Week 1 of the 2026 college football season includes an intriguing three-game slate on Sunday with the Apple Cup between Washington State and Washington, Notre Dame clashing with Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and Nashville playing host to a ranked vs. ranked matchup between Louisville and Ole Miss. All three of these games feature at least one ranked team, and Sunday's games could have massive long-term ramifications when it comes to the College Football Playoff. Bet on college football with the DraftKings promo code and get a $200 bonus: Washington is a 23.5-point favorite over Washington State, per the latest DraftKings Sportsbook odds, the Irish are 20.5-point favorites over the Badgers and Ole Miss is favored by 6.5 points against Louisville.
If you're interested in betting on college football on Sunday and parlay betting, we've put together a three-leg parlay with one pick from each of these matchups. For more college football insight and analysis, be sure to check out what SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have to say. The Apple Cup has had a much different flair to it the last two years, with UW leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten and WSU being one of two original Pac-12 members left in the updated version of the conference.
The Cougars got the last laugh in the first non-conference showdown between these opponents in 2024 with a one-score victory, but the Huskies got a 59-24 win in Pullman last year. The matchup is in Seattle this year, and the Huskies, who won nine games last year, are trying to emerge as a CFP contender in 2026. Demond Williams Jr. exploded for five touchdowns last year, and Washington is the more talented team and also has the benefit of continuity as WSU has its third head coach in as many years with former Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore making his head coaching debut on Sunday.
We like the Huskies to kick off 2026 while covering the spread betting line of 23.5 points at home against their in-state rival. Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get bonus bets when wagering on college football games: Wisconsin is entering a bit of a make-or-break year under Luke Fickell as the former Cincinnati head coach is entering Year 4 in Madison and has just one winning season under his belt after going 4-8 last year. The Badgers overhauled the roster this offseason, adding a number of intriguing players in the transfer portal, namely Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year.
But the Badgers' first test is an unenviable one in Notre Dame. The Irish went 10-2 last year, with both losses coming in their first two games to CFP teams in Miami and Texas A&M. That was enough to keep Notre Dame out of the CFP altogether.
This is sure to be a motivated Fighting Irish side, and they'll be looking to make a statement in Week 1. They return star quarterback CJ Carr, who is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this season. Take the Irish and the points.
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