College Football Week 8 Sharp Betting Picks

College Football Week 8 Sharp Betting Picks

Written by on October 17, 2016

We already are into Week 8 of the college football season, meaning some teams will be two-thirds of the way through their regular-season slate. Yet not much has changed at the top as defending national champion Alabama remains No. 1 in the country, just like it was in the beginning of the season. The big move in this week’s new Associated Press college football poll was Michigan rising to No. 3, right behind No. 2 Ohio State, to give the Big Ten rivals their best combined ranking since the 2006 season, when they played the only 1-vs.- 2 game in the series. Ohio State and Michigan are marching toward a regular-season finale on Nov. 26 that could rank among the biggest games in the history of the storied rivalry. But that’s for later. Here are three games I like this week in the college football odds.

Here’ s a Look at the College Football Week 8 Sharp Betting Picks

BYU at No. 14 Boise State (-7.5)

The unbeaten Broncos still have a shot at becoming the first Group of 5 school to crash the College Football Playoff and this looks to be their toughest remaining game on the regular-season schedule. Boise State (6-0) nearly got caught looking ahead to this on in beating Colorado State 28-23 in Week 7, but only after CSU recovered two onside kicks and scored 20 points — three touchdowns — in 85 seconds to throw a scare into BSU’s undefeated season. Boise State has one of the nation’s best running backs in junior Jeremy McNichols. The Doak Walker Award candidate rushed a school-record 40 times and picked up a career-high 217 yards against Colorado State. Williams is second in the nation in rushing yards, 942, fourth in rushing yards per game (134.6) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns with 10. Last year, BYU got a Hail Mary touchdown pass from Boise native Tanner Mangum to Mitchell Juergens, and Kai Nacua’s game-sealing interception return for a touchdown to subdue the visitors 35-24 for its second win over BSU in three games. But I like the Broncos here.

No. 10 Wisconsin at Iowa (+3)

Important game in the Big Ten West Division, of which Iowa is the defending champion. The Badgers are 1-2 in the Big Ten, trailing 3-0 Nebraska, 3-1 Iowa and 2-1 Northwestern. But they beat LSU and Michigan State. They lost 14-7 at Michigan, and 30-23 in overtime to Ohio State in Madison on Saturday night. All four of those foes were in the Top 10 at the time Wisconsin played them. The Badgers haven’t played a Big Ten West game yet. Now the whole West is in front of them: at Iowa, Nebraska at home, at Northwestern, Illinois at home, at Purdue, Minnesota at home. Iowa is 5-2 overall with losses to North Dakota State and Northwestern and tight wins over Rutgers and Minnesota. The Hawkeyes, in their eighth game of the season, are playing their first heavyweight. Last year, Iowa won at Wisconsin 10-6. Take the Badgers here.

TCU at No. 12 West Virginia (-4.5)

Not many people are talking about the Mountaineers, who are one of two Big 12 unbeatens. Quarterback Skyler Howard ranks in the top 20 nationally in yards per pass, completion percentage, and yards per game. TCU, Oklahoma, and finally Baylor all have to come to Mountaineer Field. There is a possibility that both Baylor and West Virginia could come into that final week matchup undefeated. Since joining the Big 12 conference in 2012, the Mountaineers have lost three out of their four matchups against TCU. TCU dominated West Virginia 40-10 last season but their last three matchups before last season’s were each decided by three points or less with two of the games going into overtime. Take WVU on college football odds here.