10 Best College Football Predictions Against The Spread: Week 8. The Belief System

The 10 best college football predictions against the spread for Week 8, going with a tried and true belief system that should work … hopefully.

What college football games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into Week 8? This week … the belief system will save the season.


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Week 8 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews 
CFN Week 8 Experts Picks: College
CFN Week 7 Experts Picks: NFL 
Week 8 Schedule, Game Times, Game Previews
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC

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I know what cold streaks are like, and this isn’t really one of them. However, before things start to get too chilly, we’re turning this around right here, right now.

I’ve gone .500 over the last two weeks following my 9-1 run – and the cocky attitude that followed – and that’s just not okay.

What do you do when everything starts to break down? You go with your core belief system to bail you out. So this week, here are ten picks that are based almost entirely on my beliefs of what I know to be right and true in this college football world.

And if that fails …

But it won’t, because I believe that with every fiber of my being that these ten picks are going to work … maybe.

Results So Far ATS: 48-32-1

Click on each game for the preview

10. Cincinnati at Navy

LINE Cincinnati -28
ATS PICK Cincinnati

I’m still honked after last week because I was absolutely right.

knew the Wisconsin run defense was going to stuff the Army option offense – it allowed just 179 rushing yards.

I factored in the awful Badger offense along with the sure-thing one deep shot that Army would connect on, and all was going perfectly well for the amazing D to cover the 14 against the option O.

And then Army scored 14 in the fourth to wreck all our fun in a 20-14 Wisconsin win.

As the line goes, I screwed up, but it doesn’t mean I was wrong.

This is different than Wisconsin-Army, though, because the Navy option offense isn’t all that great and the defense is lousy.

The Cincinnati defensive front has yet to allow more than 170 rushing yards, it’s great at getting behind the line to stop this thing before it starts, and it’s got NFL talent in the defensive backfield that can tackle.

The Bearcats have beaten all four non-Power Five teams on the schedule by more than 30.

1-5 Navy is about to deal with a team desperate to show off in a College Football Playoff run.

CFN Week 8 Experts Picks: College

9. South Carolina at Texas A&M

LINE Texas A&M -20
ATS PICK Texas A&M

Texas A&M is nothing like I thought it would be.

The defense has been disappointing, the offense has sputtered, and it’s been a rocky season with horrible performances being offset by an all-timer against Alabama.

My core belief that this was going to be one of the best teams in the country isn’t right, but the defense appears to be finally starting to kick it in, and the offense is finding its pop.

Playing Missouri will help both of those things – the Aggies rolled easily last week in Columbia.

Now they get South Carolina, a plucky 4-3 team that pushed Kentucky and …

The Gamecocks don’t score enough.

It’s Texas A&M, so you’re going to have to sweat this out hard against a team with a solid defensive front, but South Carolina barely survived Vanderbilt, and East Carolina, and Troy. Two weeks ago it lost on the road to Tennessee by 25 and was dropped by Georgia 40-13.

The hope is for the A&M offense that scored 41 on Bama and 35 Missouri to show up. If that happens, the 20 is fine.

CFN Week 7 Experts Picks: NFL 

8. WKU at FIU

LINE Point Total 77
ATS PICK Under

If you’ve read this piece at all over the years, you know my unshakeable belief that you always go under on a point total of 80 or more, and you push that down a wee bit if needed.

75 or more, go under – too many things can go wrong to keep the teams from getting to the high 70s, and if they do, think of the lost investment as a worthwhile payment for the wild entertainment of a game played in the 80s.

I did this last week with Ole Miss-Tennessee set at 83. It wasn’t even remotely close in a 31-26 game.

The world was trying to sell you on Louisiana-Arkansas getting to 70 on Thursday night. 28-27 Ragin’ Cajuns.

This isn’t just some goofy belief – people like betting the overs, and in general, they’ll play up the total as the week goes on because they know what the offenses can do.

The last few FIU games – bad defense, high-powered passing game – were able to get into the high 70s, and WKU lost to UTSA 52-46 and Michigan State 48-31.

But FIU isn’t UTSA or Michigan State.

You’ll be nervous that WKU will crank up 60 on its own and make this easy, but if this one doesn’t work out and it does go over, then this next pick will make up for it …

NEXT: College Football Pick Against The Spread No. 7: Ole Miss at LSU

SEC Predictions, Schedule, Game Previews, Lines, How To Watch: Week 8

SEC college football predictions, schedule, game previews, lines, and how to watch for Week 8 of the season.

SEC college football predictions, schedule, game previews, lines, and how to watch for Week 8 of the season.


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Click on each game for game preview & prediction

Results So Far
SU: 52-18, ATS: 39-30-1, Point Total: 36-31-1

Week 8 College Football Expert Picks

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas

12:00, SEC Network
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

LSU at Ole Miss

3:30, CBS
Line: Ole Miss -9.5, o/u: 76.5

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt

4:00, SEC Network
Line: Mississippi State -20.5, o/u: 51

Tennessee at Alabama

7:00, ESPN
Line: Alabama -25.5, o/u: 67
 

South Carolina at Texas A&M

7:30, SEC Network
Line: Texas A&M -21, o/u: 45

Week 8 College Football Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

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Fearless Predictions of Every Game
Bowl Projections | Rankings

Alabama vs Tennessee Prediction, Game Preview

Alabama vs Tennessee prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 23

Alabama vs Tennessee prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 23


Alabama vs Tennessee How To Watch

Date: Saturday, October 23
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Venue: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Alabama (6-1), Tennessee (4-3)
Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+

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All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Alabama vs Tennessee Game Preview


Why Tennessee Will Win

The offense keeps on rolling.

