College Football Picks: CFB Week 8 Odds, Picks, Predictions and Best Bets

Written by

Chris Bennett

Jeff Edgerton

Greg Vara

Published on October 17, 2024

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Chris' Picks

What a wild Week 7! UNC again took a loss from the jaws of defeat, BYU and Vandy coasted, but Ohio blew a 24-0 lead and failed to cover. Ultimately, it was a winning week that finally got me back to .500. It's just been a weird year with these picks: no momentum, no hot streak, and a ton of lucky wins and bad beats.

Missouri (-4) vs. Auburn

I liked this Sunday night at (-6.5), and I'm shocked it's fallen, so all systems go. Auburn has played one road game all year and scored 13 points. They've been held to 21 or less in all three SEC games they've played while allowing 27.3 ppg. That math adds up for me. Missouri hasn't been elite, but the Tigers from Columbia still have conference championship and playoff dreams. I don't love their body of work, but I "love" Auburn's less.

Connecticut (-2) vs. Wake Forest

This line has danced all week, and if it rises, just play the moneyline below any (-130) odds. The Huskies are off a bye and won three straight prior by a combined 87 points. The off week allows them to focus on Wake's funky mesh offense. The Deacons can't stop the run (105th, 117.8 ypg) and that's UConn's strength (15th, 220.3 ypg). The inverse is similar as UConn is elite against the pass, where Wake thrives. It's just a bad statistical matchup, and Wake just played Clemson. That physical beating carries over.

Nebraska (+6.5) at Indiana

I admittedly don't feel supremely confident in this, as we've seen how explosive Indiana's offense can be. But I see two things that have me cautiously backing the Huskers. First, I believe they're the best defense Indiana has seen, and the stats confirm that. Second, the line has risen rapidly, opening at (-3.5). Now the question becomes, can the Huskers score enough to keep it competitive? I have doubts, but give me this inflated number, and we'll see what happens.

Over 59.5 Miami Miami at Louisville

Miami leads the nation in scoring at 47.7 ppg. Their season-low is 38 and coming off a bye, how on earth do we expect them to fail? Louisville is allowing 7.2 ypa through the air and has really labored over the last three weeks, losing to SMU and Notre Dame while narrowly beating Virginia. Miami won't struggle to score. And in the same vein, the Hurricanes have allowed 72 points across their last two games. I'm confident Miami scores, the popular opinion is that Louisville pulls an upset, which requires them to score. This number should coast over.

Iowa (-5) at Michigan State

Consider me completely unimpressed with Michigan State on both sides of the ball. They've topped 19 points twice in six games, have lost three games and allowed 68 points in their last two. Yes, that came against Ohio State and Oregon, and I'm not confusing the Hawkeyes offense with those, but the Spartans allowed 398 rushing yards combined in those two. Not many have slowed Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson this season, and I am betting Michigan State won't either. And Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles has tossed eight INTs. He'll make a mistake and allow Iowa to stretch this out.

Last week: 3-2; Season: 17-17-1

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Greg's Picks

As I get ready to write this article each week, my level of excitement is directly proportional to how I did the previous week, and once again, this week, I'm fairly excited to find my five games. That, or course, is due to the fact that I went 2-3 once again this past week, but unlike some other 2-3 weeks, this one was a little frustrating. I'll explain…

The frustrating part actually happened on Friday, with my first pick of UNLV -19.5 over Utah State. UNLV was up 34 at the half, so right there, that's enough to be upset as the Rebels were in complete control and up on the spread by over two TDs, but as we all know, the backdoor is always unlocked, and unfortunately, Utah State walked through with 1:18 on the clock. I recovered well from that loss, however, with an easy winner on Purdue, which took Illinois to OT as a 22-point dog. That was followed by another easy win on Texas. A bad loss on Tennessee followed, bad as in, what was I thinking, Tennessee has nothing to offer right now and then we wrapped it up with Ohio State, which was in position to cover several times in the 2nd half, but couldn't get a stop when needed.

Purdue (+28.5) vs. Oregon

It wasn't easy recommending Purdue this past week, and it's not easy in this spot either, but I think it's the right play. Purdue is coming off a tough loss in OT at Illinois, but I think that game will provide some confidence for a team that really needed it after a tough start to the season. Oregon, meanwhile, is coming off a season-defining win, one that might still be on the minds of the players as they get ready to travel to West Lafayette on Friday. I'm sure the Ducks are saying all the right things about being ready for this game, but let's be real. They are coming off what might be the game of the season and facing a 1-5 Purdue team. I'm sure they'll win, but I can see the Ducks sleepwalking through the first half, and now that Purdue found some offense, I think the Boilermakers can hang for long enough to stay within this number.

BYU (-9) vs. Oklahoma State

Expectations for these two teams entering the season might have been fairly similar, but they've gone on completely different paths over the past two months. BYU has met every challenge and looked good in doing so, while OSU looks completely lost. What was the Cowboys' calling card this past season, their running game, is now a glaring weakness, and there's no passing game to make up for it anymore. And let's not get into the defense; there is no defense! BYU is good enough on offense to take advantage of a porous OSU defense, and the Cougars defense is top-50 against the run and pass, leaving the Cowboys with no angle of attack.

