College Football Betting Predictions: Top 3 Group of 5 Wagers for the Year 2025

UB Football Looks to Defend MAC Title with Returning Stars and New Talent

The University at Buffalo (UB) football team is gearing up for the 2025 season, with high hopes of defending their MAC title. Three offensive line starters from last year's squad are returning, providing a solid foundation for the Bulls' offense. However, the departure of superstar receiver Nick Nash in the offseason has left a void that the team is looking to fill. To address this, UB has added wide receivers from Purdue, Arizona, Cal, and Sacramento State.

Quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson, with past experience at Penn State, UConn, and Kansas State, is the new piece in UB's offense. Starting running back Al-Jay Henderson returns, having eclipsed 1,000 yards last season, and leading receiver Victor Snow and Nik McMillan, who was injured last season, will also return. The defense, led by first-team All-MAC linebacker Red Murdock, returns nine starters, including Marquis Cooper and Charles McCartherens as the top two cornerbacks, and Solomon Brown as a key safety. Kobe Stewart returns as a key edge rusher, and the defense ranked second in the MAC in tackles for loss last season.

UB's schedule is relatively easy, as they avoid certain tough opponents and get both Miami (OH) and Ohio at home. This could position the Bulls as the class of the MAC if the defense is elite and Roberson is decent at quarterback. However, the special teams could pose a problem.

UTSA Favored to Win American Athletic Conference

UTSA football team is favored to win The American conference with odds of +450. The team's offense ranked second in yards per game in The American conference in the previous season, and UTSA has signed former four-star recruit A'Marion Peterson from USC and former five-star John Emery Jr. from LSU to strengthen their running game. Quarterback Owen McCown returns, having thrown for 3,434 yards and 25 touchdowns in the previous season.

UTSA's top two receivers, top three tight ends, and four of the five starting offensive linemen from the previous season are returning. This offensive firepower, coupled with the team's strong defense, positions UTSA as a key favorite in The American. However, UTSA's defense has some concerns, particularly in defending the pass, as they lost a significant amount of talent to the portal and no full-time starters from last year's team are returning.

UTSA's schedule includes a potential tough start against Texas A&M and Texas State, followed by five straight winnable games before facing Tulane, East Carolina, and Army at home. Across the final seven games, Walker Eget, who took over as quarterback in Week 8, had a 2.1% Turnover Worthy Play (TWP) rate. This suggests that, if UTSA can navigate their tough early schedule, they could be in a strong position to win The American.

San Jose State Looks to Build on Successful First Year Under Ken Niumatalolo

San Jose State went 7-6 in their first year under Ken Niumatalolo. Floyd Chalk IV, the top running back from last season, returns, having racked up 721 yards and 10 touchdowns. The defense returns seven starters, including the entire front seven led by Jordan Pollard and Taniela Latu.

However, the secondary will need to be rebuilt, with Isiah Revis being a terrific safety but the rest of the secondary needing work. San Jose State's schedule is set up favorably, as they avoid certain tough opponents and play the projected bottom six teams in the conference. This could position San Jose State to win the Mountain West, but they will need to address their secondary concerns to do so.

These picks - UTSA to win The American, Buffalo Bulls to win the MAC, and San Jose State to win the Mountain West - are among the top Group of 5 futures bets noted by analysts as of late August 2025. Other strong Group of 5 contenders include Boise State (Mountain West favorite), Tulane (American), James Madison (Sun Belt), Toledo (MAC), and Liberty (Conference USA), who are assessments for the College Football Playoff’s final spot. However, the specific selections of UTSA, Buffalo, and San Jose State are favored due to their particular strengths in their conferences.