College football picks against the spread: How to bet Week 8’s biggest games

College football picks against the spread for the biggest Week 8 games, including the return of the Big Ten which features some juicy matchups.

It took basically two months of college football action, but the Big Ten is finally joining the fray. With them comes five newly ranked teams in Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, and Minnesota. Michigan and Minnesota start off their season in the conference’s first ranked matchup of the season. It’s one of four Top-25 matchups in a week that is beaming with competition. There may not be a season-defining matchup like last week’s Alabama Georgia game, but many of these games will set up the rest of the season.

The rest of the Top 25 changed drastically once again. Two Top-5 teams lost last week, sending them down the rankings. Adding an entire conference means a lot of teams towards the bottom are going to be pushed out. The competition for a spot on this list just got harder.

All lines come from the William Hill Sportsbook.

College football picks against the spread for Week 8

Georgia Southern vs. No. 25 Coastal Carolina (-5.5)

Coastal Carolina has been absolutely rolling this season. They went into Louisiana last week and took out the Rajin Cajuns, knocking them out of the Top 25 and replacing them in the process. Georgia Southern’s insane rushing attack will look to slow down Coastal Carolina. Only Army, Virginia Tech, and Air Force rush more per game (although the latter only has played one game). The Sun Belt conference continues to eat itself alive, as Georgia Southern seems to be slightly better at the things that make the Chanticleers great (better yards per play, better-expected points per play, better rush defense, etc.).

Pick: Georgia Southern (+5.5)

Florida Atlantic vs. No. 22 Marshall (-16.5)

This one is very easy. Florida Atlantic has been battered by cases of the coronavirus. In fact, they learned about more cases earlier this week, taking more talent off the field and putting important practices in jeopardy. The Owls have only been able to play one game this season. Marshall is scoring 37 points per game, so hitting this line should not be difficult for them. There are very low backdoor cover concerns, but with a program just trying to get to the game healthy, this is going to be a blowout.

Pick: Marshall (-16.5)

Kansas vs. No. 20 Kansas State (-19.5)

The Big 12 is having trouble keeping anyone ranked, with only three still sitting in the Top 25. Two face off in a matchup later on in this list. This one, however, should go about exactly as it shows on paper. Kansas’ defense showed moxy last week against an inconsistent West Virginia offense, but they could not score points. Kansas State has been making statements since they lost to Arkansas State in Week 1. This week will be no different against the worst team in the Big 12.

Pick: Kansas State (-19.5)

No. 19 Virginia Tech (-7.5) vs. Wake Forest

The Virginia Tech offense has been downright dangerous to start this season. Last week, they took out Boston College in a truly dominant fashion. Wake Forest isn’t a bad offense themselves, putting up 40 points on Virginia last week. A 75-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Walker and a fumble recovery on the ensuing kickoff changed the sequence of that game immediately. This game is going to come down to who makes a big play and takes advantage of the other’s mistakes. When it comes to unexpected plays, taking the points is always the smart play, especially when getting more than a touchdown.

Pick: Wake Forest (+7.5)

No. 18 Michigan (-2) vs. No. 21 Minnesota

This is a tale of two programs. Michigan has fallen below expectations since Jim Harbaugh came to save the program. Fun recruiting stories have been usurped by terrible losses on the field. Meanwhile, Minnesota was playing with house money under P.J. Fleck all last season.

The real wild card in this matchup is who is going to be available for the Golden Gophers. Fleck says there possibly could be cases, but he won’t reveal how many. The Wolverines need new quarterback Joe Milton to play very well in order to win, but there are too many questions surrounding Minnesota, including how they will deal with new expectations.

Pick: Michigan (-2)

No. 23 NC State vs. No. 14 North Carolina (-15.5)

North Carolina had one of the most disappointing performances of the season last week. Finding themselves in the Top 5 in the entire country, the Tar Heels put up a complete stinker against a Florida State team that showed no life over the course of the season. Now, North Carolina welcomes their in-state rivals. This game is huge, putting NC State in a position to make a push for a spot in the ACC Championship Game contention. Wolfpack quarterback Devin Leary broke his leg against Duke, so this is likely why the line is so high. This feels like a stay away, but with a veteran quarterback in Bailey Hockman taking over under center, the points are a fair play.

Pick: NC State (+15.5)

Illinois vs. No. 14 Wisconsin (-20)

That’s not a typo, there are two No. 14s this week. Wisconsin comes into the season with a lot to prove. They are replacing Jonathan Taylor and looking to make a statement after a long layoff. Lovie Smith brings the Fighting Illini into what looks like an opponent that will dominate. There’s too much to learn about the Badgers to give them 20 points against a Big Ten opponent that isn’t Rutgers. If this was two weeks from now, the Badgers could live with a 28-point spread. During the first game of Big Ten play, this feels like too many points.

