College Football Odds Week 1: Thursday’s Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State Quietly Landing Smart Money

College Football Odds Week 1: Thursday’s Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State Quietly Landing Smart Money article feature image
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Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders

Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State Odds

Central Michigan Odds+21.5
Oklahoma State Odds-21.5
Over/Under57.5
DateThursday, Sept. 1
Time7 p.m. ET
ChannelFS1

*Odds as of Thursday afternoon

Is comparing opening and closing lines an effective way to track college football odds movement?

If you're interested in summarizing how a line has moved, then sure.

But if you're trying to digest the specific factors influencing college football odds movement, then no.

Thursday's Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State is a perfect example of this.

The difference between opening and closing odds for this game isn't all that interesting.

On the other hand, if you dig into the line histories, it's clear that respected bettors are taking a market-moving position on this game. Unless you're willing to do the work, though, it's easy to miss.

Let me explain.

Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State Pick

The Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State over/under opened at 58 at DraftKings Sportsbook and now sits at, yup, 58.

Seems like a dud, doesn't it?

But if you pull back the college football betting curtain, there's one hell of a story to tell.