Well, Week 8 only has two ranked games, but the schedule is jam-packed with goodies! Starting at noon, Pitt goes to #1 Miami and #6 Indiana heads to the Big House as Michigan makes a quarterback change. My night will end with Houston and Utah as we board the gravy train. After going 12-5-1 over the last week, let's keep the winning ways going! Game odds only are courtesy of DraftKings. Here are my five best bets for Saturday of the Week 8 slate in College Football. Best of luck!
Pitt at #1 Miami (-20.5): O/U 48.5
Pitt is coming off two straight losses after losing quarterback Mason Heintschel for the season due to an ACL injury, which makes this a mountain to climb if the Panthers want to upset No. 1. Pitt turned to Holden Geriner against North Carolina but lost 21-17, then turned to Corey Dailey, who struggled against Boston College in a 27-21 loss. Dailey will get another shot against Miami, and I doubt Dailey or Geriner will find much success. Last season, Miami demolished Pitt 38-7, and that was with Heintschel at quarterback. I am not so confident it will be any better this time around.
Miami posted a season-low 14 first-half points last week against Florida State and had a wake-up call going into 2 OT. Miami was coming off a bye week prior to FSU, so rust could have played a factor in the Hurricanes' slow start. I don’t see it here. Miami knocked off the rust offensively in the second half against the Seminoles, and the Hurricanes will have film on both Pitt quarterbacks. I like a quick start for Miami and the Hurricanes to cover the first half -10.5 as the No. 1 in the country.
Pick: Miami 1H -10.5 (1 unit)
#6 Indiana (-7.5) at Michigan: O/U 42.5
Curt Cignetti is now 33-3 in his Indiana career, so we haven’t had many chances to bet this team off a loss; in fact, it’s only happened once. Indiana came off a loss to Ohio State in 2024 and beat Purdue 66-0 in the following game. The only other loss outside of last week was to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff, which ended Indiana’s season in 2024. Basically, this is the second time we get to bet Indiana coming off a loss. I will take it.
There are a lot of unknowns around Michigan’s Tommy Carr making his first career start against an Indiana team coming off a loss. Carr had 83 total yards and a rushing touchdown in the second half of the 21-18 win over Penn State. Coming out of the bye week to prepare a little more will help Carr, but it’s not a favorable opponent to begin with. Rutgers or Michigan State over the next two weeks will be better spots to back Michigan.
I played Indiana -6.5 (-138) and -7 (-115). After starting 1-6 ATS, this feels like where they could make a run covering games. I don't love the fact that this moved to -7.5, but I would still lean that way.
Pick: Indiana -6.5 (1 unit)
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Oregon (-10) at Illinois: O/U 49.5
The Oregon Ducks needed Dylan Raiola to come in and save the season with a fourth-quarter rally to beat his former Nebraska Cornhuskers team, 17-14. The Ducks are skating on thin ice as one loss knocks them out of playoff contention. Oregon has left the Pacific Time Zone once this season; a road game at Oklahoma State, so this will be the furthest Oregon has traveled.
Illinois enters this game with low expectations, especially since their starting quarterback Katin Houser is out for at least a month. The Illini turned to Michael Clayton II, and he completed 6-of-8 passes against Michigan State for two touchdowns and 88 yards over 18 plays. Illinois went on a bye week following the 38-37 OT win and had extra prep and practice for Clayton II. Oregon won't have much to work off on 18 plays of tape, which is why I like Illinois to catch Oregon sleeping in the first quarter and cover the +2.5. Oregon ranks 105th nationally in first-quarter points per game with 3.2. Illinois ranks 23rd with 8.2 first-quarter points per game and 8.0 at home.
Pick: Illinois 1Q +2.5 (1 unit)
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#11 Tennessee at South Carolina (-2.5): O/U 50.5
South Carolina has had some bad luck this season against Mississippi State and Kentucky, but I think that luck starts to turn around here. Tennessee's defense has been tremendous this season, but that can only carry this team so far. I am worried about the Vols' quarterback play and think that will be what does them in at South Carolina.
George MacIntyre has played the dink-and-dunk style of offense for Tennessee. He has one of the lowest ADOTs and deep ball passing rates in the country. I can't trust the Tennessee passing attack compared to LaNorris Sellers, whose a dual-threat and can combat this Vols' pass rush. The South Carolina rush defense held Florida to 120 yards and 3.2 yards per carry in their last game too. Dylan Stewart came back and looked great, plus South Carolina had a bye week to prep for DeSean Bishop and this white-hot Vols run game. I like the Gamecocks to win outright, and I'd go out to -3. It's not very often a ranked team as a road underdog. Take the home favorite.
Pick: South Carolina ML (1 unit)
#14 Houston at #10 Utah (-6.5): O/U 56.5
This is one of my favorite bets of the week and has been for a month now. Utah has allowed three total points in the first quarter all season (0.6 1Q PPG) and averages the second-most points per game in the first quarter (11.6) behind Ohio State. Simply put, the Utes have been a tank early in games.
Houston and Utah met once in conference play, and it was a 17-14 stinker in Houston. The Cougars haven’t played at Utah before, and it’s at altitude, late at night, and against a fast-starting team. I like Utah every way in this game, and I am hoping Houston becomes a public underdog this week. Houston has scored at least a touchdown in the first quarter of six out of seven games this season. I am fading that trend at Utah and going under Houston's first-quarter team total of 6.5 down to 3.5.
Pick: Houston 1Q Team Total Under 6.5 (1 unit)
Season Record: 41-30-1 +8.44 units
Week 0 Record: 1-2 -1.57 units
Week 1 Record: 6-4 +0.96 units
Week 2 Record: 4-5 -0.97 units
Week 3 Record: 8-1 +6.8 units
Week 4 Record: 7-7 -0.22 units
Week 5 Record: 3-6 -3.77 units
Week 6 Record: 5-2-1 +2.94 units
Week 7 Record: 7-3 +4.27 units
Week 8 Picks
1 unit: Indiana -6.5 (-138)
1 unit: Miami 1H -10.5 (-110)
1 unit: South Carolina ML (-128)
1 unit: Illinois 1Q +2.5 (+104)
1 unit: Houston 1Q Team Total Under 6.5 (-110)
Week 8 Articles
Week 8 Top 25 Rankings
Week 8 Heisman Rankings
#14 Houston vs #10 Utah Game Preview
Rutgers vs #24 Northwestern Game Preview
#16 USC vs Wisconsin Game Preview
#1 Miami vs Pitt Game Preview
#6 Indiana vs Michigan Game Preview
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