College Football Week 8 Odds, Picks & Predictions (2024)
Gear up for another awesome weekend of college football action with BettingPros! We’ll have you covered with all of our top picks for the week along with our projected spreads and totals to help guide your college football bets. Below are our top picks and predictions for Week 8’s college football games.
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Top College Football Odds & Picks: Week 8
UFC vs. Iowa State
The Cyclones are putting together what could be a very special season as they sit 6-0 and #9 in the country. They’ll host UCF on Saturday and it’s a Golden Knights team that has all kinds of questions at quarterback. Jacurri Brown started over KJ Jefferson against Cincinnati last week but the offense managed only 13 points for the second straight week. Regardless who is behind center, they’ll have their work cut out for them against Iowa State, one of the best defenses in the country. They rank 9th in defensive EPA per play and are especially strong against the pass. Offensively they’ve been strong, but they’ve only eclipsed 30 points twice this year and one was against a Sun Belt foe in Arkansas State. There has been a little bit of movement towards the over but Iowa State should be able to bottle up what UCF wants to do offensively. The Cyclones also seem quite content to ride their defense and score methodically. This game is setting up for an under play.
Pick: Under 50
-Ryan Rodeman
South Carolina vs. Oklahoma
Two offensively challenged teams meet in what could be an SEC clash. South Carolina is coming off giving Alabama quite the scare and will travel for the second consecutive week. Meanwhile, it’s fair to wonder how much motivation Oklahoma will have after losing in the Red River Rivalry to Texas in an embarrassing fashion. This is frankly a game I want no part of from a side perspective, as there are significant questions about both offenses. That being said, I do expect a low-scoring game. First team to 20 wins.
Pick: Under 41.5
-Matt Barbato
Nebraska vs. Indiana
Indiana has been one of the most pleasant surprise stories of this season. But now there are expectations, as the Hoosiers are near-touchdown home favorites against a Nebraska squad that could be undefeated if not for some meltdown moments at home against Illinois. I hate betting against Indiana coach Kurt Cignetti, but this line feels inflated, as this will clearly be the best defense Indiana has faced all year. Northwestern is the only Hoosiers opponent that ranks inside the top 70 in scoring defense. Meanwhile, Nebraska ranks seventh, allowing just over 11 points per game. Nebraska’s brand recently has been losing in heartbreaking fashion, and it wouldn’t stun me if the Cornhuskers found another way to lose a close game, but cover.
Pick: Nebraska +6.5
-Matt Barbato
Kansas State vs. West Virginia
This Big 12 matchup features two of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, Kansas State's Avery Johnson and West Virginia's Garret Greene. Johnson has been a little more productive, with 11 passing touchdowns to eight for Greene, despite throwing for over 100 fewer yards. But the deciding factor in this contest will be the running game. The Wildcats have the No. 8 running game in the country and the No. 2 run defense. WVU may slow the K-State run game down in the first half, but they'll wear down, and it will be all Kansas State in the second half.
Pick: Kansas State -3
-Travis Pulver
Auburn vs. Missouri
You look at Auburn's record, and you might think they're a terrible team, but one problem has hurt them in every loss: turnovers. Their 15 giveaways are the nation’s third-most, and they lost the turnover battle in three losses. Missouri's seven turnovers gained are about the nation's average, so they could keep them low. Mizzou had a week off since getting demolished by Texas A&M. Quarterback Brady Cook had trouble sustaining drives and was getting flushed out of the pocket all game, and he's not a mobile quarterback, so he can't take off and has accuracy problems on the run. Auburn's defense could certainly keep them in this game, and a couple of things could go their way they can grab an upset, but they will keep it within a field goal.
Pick: Auburn +4
-John Supowitz
Miami vs. Louisville
Miami has played games too close for comfort recently. That won against Virginia Tech on a controversial incomplete call and needed a 25-point comeback to beat Cal. Cam Ward is putting up Heisman numbers, as he's second in the country in passing yards (2,219) and leads in touchdowns (20). Louisville can also sling the ball as their 36.2 points per are 22nd. Tyler Shough can also throw the ball; his 1,674 passing yards are 18th. They also pick some close games but haven't been as lucky. This is a big total for a reason; both teams score quickly, and both defenses can give them up quickly.
Pick: Over 59.5
-John Supowitz
Alabama vs. Tennessee
This game could serve as an elimination game for the College Football Playoff, as a second loss could serve as a devastating blow to both Alabama and Tennessee. This game is also a tricky one to peg. When these teams both play at their best, the highs are extremely high. But there are dangerous downsides for both, as evidenced by Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt and Tennessee’s stinker against Arkansas. The Volunteers offense looks broken at the moment, the question is whether the Alabama defense can actually get stops against Josh Heupel’s unique spread offense. The Crimson Tide defense has shown vulnerability in recent weeks, whereas Jalen Milroe and company should be able to throw all over an unproven Tennesse secondary. I’d lean toward Alabama on the moneyline, but feel more comfortable with the over.
