Week 8 of the college football season is in the books. In particular, Saturday delivered a ton of excitement. We had a shootout between Oregon-UCLA and a great finish in Texas-Oklahoma State, plus more upsets and compelling games galore. In all, it was a weekend that further solidified the excitement this college football season.
Now it’s time to turn our attention to Week 9. This slate is another exciting one, with plenty of intriguing matchups. The opening lines were released at most sportsbooks on Sunday, so let’s take a look at the odds and give our first impressions.
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
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This line could be on the move quickly depending on the status of Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez. Martinez was injured in the first quarter of the Wildcats’ loss to TCU on Saturday and his status is unknown for the week. While backup Will Howard acquitted himself well in that game, he was also hurt during the third quarter. If both quarterbacks are unable to go, or play at full strength, then Oklahoma State should be favored in this important Big 12 matchup.
The Wolverines are fresh off a bye week and looking to exact a bit of revenge for their loss to Michigan State last season. In itself, that defeat was a bit flukey, as the Spartans got a number of explosive runs from Kenneth Walker that lead to touchdowns. With the series shifting to Ann Arbor, Michigan is arguably a better team than it was a season ago. However, the same can’t be said of Michigan State, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Spartans secondary is very poor and Payton Thorne doesn’t look the same at quarterback. The Wolverines should take an early lead and roll to a 24-point win.
This is a massive letdown spot for TCU, as the Horned Frogs just went through a gauntlet and emerged unscathed. TCU knocked off SMU, Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Kansas State in consecutive weeks, but those results might not be what they seem. The Horned Frogs did have the advantage of facing multiple backup quarterbacks in those games, including a 3rd string quarterback in the Kansas State contest. If Martinez or Howard don’t get hurt, TCU is probably looking at its first loss last night, as it trailed 28-10 late in the second quarter. With West Virginia licking its wounds after a blowout loss on Saturday, the Mountaineers should be up for this game at home. I’m expecting a close, high-scoring affair.
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