Week 1 of the college football season is filled with likely blowouts, but there are a few excellent games on tap that give us great targets for choosing some touchdown scorer props.
I’m picking James Peoples to get on the board as the primary running back for the Ohio State Buckeyes, while Chris Brazzell II and Caden Durham should also make an early impression for their teams with playoff aspirations.
Let’s dive into my college football anytime touchdown picks bets with my free college football picks for Week 1.
College football anytime touchdown picks for Week 1
James Peoples (
Chris Brazzell II (
Caden Durham (Prop bet #1: James Peoples anytime TD
With TreyVeon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins off to the NFL, it’s next man up for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Unsurprisingly, Ohio State has plenty of talent to replace them, bringing in senior transfer CJ Donaldson to support sophomore back James Peoples.
Peoples only had limited reps as a freshman, running the ball 49 times for 197 yards and catching just one pass. That led to two touchdowns for the first-year player, but the 2024 season was more about preparing Peoples for the starting role he was expected to grow into.
All signs out of Ohio State are that Peoples is ready for his new role, and as always, he’ll be able to benefit from an elite offensive line on one of the deepest and most talented rosters in all of college football. Even with a tough opener against the Texas Longhorns, I’m expecting Peoples to open his season with a score on Saturday.
Prop bet #2: Chris Brazzell II anytime TD
Chris Brazzell made headlines for all the wrong reasons earlier this month, as the Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver was arrested for driving with a suspended license. But with that case quickly resolved, Brazzell has been back at practice full time and should find himself at the center of a relatively thin wide receiver room.
Quarterback Joey Aguilar transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA to Tennessee during the offseason, and while expectations are relatively high after he threw for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Mountaineers last year, he’s still learning the offense and will want to lean on veteran receivers.
Brazzell is the closest thing to a veteran he’ll have, having caught 29 balls for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns in his sophomore year. The Syracuse Orange are questionable in the secondary, and Tennessee should look to attack them deep, giving Brazzel an opportunity to score for the Volunteers in their opener.
Prop bet #3: Caden Durham anytime TD
The LSU Tigers start their season with a tough Top 10 matchup against the Clemson Tigers in a game that should be tight until the final whistle. But if LSU can count on anyone to deliver in their opener, it’s sophomore running back Caden Durham.
Even with toe injuries limiting him somewhat towards the end of the season, Durham was able to rack up 753 yards on the ground while averaging 5.4 yards per carry and scoring eight total touchdowns in his freshman year. There aren’t many running backs at major programs who come back this season with anything like that kind of pedigree, and Durham should only see his usage increase in 2025.
Clemson expects its defense to be significantly improved this season, but it did struggle a bit against the run last year, and LSU seems committed to pounding the ball down the throat of its opponents. Even at a minus number, Durham is a great bet to hit the endzone in this game.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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