It’s Week 8 of the college football season, at or near the halfway mark for a lot of teams. Before the season, not many people would have thought LSU and Vanderbilt would be a marquee battle between ranked SEC teams, but here we are. That is the highlight of the early window at noon ET on Saturday.
At 3:30 p.m. ET, Ole Miss and Georgia clash in a top-10 battle, while the late window features Tennessee-Alabama and USC-Notre Dame doing battle. The Utah-BYU game at 8:00 p.m. ET is also a ranked battle in the “Holy War” game in Provo. There won’t be a lot of West Coast “after dark” games of interest, but that’s about the only bummer. The weekend has another action-packed slate.
We’ll cobble together a handful of parlay possibilities and a teaser play, as we look to build our bankroll for the second half, the bowl season and the holidays. Let’s build our bankroll with our best college football parlays & picks.
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Saturday’s Best College Football Parlays & Picks
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
The Central Michigan Chippewas (3-3, 1-1 MAC) and the Bowling Green Falcons (3-3, 1-1 MAC) meet at Doyt L. Perry Stadium in Bowling Green in a key Mid-American Conference (MAC) game. At this juncture, especially with bowl hopes, the difference between 3-4 and 4-3 is quite large.
Bowling Green has dominated this series lately, winning three of the past four meetings since November 10th, 2018, and four of five meetings overall since 2010. The under is 5-2 in the past seven meetings, although the over is 2-1 in the past three in the series.
These teams met last season on November 5th, 2024, with Bowling Green posting a 23-13 win in Mount Pleasant, although Central Michigan picked up the cover as a 16-point underdog as the under (48.5) cashed.
Central Michigan is coming off a head-scratching 28-22 loss at Akron as 7.5-point favorites, as the over (46.5) cashed. On the road, the Chippewas haven’t fired up, losing three in a row, while going 0-3 against the spread (ATS). The over is 4-1 in the past five games for the Chippewas, too, including three straight over results on the road.
For the Falcons, they’re coming off an emotional 28-23 win over rival Toledo last weekend as an 11.5-point underdog at home. The over (45.5) cashed in that one, while going 3-0 in the past three games, and 4-1 in the past five outings. Bowling Green is 4-1 ATS in the past five games, too, including 2-0 ATS in two games against FBS opponents at home.
Let’s go with Bowling Green laying the points, as it looks to build off of last week’s big win. Plus, Central Michigan can’t be trusted after losing to lowly Akron. And, we’ll go high on the total, based on recent trends, as well as series trends.
Picks: Bowling Green -3.5 (-110) & Over 43.5 Points (-110)
Sticking in the MAC, the Northern Illinois Huskies (1-5, 0-2 MAC) and Ohio Bobcats (3-3, 1-1 MAC) meet at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Northern Illinois has really struggled on offense this season, scoring 19 or fewer points in all six games, including a 6-3 loss at home to San Diego State on September 27th. In addition, they’ve managed 14 or fewer points in five games against FBS opponents, or an average of just 9.2 points per game (PPG), while losing three of the past five games by 11+ points. The Huskies are also 0-4 ATS in the past four outings, and the under is 5-1 in six games this season, including 4-1 versus FBS foes.
Ohio is coming off a shocking 20-14 loss at Ball State, losing outright as a 14.5-point favorite, and the Bobcats are now 1-2 ATS in the past three games, while the under is 3-1 in the past four games against FBS opponents.
The best bet in this game is going low on the total. Ohio has scored 17 or fewer points in three of the past four games against FBS opponents, although two of the teams it faced were Power 4 teams, West Virginia and Ohio State. Still, covering the 11.5 shouldn’t be difficult for the Bobcats at home. Northern Illinois just cannot score.
The high-flying Texas A&M Aggies (6-0, 3-0 SEC) and the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4, 0-2 SEC) meet at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, AR., on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The biggest key here is the weather, and if the forecast holds up. At the time of kickoff, heavy thunderstorms are in the forecast, as a powerful cold front from the southwest to the Midwest sweeps through the country this weekend, impacting games all over. If you’re making bets this weekend, it’s a good idea to double-check the weather forecast first. Don’t overlook or discount the weather.
For Fayetteville, there is an 80% chance of heavy thunderstorms at 3:00 p.m. local time, with 11-14 miles per hour (MPH) winds and temperatures in the mid-60s. There will be a steady shield of rain throughout the first half, but the showers start to taper off to a 25% chance of precipitation by the end of regulation.
Texas A&M is 6-for-6 so far, while going 3-1 ATS in the past four games. The under is 2-1 in the past three games, as the defense has allowed just 12 PPG in the past three games in home victories over Auburn, Mississippi State and Florida.
Arkansas put up a great fight against Tennessee last time out, falling 34-31, cashing its first game in the past four outings. The under actually still cashed against the Volunteers, halting a four-game over streak. Arkansas has terrible defense, allowing 32+ points in four straight outings, while going for 31+ points in five out of six games this season. However, the weather should really slow the Hogs’ offense to a crawl. Let’s take Arkansas plus the points and go low on the total.
The Panthers (1-5, 0-2 Sun Belt) head south to Streetsboro to face the Eagles (2-4, 0-2 Sun Belt) in a Sun Belt Conference matchup, as both teams look for their first league win of the season.
Georgia State was paddled 41-20 at home as a 3-point underdog last week, dropping a third consecutive game. The Panthers have cashed the under in three of the past five games, and it has scored 21 or fewer points in five out of six games overall. The run game has really been a problem for Georgia State, posting just 88.2 rushing yards per game to rank 130th, while scoring 18 PPG to check in 123rd. In total yards, the Panthers are good for just 333.2 yards per game, too, ranking 109th. The Panthers are dismal on offense, allowing 455.5 total yards (130th), 248.2 passing yards, 207.3 rushing yards (128th) and 41.2 points (135th) per game.
Georgia Southern has rolled up 35+ points in three of the past four games, while allowing at least 34 points in five out of six games. Legendary coach Erk Russell is rolling in his grave due to this awful defensive effort by the Eagles. The Eagles allow 471 total yards (133rd), 249.5 rushing yards (136th) and 37.5 points (131st) per game. It’s actually shocking that the total installed by the sportsbooks isn’t close to pushing 70. Take advantage.
The favorite is 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings, including 5-1 ATS in the past six when favored by seven or fewer points. As such, let’s back the Eagles laying the points, too.
Best Same-Game Parlay
Parlay Odds: +237
