NCAA Football Week 8 Must Bet Games - 2018 Season

NCAA Football Week 8 Must Bet Games – 2018 Season

Written by on July 27, 2018

If you’re fired up about the quickly approaching 2018 college football season and you’re looking to find as much value as possible, then you’ve come to the right place NCAAF betting faithful! I’ve got some expert analysis on a trio of must-bet matchups on the Week 8 docket that will help you in your efforts to cash in early and often this coming season. Let’s get to them right now!

NCAA Football Week 8 Must Bet Games – 2018 Season

Saturday, October 20

Penn State at Indiana

Penn State lost supremely gifted superstar running back Saquon Barkley to the NFL Draft where he went second overall, but the now, perennially powerful Nittany Lions still have another Heisman Trophy contender in senior quarterback Trace McSorley, not to mention a big-time talent in 6’4” wide receiver Juwan Johnson. While Penn State will go with a running back by committee approach in 2018, they also have four starters returning on the offensive line. Defensively, the Nittany Lions must replace a whopping nine starters, but they’ve got an immense talent in five-star recruit Micah Parsons who moves to linebacker this year after playing the defensive line. Reserve cornerback Amani Oruwariye led the team with four interceptions a year ago and the Nittany Lions simply have a ton of elite talent nowadays. Indiana dealt with a bunch of injuries in 2017 in head coach Tom Allen’s first season. Now, heading into 2018, the Hoosiers have question marks at quarterback where either incumbent starter Peyton Ramsey may or may not be the answer, but he will be challenged by Arizona graduate transfer Brandon Dawkins. Indiana also has question marks at wide receiver, although running back Morgan Ellison is rock-solid and should see workhorse carries in 2018. Defensively, Indiana was very good a year ago, but now the Hoosiers need to find replacements for eight departed starters. Penn State has now won four straight in this series, including their 45-14 home blowout last season as a 18.5-point favorite. The Nittany Lions will win this Week 8 matchup too despite being on the road and it will be be a similar margin to last season’s win. The disparity if overall talent is that significant, plus the Nittany Lions have a huge edge at quarterback. NCAA Football Week 8 Betting Pick: Penn State 38 Indiana 21

Michigan at Michigan State

Michigan is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 8-5 campaign in 2017 and to do that, polarizing head coach Jim Harbaugh finally needs to find a competent quarterback. Thankfully, he’s probably got the answer in former Mississippi quarterback Shea Patterson who threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns on just seven starts with the Rebels a year ago and was granted immediate eligibility for 2018. The Wolverines have some question marks along the offensive line and inexperience at the wide receiver position, but Patterson could make up for those issues and Michigan has been perennially powerful on defense under Harbaugh since he took over in 2015. Are the Spartans a safe bet to win in NCAA Football Week 8? Michigan State went 10-3 last season to finish second behind Ohio State in the Big Ten East under widely respected head coach mark Dantonio. Now, the Spartans have the look of a team that could be even better in 2018. Quarterback Brian Lewerke is a dual-threat signal-caller that will lead an offense that has a whopping 10 returning starters, including two receivers that caught over 50 passes apiece a year ago. Running backs LJ Scott and Connor Heyward look like they could form a special duo and the Spartans return nine starters on defense as well from a team that finished seventh in the nation overall a year ago. Michigan State recorded a hard-fought 14-10 win over Michigan last season to cash in as a 12.5-point road dog and they’ve taken two of three in this series since Harbaugh took over in Ann Arbor back in 2015. Michigan is going to be better than they were a year ago, but so is Michigan State. I’m going with the Spartans to hold down the fort at home in another knock-down, drag-out thriller between these two longtime rivals. NCAA Football Week 8 Betting Pick: Michigan State 24 Michigan 21

Oklahoma at TCU

The Oklahoma Sooners had a stupendous 2017 campaign by going 12-2 and reaching the four-team CFP in their first year under head coach Lincoln Riley. Unfortunately, Year 2 of the Riley era is going to be more difficult simply because the Sooners lost All-American superstar quarterback baker Mayfield to the NFL Draft. Oklahoma also lost a pair of other All-Americans in left tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Mark Andrews. TCU also had a very good 2017 season by going 11-3 to finish just behind the Sooners in the Big 12 standings. Now however, the Horned Frogs could be even better in 2018 despite breaking in a new starting quarterback and three new starters on the offensive line. Sophomore Shawn Robinson will take the reins of the TCU offense and I can say, this kid is seriously talented having watched him as a high school senior two years ago. The Horned Frogs also have a ton of talent at the skill positions with three four-star running backs and a wide receiver that has stardom written all over him in sophomore Jalen Reagor. TCU also returns the vast majority of their starters from a defense that ranked fifth against the run and 16th in points allowed (19.0 ppg) in 2017. Oklahoma blew TCU out in Norman a year ago 41-17 to easily cash in as a 7-point home favorite, but I’m definitely going with the Horned Frogs to extract some revenge in this Week 8 conference clash. TCU has the edge in experience, the better defense and they’re playing at home. It should be a good affair, but TCU wins it by a touchdown! NCAA Football Week 8 Betting Pick: TCU 34 Oklahoma 27