We’re here to get you ready for another loaded college football slate of action. Let’s take a look at our best College Football Week 8 odds, picks, and predictions for Saturday.
And check out our other College Football Week 8 game previews:
- Tulsa vs. Temple
- Syracuse vs. Clemson
- UNLV vs. Notre Dame
- Texas vs. Oklahoma State
- Purdue vs. Wisconsin
- Mississippi State vs. Alabama
- Minnesota vs. Penn State
- Washington vs. California
- UCLA vs. Oregon
- New Mexico vs. Fresno State
- Louisiana-Monroe vs. Army
- Navy vs. Houston
- Ohio vs. Northern Illinois
- Vanderbilt vs. Missouri
- Hawaii vs. Colorado State
- Duke vs. Miami
- FIU vs. Charlotte
Check out Thor Nystrom’s Week 8 College Football Power Rankings >>
Rutgers (-3) vs. Indiana
Rutgers was banged-up earlier this season but comes in off a bye week that it used to get healthier. For the first time this season, Rutgers may have their top-two QBs – Noah Vedral and Gavin Wimsatt – healthy. Good timing with Indiana's horrific pass defense coming to town.
Rutgers also used that bye to transition between offensive play-callers. OC Sean Gleeson was fired after the last game, with TE coach Nunzio Campanile promoted to replace him. It can only help. Rutgers' attack had grown stale and predictable, unfortunate bugaboos when you're also outmanned in talent.
The latter won't be the case on Saturday. Indiana's 3-4 record is fool's gold. The Hoosiers' two wins against FBS teams were both come-from-behind flukes in games they were soundly outplayed (combined 36% win expectancy between the games). In the win against the FCS team, Idaho, Indiana trailed 10-0 at halftime.
The Hoosiers' second-order win total of 1.5 (-1.5) is more indicative of the team's quality. As is Rutgers' 3.2 (+0.2). Both teams have played a top-25 SOS.
Indiana's defense is bad. It has played above its head because opponents have been unsustainably unlucky when deep in IU's territory (No. 34 in points per scoring opportunity allowed).
Indiana likely used its season-allotment of luck up in those first three games, and Rutgers HC Greg Schiano is typically money in this spot, going a career 10-3 ATS (76.9%) on 11-plus days of rest.
The pick: Rutgers -3
#13 Wake Forest (-20.5) vs. Boston College
Let's get back on the saddle by leaning on one of the best offenses in the country behind the Deamon Deacons!' We weren't sure what would happen with Hartman as the season started, but he returned in Week 2, has since had a 16:1 TD-INT ratio, and has led the Demon Deacons to at least 31 points in all five games. They have gone over 40 points three times. Boston College has given up at least 31 points since entering conference play three weeks ago and has only scored over 14 points once in that stretch.
Boston College is one of the more one-sided offenses in the country. WR Zay Flowers is the big playmaker for the Eagles, but he's really all they have. Flowers has caught 5 of the 11 touchdowns and has been targeted on 32% of BC's pass attempts this season, which is great, but they have no one else to go to. The run game for Boston College ranks 130th of 131 schools averaging just under 70 yards per game, and the second leading pass catcher (TE George Takacs) didn't play with an undisclosed injury in their last game, and his status is up in the air for this one.
Wake Forest will put up points on anyone, even with their defense being a bit hit or miss, but I'm leaning on Wake in this game because of their pass rush. According to PFF, Wake is the #1 rated pass rush defense, and BC has allowed 22 sacks this season. There is just so much stacked against BC in this game that I have to be on Wake. This feels like a 42-17 type of game to me.
The pick: Wake Forest -20.5 (-110 at BetMGM)