College Football Picks: Kansas vs. Fresno State
Kick off the 2025 college football season with a BetMGM bonus code featuring a Bonus Bet offer of up to $1,500! RotoWire has plenty of college football betting tools and info to keep you in the loop this season. From the latest college football odds to college football futures and Heisman odds, we have you covered.
Fresno State travels to Lawrence, Kansas to open the season against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Bulldogs enter this season off a 6-6 campaign in 2024 which resulted in a trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and a loss at the hands of the NIU Huskies. Kansas enters off a disappointing 5-7 season which saw the Jayhawks lose five of their first six games, only to turn things around late in the season by ripping off four wins in their final six games.
Kansas vs. Fresno State Betting Odds for Week 0
Spread: Kansas -12.5 (-110 BetMGM); Fresno State +12.5 (-105 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Total: Under 50.5 (-110 FanDuel Sportsbook), Over 50.5 (-110 BetMGM)
Moneyline: Kansas -455 (BetMGM), Fresno State +400 (ESPN Bet)
It's no surprise that this line opened in favor of Kansas as the Jayhawks finished this past season strong, and they return starting QB Jalon Daniels. With that said, the number opened at 14.5 and has dropped two points, which means there is some momentum on the underdog. The total has stayed fairly steady since it opened, but the juice seems to be favoring the under at the moment.
Get a piece of the action during the College Football Playoff with a DraftKings Promo Code for $200 instantly on a $5 bet!
Kansas vs. Fresno State Betting Picks for Week 0
It's interesting how the landscape of college football has changed over the past five years. Half a decade ago, the best way to handicap early-season games was to look at how a particular team finished the season and then check the returning starters. If a good team had a lot of returning starters, then there was a good chance that the team would come out of the gates strong. The problem now is, no matter how good a team was the previous season, there is going to be a lot of turnover, and early in the season, we don't really know how that will affect a team. With every team seemingly dealing with turnover, it's the ones that can manage that change the best that will start the season strong.
Case in point, Fresno State does not have its starting QB back from this past season, but they have a transfer in E.J. Warner, who has plenty of experience. Will this move be a positive for the Bulldogs? Only time will tell, but Warner certainly has the potential to make the Bulldog offense better than it was this past season.
The problem for Fresno State and Warner, at least early in the season, is that there was a lot of turnover from this past season, and it's likely going to take some time to get all the pieces working together. Keep in mind, this wasn't a powerhouse this past year; the Bulldogs were just an average team, and while they did make it to a bowl game, they lost to a team from the MAC.
On the other side, there is also a ton of turnover on the Jayhawks roster from this past season, but as mentioned already, Jalon Daniels is back, and so is head coach Lance Leipold, who is a proven winner, albeit at a lower level. The coaching aspect is key for Kansas because the Jayhawks are attempting to meld in a lot of transfers, some highly-touted, and to have success, they'll need to gel early on. Luckily for them, they get a somewhat soft landing spot with the Bulldogs.
In a battle of two teams looking to gel early, I'm siding with the Jayhawks, which finished this past season strong and looks to get off to a good start this season, unlike this past season. The experience at QB, along with the true home field advantage (the Jayhawks have spent much of the past two seasons playing off campus in Kansas City) will result in an impressive opening week win.
Kansas vs. Fresno State Expert Pick: Kansas -12.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Join in on the fun during the College Football Playoff with a FanDuel Sportsbook promo code featuring $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins!
Kansas vs. Fresno State Predictions for Week 0
Both teams will look to get off to a good start this season, but I'm expecting Fresno State to struggle on both sides early. It might take more than this week to get on track, and as such, it might be a long day for both the offense and defense.
While E.J. Warner brings plenty of experience to the table, he also brings a lot of mistakes. This game could get out of hand if Warner is loose with the ball. The Bulldog defense is decent, but I don't think it will hold up for 60 minutes on Saturday.
Look for the Kansas offense to come out firing and open up an early lead. A mistake or two by Warner will help the Jayhawks increase that lead, and in the end, it's a comfortable win for Kansas.
Kansas 34 - Fresno State 14
