College football Week 7 absolutely lived up to the hype. Saturday’s slate was full of great matchups throughout the day, and we got to the window with the Texas Longhorns in their blowout of Oklahoma. Thanks to the ‘Horns, we are 5-1 on these opening line best bets heading into what should be another thrilling slate of college football in Week 8. There may not be as many marquee matchups this week, but there are a few heavyweight bouts that will make for must-see TV like Georgia vs Texas and Alabama vs Tennessee.
With the highly anticipated Week 7 in the rearview mirror, our focus shifts to Week 8. Let’s take a look at the early lines and odds for the biggest matchups on the slate as of Sunday night, and I’ll end with my favorite pick of the group. Don’t forget to check out our college football picks throughout the week for all of the biggest matchups in Week 8.
College football Week 8 opening lines and odds
Odds courtesy of Bet365 at the time of publishing
UNLV bounced back from its loss to Syracuse with a decisive victory at Utah State on Friday of Week 7 and will hit the road again in Week 8 for a date with the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis. This is not the best situational spot for the Rebels considering this will be their 2nd consecutive game in as many weeks with a matchup against Boise State looming. However, UNLV should have a distinct advantage offensively against Oregon State’s run defense. The Rebels have one of the best rushing attacks in the country thanks to a strong duo of running backs and mobile quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams. Together as a team, they average 262 rushing yards per game and more than 5.8 yards per carry, which figures to be a matchup nightmare for Oregon State.
The Beavers have been largely ineffective against the run, yielding close to 200 yards per game and nearly 5 yards per carry. They were especially poor last week when they gave up 353 rushing yards to Nevada in a 42-37 loss. Averaging just 0.4 giveaways per game against FBS opponents, expect the Rebels to keep the chains moving against the Beavers and escape Corvallis with a win and cover. Playable to -6.5.
See our college football predictions for all of this week’s biggest games
