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By Tyler Everett
Sports Betting Editor
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A packed Thursday night slate kicks off Week 1 of the college football season. While tonight's games do not feature any Heisman Trophy candidates in action, there are no shortage of intriguing players to watch.
Below are two college football Week 1 player prop bets to target as you get your weekend started.
USF QB Byrum Brown o12.5 Rush Attempts
- Boise State vs. USF -- 5:30 p.m. (all times EDT) on ESPN
- Odds: (-135 at bet365)
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USF's dual-threat quarterback played just five games in 2024 due to an early-season injury that ended his season in late September.
In four games that he started and finished last year, Brown averaged 15 rushing attempts per game, and that includes an 8-carry night vs. Bethune-Cookman after the Bulls jumped out to a 31-3 lead at halftime.
Assuming he plays for 60 minutes tonight, Brown strikes us a lock to easily clear 12.5 rushing attempts. It only helps his case that in college football, sacks count as QB rushing attempts, which could inflate his numbers even more -- especially against a Boise State team that piled up 55 sacks a year ago.
This is a steep price at -135, but rushing attempt props are hard to come by, and unfortunately, alt rushing attempt lines are even less easy to find.
That being said, while -135 is a price we'd normally pass on, it doesn't take away the appeal in this case. In addition to logging 68 carries in just five games in 2024, including two with limited snaps, Brown averaged 15.6 totes in 2023, when he finished with 809 yards and 11 TDs on the ground.
NCSU RB H. Smothers Over 87.5 rushing yards
- ECU vs. NC State -- 7 p.m. on ACC Network
- Odds: (-114 at FD)
It would be an understatement to say that Hollywood Smothers -- who gashed ECU for 139 yards on 15 carries and another 42 yards and a TD when these teams met in last year's Military Bowl -- is expected to have a big night in Raleigh.
At DraftKings, Smothers was listed at -600 in the Anytime Touchdown market as of Thursday afternoon, and he was just -105 to score 2+ TDs.
Early last season, Smothers was quiet in limited work, with 40 rushing yards or fewer in five of his first six appearances. But he was outstanding in an increased role late in the year, with at least 6 yards per carry in four of his last five games.
In total, from November 2 through December 28, the speedster turned 56 carries into 414 yards (7.39 ypc) and five touchdowns. He also finished 2024 with an impressive 263 receiving yards and two TDs on just 19 catches (13.8 yards per catch).
There are a few ways to cash in -- assuming, of course, that the Pack feeds him in Week 1 and beyond -- but for tonight, let's take Smothers to pick up at least 88 rushing yards.
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