The 2021 college football season continues to throw us for a whirl. Week 8 is setting up to be no different. Certain powerhouses are entering as underdogs. It can be difficult figuring out what to make of all it, especially with every school's National Championship stock on the back of our minds.
Fear not, though. We're here to help. Our NCAA Football Week 8 picks estimate that the Clemson Tigers will upset the Pittsburgh Panthers and have a bunch of other predictions on which you can feast.
Here are the latest college football betting odds for some of the top Week 8 games taking place on Saturday, courtesy of BetOnline:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State (-35) | -110 | -110 | Massachusetts (+35) |
| Penn State (-23.5) | -110 | -110 | Illinois (+23.5) |
| Michigan (-23.5) | -114 | -106 | Northwestern (+23.5) |
| Central Michigan (-5) | -110 | -110 | Northern Illinois (+5) |
| Oklahoma (-38.5) | -110 | -110 | Kansas (+38.5) |
| Texas Tech (-1) | -102 | -118 | Kansas State (+1) |
| Virginia Tech (-3) | -115 | -105 | Syracuse (+3) |
| Kent State (-5.5) | -110 | -110 | Ohio (+5.5) |
| Georgia State (-10.5) | -113 | -107 | Texas State (+10.5) |
| Pittsburgh (-3) | -118 | -102 | Clemson (+3) |
| Alabama (-25) | -110 | -110 | Tennessee (+25) |
| Ohio State (-20.5) | -116 | -104 | Indiana (+20.5) |
| Texas A&M (-21) | -112 | -108 | South Carolina (+21) |
| UCLA (-2) | -105 | -115 | Oregon (+2) |
| Mississippi (-9.5) | -108 | -112 | LSU (+9.5) |
Always make sure to confirm these NCAAF football odds before making your college football picks. They are subject to move at BetOnline and other top online sportsbooks before Saturday's opening kickoff.
Week 8 NCAAF Predictions
With so many tantalizing matchups on tap for Week 8, we cannot possibly provide predictions for them all. Instead, we've taken our seven best college football bets, including Clemson vs. Pittsburgh, and dropped them here just for you.
Of course, these aren't the only games worth betting on. They are merely the ones featuring some of the top teams in the nation.
Also, because we're dropping these picks on the earlier end, we will be dealing exclusively with spread covers.
Clemson Will Upset Pittsburgh
Losses to Georgia and, more notably, North Carolina State continue to draft Clemson (+3) down in the standings. Their offense also currently ranks outside the top 100 in points per game, further hurting their case.
We're still truly floored that Pittsburgh (-3) enters as the spread favorite. While they are third in points scored per game, their ranking has come against a schedule that doesn't even rate in the top 60 of difficulty.
What's more, for all Clemson's faults, they still have the second-best defense in the nation. We're siding with them.
OSB Prediction: Clemson at +3 (-118)
Alabama Will Make Quick Work of Tennessee
Gigantic spreads are always a little risky. Alabama (-25) makes it easy on us.
The Crimson Tide are currently putting up a bonkers 45 points per game and scooping up victories by an average of nearly 30 points. Though Tennessee (+25) has an offense worth believing in, their defense is going to bleed touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
OSB Prediction: Alabama at -25 (-110)
Ohio State Should Blow Out Indiana
What happens when you take the second-rated offense in the nation and throw it against a rival defense and offense that both fail to crack the top-75 rankings?
A blowout.
Ohio State (-20.5) is well-positioned to take down Indiana (+20.5) by at least three touchdowns. Their offense, which is averaging nearly 600 total yards from scrimmage per game, would have to implode for it not to happen.
OSB Prediction: Ohio State at -20.5 (-116)
South Carolina to Cover Against Texas A&M
Lots of people will be tempted to take Texas A&M (-21) in this matchup. They are, after all, the better overall team.
Resist that temptation. Texas A&M's offense is too shaky to bank on such a wide margin of victory. They aren't even completing 60 percent of their passes and are averaging fewer than two touchdowns through the air. Combine that with the fact they're going up against a South Carolina (+21) defense allowing fewer than three overall TDs per contest, and it's hard to envision Texas A&M getting a 21-point victory.
OSB Prediction: South Carolina at +21 (-108)
Can Oregon Sneak Past UCLA?
Kudos to UCLA (-2) for cobbling together an offense people want to believe in. It's genuinely potent on the ground.
People will also point to the easy schedule Oregon (+2) has played through as an attempt to rationalize UCLA's favorite status. We're not buying it. Oregon can only play the team in front of them, and they're for the most part winning—on the back of racking up 5.1 yards per play on the ground.
OSB Prediction: Oregon at +2 (-115)
Mississippi is Fool's Gold vs. LSU
LSU (+9.5) is slogging through a rebuilding year and shouldn't be trusted on a weekly basis. We get it. But they're still fielding a top-40 offense and going up against a Mississippi (-9.5) defense that barely ranks inside the top 100.
Expect this game to transform into a shootout. Both teams have offenses that are significantly outpacing their defenses.
OSB Prediction: LSU at +9.5 (-112)
Penn State will Stifle Illinois
Covering a spread worth more than three touchdowns is a huge ask for a Penn State (-23.5) team that has a shaky passing attack. We're rolling with them anyway.
Though the Nittany Lions' air assault remains a work in progress, they are registering nearly four rushing touchdowns per game. Their QB play has also gotten better week by week.
Coupled with one of the five most terrifying defenses in college football, we don't think Illinois (+23.5) stands much of a chance.
OSB Prediction: Penn State at -23.5 (-110)
Check out this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your college football betting:
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