Pick: Illinois (+20)

Texas State vs. No. 12 BYU (-30)

BYU has been a dominant force to start this season. They take on Texas State as they continue to make noise as an offensive powerhouse. Could this be a legitimate College Football Playoff contender? Hard to make that claim now, but there’s definitely a chance. To do that, they need to beat a team like Texas State by more than 30. The Cougars have won three of its five games by more than 30 already, so it’s definitely within reason for them to run up the score on Texas State.

Pick: BYU (-30)

Virginia vs. No. 11 Miami (-11)

Is Miami a Top-10 team or are they lucky against a bad schedule? It’s still hard to tell. What is well known is how bad Virginia has been as of late. After beating Duke to start the season, they’ve been absolutely destroyed in three-straight ACC contests. Still, college football is weird, and this feels like a game where weird things may happen. However, D’Eriq King is still one of the best weapons in the country and Virginia is still awful on the defensive end. It could end up being a shootout, but one thing is for sure is Miami will score points. The spread is high, but not too high.

Pick: Miami (-11)

No. 9 Cincinnati (-1) vs. No. 16 SMU

In a battle of the undefeated in the American Athletic Conference, Cincinnati and SMU might be the best matchup of the weekend. Cincy hasn’t faced an opponent like this yet, while SMU comes in taking out Memphis and Tulane via last-second field goals (one with a second left in the 4th and one in overtime). The key for Cincinnati is keeping up with the Mustangs’ passing game led by Shane Buechele. SMU has eeked out two-straight contests, but the Bearcats boasts too much talent to let the Mustangs escape for the third time.

Pick: Cincinnati (-1)

No. 8 Penn State (-6.5) vs. Indiana

Indiana has an absolutely intriguing offense. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., running back Stevie Scott, and wide receiver Whop Philyor are hard to stop on any given week. How about a week where the entire conference is getting a late start with weird practice schedules and no powderpuff games? Penn State looks like they could be a title contender, but with Micah Parsons opting out, the defense does look worse. However, they are extremely deep on that side of the ball, and Indiana is just as rusty as the Nittany Lions.

Pick: Penn State (-6.5)

No. 17 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Oklahoma State (-3.5)

Are the Cowboys actually contenders? Do they deserve to be in the Top 5 in the country? This is the week for them to prove it. Oklahoma State is the final undefeated team in the Big 12, and literally the conference’s only chance to make the College Football Playoff. Iowa State is completely passed a loss to Louisiana in the first week of the season. OKST needs a marquee win, as WVU has been their hardest opponent so far. Meanwhile, Iowa State beat Oklahoma and TCU already. Brock Purdy hasn’t been the NFL prospect many hoped to see this season, but as all the headlines are claiming, he’s returning to the field that turned him into a star two years ago. Purdy is going to take advantage of a Cowboys’ defense that hasn’t played in 21 days. The moneyline feels like a good pick here.

Pick: Iowa State (+3.5)

Nebraska vs. No. 5 Ohio State (-26)

Ohio State has been waiting, begging, hoping this day would eventually come, and Saturday it’s officially here. The Buckeyes knew this could be their year to raise the National Championship Trophy again, and they weren’t letting anything get in their way. Now that it’s finally here, they face a weird opponent in Nebraska, who seemed to fight just as hard to start the season. Adrian Martinez is everything to the Cornhuskers, and if he can find some magic they can at least cover the spread. Last year, Nebraska lost by 41, but this year it’s too early in their season to give this many points. Still, Justin Fields is about to put on a show.

Pick: Nebraska (+26)

No. 3 Notre Dame (-9.5) vs. Pittsburgh

Notre Dame showed some scary flaws last week against Louisville. Against a flawed defense, they were only able to put up 12 points. They still came out a winner, but the performance did little to breed confidence. Still, this is not a good matchup for the Pittsburgh Panthers. They have an atrocious offense on third down, while Notre Dame has the second-best third-down defense in the league. Those are the plays Pitt needs to win in order to even cover this spread. They haven’t done it all season. Plus, injury questions surrounding quarterback Kenny Pickett make this an easy Irish win.

Pick: Notre Dame (-9.5)

No. 2 Alabama (-20) vs. Tennessee

This is a tale of two programs. Alabama took on Georgia, then number three in the country, and destroyed them in the second half, winning the game 41-24. Tennesse, on the other hand, took a massive L against Kentucky. The Volunteers just can’t find a way to get all the way back. Maybe there’s a slight chance there are some “looking ahead, looking behind” possibilities for Alabama allowing a cover, but it’s not likely.

Pick: Alabama (-20)

Syracuse vs. No. 1 Clemson (-44.5)

This may seem like a hefty line, but it’s almost impossible to make this line high enough. The only issue is if Clemson is going to sit their starters, allowing Syracuse to mount a comeback (against the spread, not actually in the game). This is going to be a monster blowout. Oddsmakers are actively trying to get bettors to put money on Syracuse. Honestly, it worked. This will be something like a 45-3 lead in the third quarter, and Clemson will take out the starters. This allows Syracuse to score a dumb touchdown to keep bettors from cashing on Clemson.

Pick: Syracuse (+44.5)

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