Last week was a dangerous one for ranked teams. Four teams ranked in the AP Top Ten lost and saw their hopes at a berth in the College Football Playoff take a major blow, while three others narrowly escaped with one-score victories. It was one of those weeks that reminds you anything can happen in college football betting. Some of Week 7’s big winners have another big game in Week 8, and they will be out to avoid a letdown.
College Football Week 8 Opening Odds (Courtesy of BetDSI)
Michigan Wolverines -6.5
Michigan State Spartans +6.5
The Michigan Wolverines were arguably the biggest winner of Week 7. They hammered a good Wisconsin team 38-13 in a nationally televised statement game, and that led to Jim Harbaugh’s bunch shooting up from No. 12 to No. 6 in the AP Poll. Shea Patterson continues to make this offense just good enough to win games, while Don Brown’s defense has made life miserable for opponents.
Michigan is in good position a little past the halfway point of the season, but now the Wolverines must avoid losing to an in-state rival that has dominated them over the last decade. Michigan State has been fantastic at playing spoiler under Mark Dantonio, and his Spartans have won eight of the last ten in this series. The Spartans all but eliminated Penn State from contention for the Big Ten title last week, and they will be out to upset the apple cart once more.
Oklahoma Sooners -7.5
TCU Horned Frogs +7.5
If the Sooners have any chance of making it to the playoff, they must win out. Their loss to Texas in the Red River Shootout was a crushing one, but it didn’t totally take Oklahoma out of contention. The team had a week off last week to put the disappointment in the rear view mirror, and it also gave Oklahoma’s new defensive coordinator Bob Diaco time to try to work out the kinks too. Mike Stoops was finally relieved of his duties after the Longhorns gashed his defense for 48 points, and Lincoln Riley is hoping that Diaco can get better performances from that side of the ball.
TCU is coming off a gut-wrenching loss to Texas Tech last Thursday. The Horned Frogs are just 3-3, but they have given some of the top teams in the country a challenge in those losses. The key for them will be the health and play of quarterback Shawn Robinson. Robinson has flashed a lot in his first season as TCU’s starting quarterback, yet he has made some backbreaking mistakes and has battled injuries recently too.
Oregon Ducks -1
Washington State Cougars +1
The Fireball will be flowing on Saturday when College Gameday heads to Pullman. Washington State has one of the most unique atmospheres in college football, and the team isn’t that bad either. The Cougars are sitting at 5-1 with their lone loss coming at the gun, on the road, against USC.
Oregon is flying high after beating Washington’s other team on Saturday. The Ducks knocked off Washington in overtime, and that has given Oregon’s Pac-12 North hopes a giant boost. They need to keep winning and hope for another Stanford loss, but with Justin Herbert leading a high-powered offense, this team has the firepower to outgun Wazzou.
College Football Betting Odds – Week 8 Opening Odds 10/18/18 – 10/20/18
Georgia State +14
Arkansas State -14
Stanford -2
Arizona State +2
Colorado State +24
Boise State -24
Vanderbilt +10.5
Kentucky -10.5
Cincinnati +3.5
Temple -3.5
Central Florida -22
East Carolina +22
North Carolina +10.5
Syracuse -10.5
Maryland +13.5
Iowa -13.5
Virginia +7.5
Duke -7.5
Northwestern -20.5
Rutgers +20.5
Coastal Carolina +3.5
Massachusetts -3.5
Miami (Ohio) +8
Army -8
Michigan -6.5
Michigan State +6.5
Ohio State -13.5
Purdue +13.5
Eastern Michigan -3.5
Ball State +3.5
Buffalo +2.5
Toledo -2.5
Akron -4
Kent State +4
Penn State -13.5
Indiana +13.5
Illinois +26
Wisconsin -26
Houston -12.5
Navy +12.5
UTEP +24.5
Louisiana Tech -24.5
Louisiana Lafayette +24
Appalachian State -24
Georgia Southern -13
New Mexico State +13
Utah State -14.5
Wyoming +14.5
Fresno State -14.5
New Mexico +14.5
Western Michigan -4.5
Central Michigan +4.5
Oregon -1
Washington State -1
Wake Forest +10
Florida State -10
Bowling Green +16.5
Ohio -16.5
Texas State +11.5
Louisiana Monroe -11.5
Minnesota +4
Nebraska -4
Connecticut +32
South Florida -32
Oklahoma -7.5
TCU +7.5
North Texas -1
UAB +1
SMU +7
Tulane -7
North Carolina State +17
Clemson -17
Kansas +20.5
Texas Tech -20.5
UTSA +18
Southern Miss -18
Memphis +8.5
Missouri -8.5
Auburn -3
Mississippi +3
Old Dominion +5
Western Kentucky -5
Mississippi State +6.5
LSU -6.5
USC +6.5
Utah -6.5
San Jose State +27
San Diego State -27
Nevada +3.5
Hawai’i -3.5
