334 pounds. At quarterback, D.J. Uiagalelei transfers to Oregon State from the Clemson Tigers. He'll have an opportunity to thrive under former Beaver signal-caller, head coach Jonathan Smith.

On defense, the Beavs get after it. They were the most efficient unit in the Pac-12 last season, surrendering just 20 points per game. Defensive tackle James Rawls does well to control the line of scrimmage while outside linebacker Drew Chatfield flies around the field. SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro will certainly have a tougher task compared to the Trojans he saw in Week 0.

Best Bet: Oregon State -16.5

On ESPN's final 2023 SP+ preseason rankings, Oregon State is rated as the 31st-best team out of 133 FBS institutions. When looking at San Jose, they show up at 94th overall. Simply, the Beavers might be too big and strong for the Spartans.

With a talented committee of running backs, Oregon State will certainly establish the ground game behind their explosive offensive line, allowing them to control the clock. In 2022, they averaged 40.3 carries per game. That aspect keeps me away from playing the combined total, but I still think the Beavs will be able to suppress SJSU enough to cover 16.5 points. That's three scores (perhaps two touchdowns and a field goal), but Oregon State should be up snuff in 2023.

No. 5 LSU Tigers vs. No. 8 Florida State Seminoles

• Neutral site: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC
• Spread: LSU -2.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: LSU -130/FSU +108
• Total: 55.5 (-115/-105)

Kicking off at the Citrus Bowl (now named Camping World Stadium), two perennial powerhouses will duke it out in a Week 1 rematch. When it comes to No. 8 Florida State and No. 5 LSU, both programs are well-respected and currently within the top-ten favorites on the 2023-24 CFP National Championship odds board at FanDuel Sportsbook.

As alluded to, the Tigers and Seminoles are each led by athletic quarterbacks that can make plays with their arms as well as their legs. Outside of Caleb Williams, signal-callers Jayden Daniels of LSU and Jordan Travis of FSU are the second and third-favorites to win the next Heisman Trophy, according to FanDuel. When surveying total QBRs from 2022, Daniels played to an impressive figure of 77.5, while Travis produced the seventh-best score in the nation at 85.3.

The quarterbacks will be able to operate with confidence in this high-profile meeting. Referring back to PFF, the 'Noles and Tigers both showcase a top-10 offensive line in America. The best of both bunches might be LSU left tackle Will Campbell, but Florida State has the benefit of returning three starters from a year ago.

In 2022, the "Bayou Bengals" produced a 10-4 record in their first season under head coach Brian Kelly, but they got off to a slower start after losing narrowly to these same Seminoles at the Superdome. One year later at a different venue, we are all lucky enough to get this meeting again.

Best Bet: Over 55.5 (-115)

While my second-best wager is Florida State on the moneyline (+108 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook) due to the fact that they have not lost to LSU since 1982, it is wiser to first make an over play (-115) on the combined total of 55.5 points. Of course, in last year's head-to-head contest, the total of 47 points would have fallen under that mark, but I think we are in-store for a more imposing offensive showing in 2023.

The model at numberFire supports my over 55.5 selection. Per their game projections, this contest has an implied total of 62.6 points. Simply, I trust this, the star quarterbacks and the big offensive lines on display. As our last taste of college football for the weekend, I think these two sides will light up the scoreboard in a primetime slot.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.