Friday night games are usually reserved for high school football, but we’ve seen the college game schedule matchups before the Saturday slate. Are there trends worth following? We’ve gone through the numbers and found a few angles that you’ll want to know before you place a wager on Friday night college football. Let’s get into it.
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College Football 2026: How do teams perform ATS in Friday night games?
What do home/away splits look like when betting Friday night college football
Home teams playing on Friday night in college football have a clear advantage straight up. Over the last five years, home teams playing on Friday nights have won outright 57.5% of the time, but they’ve only covered in 47.8% of Friday night games. This indicates that oddsmakers inflate lines for home teams. While taking favorites on Friday nights as a system play wouldn’t work, there are other angles worth considering. Additional trends to consider on Friday night college football are as follows:
- Road teams have only won in 42.5% of Friday night games in the last five years, but have covered in 52.5% of these games. Friday night isn’t a night for favorites.
- Road underdogs have only won outright in 31.8% of Friday night games over the past five years, but covered in 53.9% of games. Road underdogs have the advantage on Friday nights, even if it’s a slight one.
- Home underdogs have won outright in 41.0% of Friday night games over the past five years. However, they’ve covered in 54.2% of these games. Home dogs may not be live on Friday, but they do tend to cover.
Which college football teams have performed the best on Friday nights over the past five years?
Certain teams have performed better under Friday night lights than others. These are teams that bettors should look to ride, especially if they happen to catch points. Teams to ride with on Friday nights are as follows:
- Boise State
The Broncos are known for blue turf and unique scheduling. Boise State has often scheduled games on weeknights, including Friday nights. The Broncos are 8-2-1 ATS on Friday nights over the past five years. Sadly, this season is the first year since 2006 that Boise State doesn’t have a Friday night game. - Houston
The Cougars have played nine times on Friday night in the past five years, and they’re 7-2 over that stretch. Houston played three times on Friday night last year. They won all three games outright, but went 2-1 ATS. Houston gets two Friday night road games in 2026. They’ll play at Texas Tech on September 18th and head to Colorado on November 13th. The Cougars should be an underdog on September 18th, but will likely be a road favorite on November 13th. Look to ride with the Cougars in the first matchup and potentially fade in the second. - Utah
The Utah Utes are 7-3 ATS in the last five years on Friday nights. The challenge here is that the Utes posted that record under Kyle Whittingham, but have changed coaches for this year. Utah ends the year with a Friday night matchup against West Virginia. They could be a short home underdog or a short home favorite in this matchup. It’s hard to make a prediction this far out, but this is a game to circle on the calendar.
Which college football teams have performed the worst on Friday nights over the past five years?
In addition to the top-performing teams on Friday night college football, there are also teams that have struggled on Fridays. Trends to be aware of and teams to fade on Fridays include:
- Syracuse
Syracuse is 2-8 ATS in the last five years on Friday nights. The Orange played twice on Friday night last year. They won and covered against Colgate early in the year, and lost outright to North Carolina as a short home favorite late in the year. Syracuse doesn’t play on Friday night in 2026, but they do have a Friday night game. The Orange will travel to Pittsburgh on September 17th. The Orange will likely be a road underdog in this spot. Take a wait-and-see approach, but this could be a spot to consider Syracuse, especially if the line is inflated. - Colorado State
The Rams are 3-9 ATS in the last five years in Friday night games. Colorado State played three times on Friday night in 2025. They went 1-2 straight up and 1-2 ATS. They did win outright and cover as an underdog at home. The Rams have a new head coach and don’t play on Friday night this year. However, Colorado State does have a Thursday night road spot at Texas State off a bye week. The Rams will likely have a shorter line as an underdog due to the difference in rest. This could be a spot to ride with the home favorite. - Boston College
The Eagles are 3-8 ATS on Friday night games over the past five years. Boston College didn’t play on Friday night last year, but they will play Rutgers in Boston on Friday night this year. Rutgers won outright as a road underdog against Boston College last year. Rutgers will likely be a short favorite on the road. This could actually be a spot for Boston College to clip the Scarlet Knights. Watch the line and bet accordingly.
The College Football Experience
For more analysis of every college football game in the 2026-26 season, tune in to The College Football Experience. Colby Dant and Moneyline Mac talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college football picks every week!
