College Football Predictions & Best Bets for Week 8

College football is now past its halfway point, with high-stakes showdowns now appearing virtually every week. 

Last week, the college football betting world orbited around Seattle. This week, bettors will finally get a key result in the Big Ten – Penn State vs. Ohio State – that will directly shape the College Football Playoff field. 

Today – as I do every Wednesday throughout the college football regular season – I’ve put together a handful of my favorite college football betting predictions for you to consider this weekend. 

College Football Best Bets: Week 8 Predictions

After I’ve handicapped the whole board each week, I will publish my best plays from the wider canon of college football odds. 

I’ll provide a short explanation of why I like each college football bet, so you don’t have to go on faith alone. 

If you prefer an audio version of this weekly article, you can always subscribe to The Lion’s Edge, my weekly handicapping podcast for BetMGM. 

Boston College at Georgia Tech Spread Prediction

Georgia Tech is so disrespected in the spread markets. It’s true the Yellow Jackets aren’t going to be mistaken for an ACC power anytime soon, but they’ve been really competitive since Brent Key took over in the middle of last season. They routinely score upset victories over “better” teams.

Laying advantage with Tech is not something I do very often, but almost every data point from the last 12 months says that this Georgia Tech team should beat this Boston College team. The only question left is whether or not you’re willing to give north of a field goal. Personally, I am. 

Best Bet: Georgia Tech -4.5

Penn State at Ohio State Spread Prediction

This is the big game of the weekend, and both teams bring plenty of baggage and reasons for doubt. 

Let’s start with the Nittany Lions. Am I supposed to be impressed by wins over UMass, Illinois, Delaware, and Northwestern? Penn State has looked dominant and balanced throughout the year, but its two best wins (West Virginia and Iowa) are against teams that are obviously limited. And I say that as a big WVU fan.

Penn State has also lost six straight games to Ohio State and hasn’t won in Columbus since 2011. 

But Ohio State hasn’t necessarily looked the part of a CFP juggernaut, either. For one thing, the Buckeyes are probably 5-1 (instead of 6-0) if Notre Dame runs 11 guys onto the field for the last play of the game. And if you take away their only ranked win, that leaves a team that’s been inconsistent against the dregs of the Big Ten. 

Ohio State convincingly blew out Western Kentucky and Purdue; it also struggled to separate against Indiana and Maryland. Its rushing offense ranks 92nd in FBS. 

There are reasons to doubt both teams here, which means this game has potential for high variance. My gut tells me to take the points with Penn State. An outright win for the Nittany Lions is certainly possible, but a more likely scenario is a close game with high stakes where points are valuable. 

Lean: Penn State +4.5

Utah at USC Spread Prediction

Is my memory going, or did USC just get blasted by a super physical, run-oriented team last Saturday?

The market is having a hard time accepting that Caleb Williams’ quarterback brilliance is greatly tempered by his team’s utter inability to play effective defense. Much like last year’s Pac-12 Championship Game, Utah is going to line up and pound a soft Trojans defense. 

A full touchdown is valuable in any game. In this game, I’m a little shocked Utah is being extended this much advantage. I think the Utes are likely to win the game outright.

Best Bet: Utah +7; Utah +200

Washington State at Oregon Spread Prediction

It’s easy to see this as a bounce-back spot for Oregon after the close loss at Washington last week, and I suppose that’s true. But this spot is just as much about Washington State as it is about Oregon. 

Washington State played an abysmal game last week in which it lost at home to Arizona 44-6. The offense looked completely discombobulated. The defense allowed the Wildcats to score more points last week than it had the previous week against USC in a triple-overtime game.

No team is ever as bad as its worst game, so there is some trepidation in going against Washington State here at such a steep price. But Oregon is arguably the most complete team in the Pac-12, and it’s going to be looking for a big win to clear out the bad taste in its mouth from last week. If Washington State remains a mess, this score will be very one-sided.

Best Bet: Oregon -20

Georgia State at Louisiana Total Prediction

This is a number I picked up on after writing my early-week update for my college football odds report. 

The market hammered the over in this game, which opened in the high 50s, because both Georgia State and Louisiana score 30 apiece in just about every game. 

Since neither defense is likely to shine in this game, there’s little reason to forecast a change in the status quo. This number should be in the mid-60s. 

Best Bet: Georgia State/Louisiana Over 62.5

Best College Football Parlay This Week

One college football parlay to consider for Week 8 is:

• Georgia Southern -750
• Missouri -275
• Florida State -600

That’s a three-leg parlay for -125. Make sure to check out my 2Kparlay, too!

College Football Picks Against the Spread

If you like this sort of content, I’d recommend checking out my podcast, The Lion’s Edge, which I host on behalf of our content team here at BetMGM.

Every week, I highlight college football predictions, odds, and betting opportunities that I think are ripe for advantage bettors, like me. 

I also bring on expert guests from both inside and outside of the sportsbook, so you can learn a little bit more about key topics in online sports betting.

Check it out and subscribe on the podcast player of your choice. You can also listen to some of the most recent episodes in the podcast player below.