We’re back with some more college football bets for this week, week 8. Last week’s picks were an Oklahoma State choke job away from going five-for-five. Another week, another opportunity to chase perfection and that big parlay payout. Here are five great bets for this weekend of college football. All lines are via Draft Kings as of Friday morning.
#14 Syracuse at #5 Clemson: Syracuse +13.5 (-110)
We kick off our look at the best college football bets for week 8 with a line that makes zero sense. The Orange are a legit contender in the ACC. Clemson is still the top dog, but they are a lot closer to the rest of the pack. Syracuse just beat North Carolina State by 15. The Tigers only beat them by 10 a few weeks ago, and just got a scare from Florida State.
Syracuse has put the clamps on two good quarterbacks in Drew Leary of the Wolfpack, and Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell. Both are far better than Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei. The only thing that would keep this from being close is if Will Shipley just takes the game over on the ground. Even then, it is hard to see the game getting that lopsided.
I would sooner take Syracuse moneyline than I would the Tigers to cover. Just take the points.
#7 Ole Miss at LSU: Ole Miss Moneyline (+115)
A top 10 team being an underdog against an unranked opponent is bait, plain and simple. I’ll take it though. the Rebels are rolling this year. Is LSU good? Does anyone know for sure at this point? Ole Miss is beginning its SEC West stretch run, and it will be a struggle to come out unscathed, but this is not the time.
The Tigers have looked like a mediocre team far too often this year. Look at their results against Florida State, Auburn, and Tennessee. Those games outweigh impressive wins over Mississippi State and Florida. If this were a night game in Death Valley, I’d be more inclined to believe that LSU could pull off the upset. Instead, it’s at 3:30.
Take Ole Miss outright. Don’t bother with the two points they are getting.
Purdue at Wisconsin: Purdue Moneyline (+110)
Too many blue bloods are getting the benefit of the doubt this year against teams that are not typically good. This is another example. As mentioned earlier, Syracuse is a tough team. Purdue almost beat them in the Carrier Dome. The week before that, Wisconsin lost to Washington State.
The Boilermakers are having one of their best seasons in years. The Badgers are rebuilding. The oddsmakers are having trouble accepting that, and they are giving Purdue 2.5 points. You don’t need them. Take the moneyline.
Pitt at Louisville: Pitt Moneyline (+115)
Has Pitt lived up to all of the preseason hype? No, but the Panthers are still a good team. They played Tennessee to a one score game, and the Volunteers are a serious threat to win it all. That excuses their hiccup against Georgia Tech. This is still a solid team.
Louisville is a below-average team at best. Malik Cunningham being back from injury should help, but it’s unlikely to be enough. On top of the return of their star quarterback, the Cardinals are also hosting this primetime affair.
These factors could push this matchup closer to toss-up territory. Even then, I still like the value on Pitt at +115.
Kansas at Baylor: Kansas +9.5 (+100)
Kansas is getting a lot of points for a game that, on paper at least, looks like a toss-up. The primary reason for this is obviously the health concerns over quarterback Jalon Daniels. However, Daniels did show some positive signs by practicing on Wednesday, albeit in a limited capacity. If — and that’s a big if — he can play, Kansas would vault to being a possible favorite in this game.
Even without him, backup Jason Bean has been good enough to keep this one close. Baylor has been up and down this year (mostly down), so it’s not like the Jayhawks are facing some sort of juggernaut.
Watch the Daniels situation closely. If he winds up playing, you should pounce on the moneyline (+290) immediately. On the other hand, pay attention to the spread if he is officially ruled out. That could prompt the oddsmakers to give Kansas a few extra points, or at least boost the odds on that +9.5 line.
For now, just take the points as they are. It is already great value, don’t risk losing it. You can always make another bet, but you can’t bet odds that no longer exist.