College football betting odds, predictions & upset picks for key games in Week 8
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Week 8 lines favor home teams, but writer recommends selective live bets.
- Several road favorites look vulnerable, suggesting value in underdogs this week.
- Upset picks focus on SMU and Baylor; season record shows modest profit.
The upcoming week of college football should be jam-packed with entertaining games.
Let’s find some winners.
Missouri (+1.5) at Auburn
I can’t recall the last time a college football team made it all the way until the middle of October without playing a single road game. Kudos to Missouri for pulling off such a friendly opening schedule. The Tigers played their first six games at home, which helped them start 5-0 and challenge Alabama last week. But now they have to hit the road for a tricky game against Auburn.
My first instinct is to back Auburn, but all they do is lose SEC games in excruciating fashion. Maybe the best strategy here is to wait for Auburn to take an early lead and then bet on Missouri live as an underdog.
K-State (TBA) at Kansas
The Jayhawks and the Wildcats are both off this week. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead to the Sunflower Showdown on October 25 in Lawrence.
I haven’t seen an early betting line for this game yet. It will be interesting to see which team opens as the favorite. Kansas (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) has the better overall record, but it has lost two of its past three games. K-State (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) has won two of its past three. The Wildcats have also won every game in this series since 2009. You could make an argument for either side.
Also worth noting: KU has covered the spread against K-State in each of the past two seasons.
My favorite college football bets for Week 8
1. SMU (+10.5) at Clemson: There is too much recency bias in this spread. Yes, Clemson has looked good over the past two weeks with easy wins over Boston College and North Carolina. But those are two of the worst teams in the ACC. The Tigers were 1-3 before that. And two of those early losses came at home. SMU has also won its past two games easily. The Mustangs should be able to keep this one close. Pick: SMU.
2. North Carolina (+9.5) at Cal: The Tar Heels have played three games against teams from power conferences, and they have lost all three of those games by at least 25 points. Fading Bill Belichick as a college coach has been a profitable strategy all season. Why stop now? Pick: Cal.
3. Baylor (+3.5) at TCU: Dave Aranda has a strong track record after bye weeks. Last season, Baylor used its off week to change a few things and then beat Texas Tech 59-35. The Bears went on to win their final six games of the regular season. It might be hard for Baylor to duplicate that kind of run in 2025, but it should be ready to play hard against a middling TCU team. Pick: Baylor.
4. USC (+10.5) at Notre Dame: I am hesitant to back USC away from home, but this feels like too many points for Notre Dame to be laying against a ranked opponent. Yes, the Fighting Irish have looked incredible during recent wins over Purdue, Arkansas, Boise State and North Carolina State. But they started the year with narrow losses to Miami and Texas A&M. I won’t be surprised if Notre Dame is another close game this week. Pick: USC.
5. Arizona (-1.5) at Houston: What exactly have the Wildcats done to be favored on the road against Houston? Their wins have come against Hawaii, Weber State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. And all four of those games were played at home. The Cougars are the better team and this game will be played in Houston. I expected them to be favored by 3.5. Pick: Houston.
Last week: 2-3.
Season record: 13-22 (-11.2 units).
Other bets worth considering
6. Army (+9.5) at Tulane: The Black Knights manhandled the Green Wave in the conference championship game last season, which makes me think Tulane will be out for revenge this weekend. Army is not the same team it was last year. Tulane hasn’t played since Thursday and got extra time to prepare for the triple-option. Lean: Tulane.
7. Boise State (-12.5) at UNLV: It’s hard to find a more fortunate 6-0 team than the Rebels. Four of their victories have come by single digits. And they needed a missed field goal from Air Force to avoid overtime last week. Here’s guessing the dream season ends this week against a strong opponent. Lean: Boise State.
8. West Virginia (+7.5) at UCF: Both of these teams stink. Let’s back the underdog and hope for a 13-10 final. Lean: West Virginia.
9. Georgia Tech (+1.5) at Duke: This spread may seem strange at first glance. Georgia Tech is undefeated and ranked in the top 15. Why aren’t the Yellow Jackets favored here? Well, Duke has won three straight games. It is also coming off a bye week. And this game is in Durham. Let’s back the unconventional favorite. Lean: Duke.
10. Ole Miss (+7.5) at Georgia: The Bulldogs are no longer the SEC juggernaut they once were under Kirby Smart. They barely beat Tennessee on the road. They lost to Alabama at home. Then the football gods shined on Georgia last week as the Bulldogs benefited from a string of questionable calls in a comeback win over Auburn. I like Ole Miss with the points. Lean: Ole Miss.
Last week: 2-3.
Season record: 21-14 (+5.6 units).
Upset pick of the week
11. SMU at Clemson (+300): Our upset pick never had a prayer last week, as Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt was ruled out against Utah a day after we decided to back the Sun Devils. Doh! Let’s hope for better luck this time around with SMU. More than anything, this is a fade of Clemson. While it’s possible that the Tigers got their season turned around with recent wins over North Carolina and Boston College, I remain skeptical. This team has already lost twice at home, and it needed a big comeback to beat Troy. SMU is more than capable of beating Clemson in a down year. Pick: SMU.
Last week: 0-1.
Season record: 2-5 (-2.2 units).
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 6:30 AM with the headline "College football betting odds, predictions & upset picks for key games in Week 8."