College Football Betting: Week 8 Best Picks and Advice

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    Ben Wittenstein: Oregon -19.5 over Washington State.

    Oregon is coming off a tough loss in their biggest game of the year. The conversation all week has now been “can a one-loss Oregon still compete for a College Football Playoff spot?”

    If they want to have a shot, they need to start beating up on teams again. I think we’re going to see the Oregon of earlier in the year, which is a team that scores a lot and gives up a little. They have one of the best offenses in the country and some veteran players on both lines of the ball. Washington State comes in sliding a bit having lost their last two, and now they have to go on the road to play a mad Ducks team. I’ll take Oregon to win big.

    Nate Jacobson: Under 45.5 in Penn State vs. Ohio State.

    I have already bet Penn State +4.5, the full game under and first half under in this game. As the week has gone on, my favorite bet from that bunch is full game under. I like both team’s defenses more than their offenses. Penn State has a highly-touted QB in Drew Allar, but the 19-year-old sophomore will have his first big test against an Ohio State defense that has taken a leap under second-year DC Jim Knowles.

    Penn State has a very good defense of their own and I’m not sold on Ohio State QB Kyle McCord. The Buckeyes are also dealing with injuries on their offense to WR Emeka Egbuka, RB TreVeyon Henderson and RB Miyan Williams. Maybe those players will return, but I doubt they’ll be fully healthy for what should be a physical Big Ten game. Mix in wind gusts up to 25 MPH in Columbus on Saturday afternoon and everything points to a low-scoring game.

    Colby Marchio: Arizona State +27.5 over Washington.

    How could I not? The code has yet to let me down. After last week’s win over the Oregon Ducks, the Washington faithful stormed the field, along with Huskies star QB Michael Penix Jr. crying. Automatic fade. Arizona State is awful, but they have enough defensively to keep the game within the number in a letdown spot for Washington.

    BW: Under 48.5 in Tennessee vs. Alabama.

    How much can we trust both these teams’ offenses? Not a lot in my opinion. Vols QB Joe Milton has been as inconsistent as they come, and he’ll face an Alabama defense that has come into form since their loss to Texas — they haven’t given up more than 21 points since that game.

    On the flip side, Jalen Milroe hasn’t inspired much more confidence with his play and the lack of blocking on his offensive line. The Vols have a good defense this year, ranking 13th in opponent yards per play. Alabama should struggle a bit to move the ball. We have two shaky offenses going against two above average defenses. I’ll take under!

    NJ: Minnesota +3.5 over Iowa.

    This is a bet against Iowa’s offense in a game with a total of 31, which would be the lowest total in college football history. Iowa has completed 12 passes over the last two games with new starting QB Deacon Hill, but they found a way to win against both Purdue and Wisconsin. They lost one of their few good offensive weapons in TE Erick All last week, which is a meaningful loss for a Hawkeyes offense that relies on tight ends.

    Minnesota has had a disappointing season, but they are coming in fresh off a bye while Iowa is playing for the eighth straight week. With a total this low, I wouldn’t be surprised if Iowa won by one or two points, so take the points with the Golden Gophers.

    CM: Over 62.5 in Colorado State vs. UNLV.

    This matchup is sickening. Both teams are a combined 9-3 to the over this season. They have excellent offenses. However, the beauty of this bet is their horrific defenses. UNLV happens to be a very good team on the ground, while Colorado State is awful against the run. Colorado State is great through the air, while UNLV can’t defend the pass. Take the over.

    BW: Penn State ML +165 over Ohio State.

    Yep, I’m doing it. I have to. Not only because of my hatred for Ohio State, but because this is THE Penn State team that was promised.

    When James Franklin arrived in Happy Valley, this is the team he dreamed of having. A top-five defense to go along with a top-tier QB and the ability to dominate in the trenches. This team is the peak of the Franklin tenure and this is the matchup he’s been waiting to have. With improved line play that might even be better than the Buckeyes’, I’m taking the Nittany Lions to get the job done on the road.

    NJ: Auburn ML +220 over Ole Miss.

    I have unsuccessfully picked against Ole Miss a couple times this season, but I’m going to try it again. I don’t believe the Rebels are as good as their record indicates and a road game at Auburn is always a tough environment.

    This is a huge game for Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze, who most notably was Ole Miss’ head coach from 2012-16 before committing NCAA violations. Freeze has had trouble getting his offense going with the two-QB system of Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford, but Auburn took Georgia down to the wire in their last home game. Auburn’s blowout loss at LSU last week creates an inflated point spread and moneyline price for this one. I like the Tigers to show up at night.

    CM: Penn State ML +165 over Ohio State.

    In a game where we have so many questions about who is legit and who is not, I will be riding with the underdog. This could easily be James Franklin’s best team yet.

    In his time at Penn State, Franklin is a combined 4-14 against Ohio State and Michigan, including a 1-8 record against the Buckeyes. Saturday will be the perfect time to make a statement that this is a legit Nittany Lions squad — especially with a defense that is ranked highly in several defensive metrics. I love Penn State here.

    Ben, Nate and Colby will discuss all of their college football and NFL bets on Stadium Bets. Check out the new show across Stadium’s OTT and OTA channels. Also subscribe on Spotify and Apple for podcast episodes and follow Stadium Bets on Twitter for more sports betting content.

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