Every time we seem to have a bead on the college football landscape, underdogs come in and flip it upside down with thrilling upsets. There are bound to be a few more in Week 8, and the trick is figuring out which favorites are ripe for upsets and which ones are going to hold tough and come away with covers on the spread.
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There are trends that have certainly emerged, and we are here to help guide the gamblers through some of the best wagers in Week 8 of the college football schedule.
Stanford Cardinal vs Arizona Sun Devils (+115)
The action kicks off with an intriguing Pac-12 game on Thursday night between the Stanford Cardinal and Arizona State Sun Devils. Stanford is living on its reputation but the plain truth is this is not that special of a team. The Sun Devils are +115 underdogs on the moneyline at home and are the correct choice to pull off the upset.
Virginia Cavaliers (+7.5) vs Duke Blue Devils
The Virginia Cavaliers are fresh off an impressive upset of the Miami Hurricanes last time out. They will be underdogs once again in Week 8 in a road matchup against the Duke Blue Devils. Virginia is a 7.5-point road underdog but that spread is much too high. The Cavaliers are the pick to cover the spread in that game.
Michigan State Spartans (+7) vs Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan State Spartans are touchdown underdogs at home to the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan is undefeated and playing like a possible national championship contender, but this is a tough matchup. Michigan State will flirt with the upset before settling for a close loss, which will allow the Spartans to cover the spread.
Penn State Nittany (-14) vs Indiana Hoosiers
The Penn State Nittany Lions lost to Michigan State last time out. They will aim to get back on track on the road this week against the overmatched Indiana Hoosiers. Penn State should win this one going away to cover the sizable 14-point spread.
UCLA Bruins (-7) vs Arizona Wildcats
The UCLA Bruins have struggled through a trying year but will be 7-point favorites next time out as they are at home against the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona’s best player is quarterback Khalil Tate, but he is dealing with an ankle injury and may not be able to play. If he does, Tate will be limited. UCLA isn’t very good but the Wildcats are much worse. The Bruins are the pick to cover.
Oregon Ducks (+100) vs Washington State Huskies
The Oregon Ducks are coming off a big win last time out over the Washington Huskies. They can’t dwell on that because they are hitting the road this week for a tough matchup against the Washington State Huskies. Oregon is listed at +100 to win this game so it’s a virtual coin flip. The Ducks are hoping to get in the College Football Playoff picture and will further that plan by winning this game.
Oklahoma Sooners (-7.5) vs TCU Horned Frogs
The Oklahoma Sooners are trying to bounce back after a shootout loss to Texas last time out. Oklahoma had a bye last week and it will be raring to go against the TCU Horned Frogs. TCU isn’t as bad as its 3-3 record would suggest, but the Sooners will have the superior firepower behind star quarterback Kyler Murray. Oklahoma is the pick to cover as 7.5-point favorites.
LSU Tigers (-6.5) vs Mississippi State Bulldogs
For the best wager of Week 8, we head to the SEC. For some reason the LSU Tigers still aren’t getting a bunch of respect from the oddsmakers despite a very good season. LSU is a 6.5-point favorite at home against Mississippi State but that spread is not big enough. Look for LSU’s defense to dominate and help it to a double-digit win for an easy cover. The Tigers at -6.5 is the lock of the week.
Check out the latest college football betting odds for Week 8