Pick: Over 57
-Matt Barbato
Michigan vs. Illinois
The last time we saw Michigan, they were again struggling to move the ball in the air. They went to a third quarterback when they called on Jack Tuttle, but the results were mostly the same. They’ll travel to Illinois to take on the Illini who are coming off of a tight game with Purdue. Illinois allowed 239 yards on the ground at nearly 7.5 yards per attempt. Their run defense ranks 78th in the country in EPA per play and that could be a big problem against a Michigan team that wants to run the ball. Although they struggle mightily to throw the ball, they’re one of the elite running teams in the country. There will be plenty of opportunities later in the season to fade the defending national champs as their schedule gets even more difficult, but this is a good matchup for the Wolverines and they should cover.
Pick: Michigan -3.5
-Ryan Rodeman
USC vs. Maryland
The USC Trojans are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions at home, 33-30 in overtime. Now, USC will travel to College Park, Maryland, for a showdown against the Maryland Terrapins. Maryland is 3-3 and has lost two consecutive games to Indiana and Northwestern. The offense has been lackluster, and the defense has been atrocious. The biggest issue with Maryland is its tackling. Meanwhile, the secondary is also a bit inconsistent. Yet, I still think Maryland's pass rush can get to Miller Moss, create third-and-long situations, and get off the field. Both teams really don't have great offensive lines, but Maryland’s defensive line can take better advantage. Give me Maryland +7.5 at home.
Pick: Maryland +7.5
-Jason Radowitz
LSU vs. Arkansas
LSU hopes to make it six in a row this week after winning a hard one last week against Ole Miss in OT, 29-26. Arkansas comes into the game well-rested (and rusty?), having been off for the last two weeks after upsetting Tennessee 19-14. The Tigers will look to use their stellar offensive line to give Garret Nussmeier all day long to throw against the Razorbacks 68th ranked pass defense. A mediocre LSU defense will be put to the test against a capable Arkansas offense. LSU will not get much of a ground game going and will need to score whenever the chance arises (because they will only get a few). The Razorbacks will try to play keep away with long drives involving the run and pass games. While LSU has the better quarterback, Arkansas has the better all-around team.
Pick: Arkansas ML (+115)
-Travis Pulver
Georgia vs. Texas
The premiere game of the weekend will take place in Austin as two top-5 teams clash. Texas has breezed through its schedule so far with an elite offense and a defense to match. Whether it has been Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning at quarterback, Texas has scored 43.2 PPG while surrendering only 6.3 PPG. They’ll take on their toughest for yet in perennial powerhouse Georgia. However, even with a 5-1 record, they haven’t looked as dominant as in years past. They’ve seemed to play down to their opponents with a narrow escape over Kentucky and played with their food a bit last week against Mississippi State. This is also a team that erased a 28-0 deficit to Alabama and led with just over two minutes left. Texas really hasn’t been battle-tested like this. These are two elite teams who could very well meet in both the SEC Championship and the CFP. This may be one of the few times you’ll get Georgia as an underdog and I’m not passing up the chance to play them.
Pick: Georgia +5
-Ryan Rodeman
Iowa vs. Michigan State
Iowa hits the road for East Lansing, looking to build on a stunning 40-16 victory over Washington last time out. It isn’t so much that the Hawkeyes beat the Huskies, but how it was done. Iowa had 220 rushing yards, while posting a plus-2 in the turnover differential. RB Kaleb Johnson was the difference maker, rolling up 166 yards and two touchdowns, as his amazing season continues. Iowa has cashed the Over in five of six games this season, but Michigan State has cashed low in five of six outings. The offense for Sparty is a disaster, which is something we said about the Hawkeyes last season. This year, Iowa is a ball of fire, and the books are slowly starting to adjust to Iowa’s newfound success on offense. It starts with Johnson, as this Iowa team ranks 13th in the nation with 222.5 rushing yards per contest. The defense is still there, allowing just 96.3 yards per game on the ground. Freshman QB Aidan Chiles and the Spartans will have a hard time figuring it out against the Hawkeyes, even at home.
Pick: Iowa -6
-Daniel Dobish
TCU vs. Utah
We've seen the last of Cam Rising in a college uniform. Rising is out with another season-ending injury. It's now up to Isaac Wilson to keep the Utah Utes afloat after back-to-back losses to Arizona and Arizona State. Zach Wilson's brother has thrown six touchdowns but seven interceptions on 122 passing attempts this season. Ultimately, Utah scored 29 points in the previous two games and hasn't added more than 22 points in three consecutive games. The defense can only do so much, especially when the interceptions keep piling up with the offense. That said, TCU hasn't been much better. The Horned Frogs have lost three of their last four games and even allowed 66 points to SMU a few weeks back. Still, TCU's Josh Hoover should be the x-factor in this game. He's 18th in QBR and has 16 passing touchdowns with over 2,000 passing yards. Typically, the team with the better quarterback wins. I'll grab TCU on the road at +4.5.
Pick: TCU +3.5
-Jason Radowitz