Over 59.5 Miami at Louisville

This line seems a bit low. Perhaps it's due to Louisville's 24-20 win this past week, but other than that, I'm struggling to see why this line isn't in the mid-60s. Miami has done well at not surrendering a lot of yards this season, but their past two games have seen them surrender 34 points to Virginia Tech (not a great offense) and 38 to Cal (not a great offense). Now the 'Canes face Louisville, and while I wouldn't say the Cardinals have a great offense, it's probably better than anything Miami has seen in the past two weeks. As for the other side of the ball, Miami ranks 1st in pass yards per game and Louisville is 70th against the pass, so we know how that's going to end up.

Under 51 Indiana vs. Nebraska

I like this Hoosier team. They're fun to watch, and they've yet to lose this season. With that said, they haven't played anything remotely resembling a good college football team. Nebraska's shine has worn off a bit since its fast start, but the 'Huskers have proved to be pesky against good competition, and that's what I'm expecting in this spot. Indiana might very well be an offensive juggernaut, but I have a feeling the Hoosiers are going to struggle a bit in this game, at least early on, getting accustomed to a real defense. Meanwhile, the Hoosier defense has been strong all season and should be able to slow a meandering 'Husker offense. Nebraska's highest scoring total this season was against Illinois, where it took OT to reach 55 points. Other than that, no game has cracked 50 points, and four of their games have gone under 40 points.

Alabama (-3) at Tennessee

Maybe Tennessee has been looking ahead to this game for the past two weeks, and that's why the Vols have looked terrible, or maybe they just aren't that good. Tennessee built a reputation as a national title contender by blowing out some bad teams and beating Oklahoma, a team that has proved to be fraudulent over the past month. QB Nico Iamaleava looked great in the first month of the season, but he's been terrible over the past two weeks, and I don't see how facing Alabama is going to turn his fortunes around. Alabama has not looked like a powerhouse this season outside of the Georgia game, but the 'Tide know that another loss could end their national title hopes, and I don't see them slipping up here.

Last Week: 2-3-0; Season 16-19-0

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Jeff's Picks

Well, the good vibes had to end sometime. After going 8-2 over the past two weeks, I limped over the finish line 2-3 this week after Colorado covered. A bunch of near misses thwarted my chances at a profitable week. I still think that cross-country travel is an edge we need to hammer in the new conference landscape, but I don't like any that are offered this week. Instead, I will revisit one bet from last week and place some coins on the Armed Services.

Clemson 1H -11.5 vs. Virginia

I am going right back to the well with a first-half bet for the Tigers. Although I think the straight spread is more palatable than last week's Wake line, but there's little doubt in my mind that Dabo Swinney will rest his starters if the game gets out of hand. The team has a challenging three-week stretch that includes road games against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh, and there's reason to play Klubnik and company too much. I'll buy into the two-touchdown lead as they enter the locker room.

Texas (-4.5) vs. Georgia

This line was -3.5 yesterday, and I'm already seeing it at -5.5 in some sportsbooks. We'll lock this in at 4.5 before it goes any further. If you're reading this later in the week and the line is upwards of 7, I'd perhaps think twice, but it seems foolish to fade a team that gets the job done week after week, especially at home. There's no question that the Bulldogs know how to put points on the board, but there are enough blips on the radar to beg the question - which version of the Bulldogs will we see? The Longhorns can simply wear you down with a withering defense that will be the toughest Georgia has faced, and although some teams have had success containing Texas' offense for a little while, their ability to put on the gas in the second half is almost unparalleled. Texas should be able to win this by a touchdown and possibly more.

Army (-16) vs. East Carolina

After watching Charlotte have their way against ECU last week, I find it difficult to see a way for the Pirates to cover here. Army and Navy are both ranked for the first time in 60 years, and both are deserving. Army has outscored opponents 229-59 so far this year, and I think this line is entirely too narrow when you consider how the Black Knights are playing. This game should end with a three-touchdown advantage.

Over 59.5 Miami Miami @ Louisville

Both teams have had their share of sloppy performances, but Cam Ward and Tyler Shough are both dynamic and experienced quarterbacks who can generate a lot of points. Since neither defense is especially strong against the pass, I'm compelled to take the over here. I'm not worried about Miami, but I am slightly concerned about Louisville holding up its end of the bargain. Still, Miami's defense is underperforming, and if there's a spot where Shough can shine, it's here at home.

Iowa (-5.0) @ Michigan State

There were several games I wanted to go with (Navy and SMU are examples), but when I saw the spread for this game, I pivoted. For starters, Iowa's defense is strong enough to hold the Spartans to zero points. Michigan State's offensive line can't keep Aidan Chiles upright, and it'll continue to be a nagging problem against the Hawkeyes. If Michigan State can't run the ball, Chiles will be forced to throw at a defense that's logged seven interceptions through six games. I also highly doubt Michigan State's ability to contain Kaleb Johnson, who should be able to run all over a rush defense that's ranked 69th nationally. As I said, other spots were compelling, but this bet could be the crown jewel of a successful week.

Last Week: 2-3-0

Season: 18-17-0

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