First to Forde: Best Picks Against the Spread for College Football Week 8

Reed Wallach, Pat Forde | 2 Hours Ago

First to Forde Week 8 / First to Forde Week 8

The action is picking up across college football and so is our race to 40 winners against the spread.

While Reed Wallach has opened up a five-game lead with 10 straight wins, Pat Forde is off a 4-1 week and only a few games back. With marquee matchups like Texas vs. Georgia, our college football insiders weigh in with picks against the spread for some of the biggest games on the card.

Here's this week's selections.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Best Picks Against the Spread for College Football Week 8

Pat Forde's Picks Against the Spread

Season Wins: 17

Oklahoma State vs. BYU Prediction and Pick

Pick: Oklahoma State +9.5

Mike Gundy has never lost a team in 20 seasons as head coach of the Cowboys. Maybe this is the first one, but I’m betting that he gets the Pokes back on track and at least covers a pretty big number in Provo. Oklahoma State is coming off an open date that gave the team a chance to get right, or at least closer to right, and the Cougars are due for a letdown.

Arizona State vs. Cincinnati Prediction and Pick

Pick: Cincinnati -4.5

All credit to the Sun Devils for their rapid rise back to relevance, but this is a tough setup. The game is a 9 a.m. body clock kickoff for ASU against an opponent that is four points away from being undefeated. Factor in an extra week of rest and prep for UC and the injury to ASU starting quarterback Sam Leavitt, and all signs point to a fairly easy Bearcats victory.

East Carolina vs. Army Prediction and Pick

Pick: Army -15.5

This one is pretty simple. The Cadets are a red-hot wagon, and the Pirates gave up 311 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in their last game to Charlotte. Army should run at will against ECU.

Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame Prediction and Pick

Pick: Georgia Tech +11.5

Brent Key has pulled 10 upsets in just 28 games as coach of the Yellow Jackets. The Fighting Irish just lost another key player to injury, cornerback Benjamin Morrison. If Tech continues its season-long trend of taking care of the football (just two turnovers in seven games), it should be in this one well into the fourth quarter.

Kansas State vs. West Virginia Prediction and Pick

Pick: West Virginia +3

This is another setup game. The Wildcats are playing their second straight road game and coming off a very late night in Boulder last week. The Mountaineers’ three losses are all to undefeated teams (Penn State, Pittsburgh and Iowa State). They’ll be burning couches in Morgantown in celebration of an upset home win.

Reed Wallach's Picks Against the Spread

Season Wins: 22

Michigan vs. Illinois Prediction and Pick

Pick: Michigan -3

This feels like a serious step up in class for Illinois, and Michigan’s defense can put a lid on what’s been a much-improved offense with Luke Altmyer under center.

The Wolverines' defense is incredibly aggressive and has the havoc drivers on the defensive line to put Altmyer under pressure. This season, Altmyer is completing less than 55% of his passes with seven turnover-worthy plays under pressure. Compare that to when Altmyer is not under pressure – he is completing 72% of his passes with a 13-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio – it's fair to be skeptical about the team’s ability to move the ball on the UM front.

Meanwhile, Michigan may have serious concerns about its passing game, but it may not need much on Saturday. The Illinois defensive line has struggled all season, 105th in defensive line yards and 96th in yards per carry allowed. If the Wolverines can hand it to Kalel Mullings – and Donovan Edwards – and find success on the ground, the team is going to be able to stay ahead of the chains and find enough scores to outpace the home underdog.

Ohio vs. Miami (Ohio) Prediction and Pick

Pick: Ohio +3.5

I don’t see much separating these two MAC foes, especially when noting the schedule for each team recently.

The defending MAC Champion Miami (Ohio) RedHawks are still battling through a grueling part of their schedule. The team had its BYE in Week 2 and then games against Cincinnati and Notre Dame. The team has played five straight games ahead of this one while the Bobcats are off an off week of their own.

Despite overhauling its entire roster this season, Ohio has been impressive this season with a sturdy run game that can keep the chains moving against a declining Miami (Ohio) defense. The home favorite is 97th in yards per carry allowed this season while the visitors check in 31st nationally.

Houston vs. Kansas Prediction and Pick

Pick: Houston +6.5

These are two teams trending in opposite directions as each team resumes play after BYE weeks.

The Cougars are going with Louisiana transfer quarterback Zeon Chriss moving forward, the far better option that helped lead Houston to an outright upset at TCU in Week 6.

Houston will be able to establish a sturdy ground game with Chriss’ dual-threat ability and lean on the best unit for either team, the Cougars' defense.

First-year head coach Willie Fritz has quickly implemented a sturdy defense with Houston, ranking 32nd in EPA/Play on the season.

Kansas has been overvalued all season, yet to cover against an FBS team this season, but it’s not getting cheaper to back them. I’ll fade KU once again.

USC vs. Maryland Prediction and Pick

Pick: Maryland +7.5

While many saw Maryland fall flat on its face on Friday night at home against Northwestern, context matters.

The Terps were able to move the ball throughout the game but had a missed field goal and two fourth-down failures during the competitive portion of the game before turnovers bloated the final score.

Meanwhile, USC had its all-in effort against Penn State at home before losing in overtime. The Trojans' defense continues to drop like flies while the offensive line continues to block for Miller Moss. Lincoln RIley’s bunch travels across two time zones for the third time in five weeks to College Park for an afternoon kickoff.

The Terps are being downgraded, and rightfully so, after getting blown out by Northwestern, but at over a touchdown I’m going to back the home underdog who has a viable offense that can test a defense on fumes.

Georgia vs. Texas Prediction and Pick

Pick: Georgia +4

In the biggest game of the season to date, I’ll side with the road underdog.

This number has drifted towards Texas based on results this season, but the Longhorns have yet to face an elite team on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, Georgia was knocked off by Alabama on the road, but despite spotting the Crimson Tide 28 points in that matchup, the Bulldogs had the lead with a few minutes to go.

Quinn Ewers knocked off some rust in the Red River Showdown, but it’ll be on him to go toe-to-toe with Carson Beck, who will be facing a relatively green Longhorns defense that still needs to answer questions after replacing two NFL defensive linemen last season.

This is way too much respect for Texas. I’ll take the team that everyone pegged as the National Championship favorite and was favored in Tuscaloosa a few short weeks ago to get off to a stronger start and keep this within a field goal.