It took a while to get going, and then … kaboom.

The Vols ran for close to 460 yards against Missouri, it was well balanced in the win over South Carolina, and the 467 yards in the wild, crazy, and problematic in the close loss to Ole Miss.

They’ve hit 200 yards rushing and passing in four of the last five games, and they’re going to need to be as versatile – and as fearless – as possible against a Tide defense that figured out the running game after getting cranked by Florida a month ago.

Combine the offensive speed and quickness with a devastating pass rush that should hurry Bryce Young, and the Vols might just have the formula to make this interesting.

Alabama allowed over 300 yards twice this year. Once was in the close call against Florida, and second was in the loss to Texas A&M. Tennessee has yet to come up with fewer than 374.

Week 8 CFN College Football Expert Picks

Why Alabama Will Win

Who’s the Tennessee quarterback?

Hendon Hooker makes this offense fly, but he’s hurt and iffy at best. Joe Milton has all the tools and upside, but he’s not all that accurate and he’s way too inconsistent.

Either way, Tennessee – despite the hurry-up style that tries to gas opposing defenses – is awful at keeping the quarterback from getting popped. Part of that is because Hooker and Milton move, but it’s also because the O line – while fantastic for the running game – simply allows a whole lot of sacks.

Alabama will have no problems getting into a shootout.

Texas A&M posed a strange problem for the Tide with it’s somewhat controlled style – which wasn’t totally on display in the win, but it was able to grind the game out a bit. That’s really, really not Tennessee.

Alabama is perfectly equipped to get into a back-and-forth fight, with Bryce Young playing at a Heisman level, Brian Robinson rising up as one of the better backs in college football, and the offense averaging close to 550 yards over the last four games.

Week 8 College Football Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

What’s Going To Happen

Bama has won 14 straight going back to 2006, and the 12-10 victory in 2009 was the only close battle. At least this year’s Tennessee team seems like it has  more ammunition to bring.

Just how sharply focused is Alabama? It got everything back to normal against Mississippi State, and it was almost flawless early on against Ole Miss to put the game away with a 35-0 start.

Can Tennessee withstand the early punch? No, and it’ll cause a whole slew of problems.

The Vols will score enough to at least make the Tide keep pushing, but the interceptions and turnovers will come – Bama leads the SEC in turnover margin – just as the running game takes over full-time.

CFN Week 7 NFL Expert Picks

Alabama vs Tennessee Prediction, Line

Alabama 41, Tennessee 17
Line: Alabama -25.5, o/u: 67
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

Must See Rating: 4

5: Succession
1: Dancing with the Stars: Grease Night

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Fearless Predictions of Every Game
Bowl Projections | Rankings

College Football Expert Picks, Predictions: Week 8

College football expert picks, predictions for Week 8, highlighted by USC vs Notre Dame, Clemson at Pitt, and Tennessee at Alabama

College football expert picks, predictions for Week 8, highlighted by USC vs Notre Dame, Clemson at Pitt, and Tennessee at Alabama


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* next to the pick means the team will win, but not cover.
Click on each game for the game preview and CFN Prediction

CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews

Week 8 College Football Expert Picks
Coastal Carolina at App St | Tulane at SMU
Louisiana at Arkansas St | FAU at Charlotte
San Jose St at UNLV | Middle Tenn at UConn
Memphis at UCF | Colorado State at Utah St
Washington at Arizona | Cincinnati at Navy
Illinois at Penn State | Oklahoma at Kansas
Wisconsin at Purdue | Clemson at Pitt
LSU at Ole Miss | Oklahoma St at Iowa St
Oregon at UCLA | Nevada at Fresno State
San Diego St at Air Force | Tenn at Alabama
NC State at Miami | Ohio State at Indiana
So Carolina at Texas A&M | USC at N Dame
New Mexico State at Hawaii | Results So Far
CFN Expert NFL Week 7 Picks

Coastal Carolina at Appalachian State

7:30, ESPN2
Line: Coastal Carolina -4, o/u: 59.5

Eric Bolin, RazorbacksWire.com: Coastal Carolina
Patrick Conn, LSUTigersWire.com Coastal Carolina
Adam Dubbin, GatorsWire.com Coastal Carolina
Jeff Feyerer, CFN: Appalachian State
Pete Fiutak, CFN: Coastal Carolina
Dan Harralson, VolsWire.com: Coastal Carolina
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire.com: Coastal Carolina
Jeremy Mauss, MWwire.com: Coastal Carolina
Kevin McGuire, NittanyLionsWire.com: Coastal Carolina*
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN Coastal Carolina
Johnny Rosenstein, SportsBookWire.com: Coastal Carolina
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners.com: Coastal Carolina
Clucko the Chicken, CFN: Appalachian State
CONSENSUS PICK: Coastal Carolina

Week 8 College Football Expert Picks
Coastal Carolina at App St | Tulane at SMU
Louisiana at Arkansas St | FAU at Charlotte
San Jose St at UNLV | Middle Tenn at UConn
Memphis at UCF | Colorado State at Utah St
Washington at Arizona | Cincinnati at Navy
Illinois at Penn State | Oklahoma at Kansas
Wisconsin at Purdue | Clemson at Pitt
LSU at Ole Miss | Oklahoma St at Iowa St
Oregon at UCLA | Nevada at Fresno State
San Diego St at Air Force | Tenn at Alabama
NC State at Miami | Ohio State at Indiana
So Carolina at Texas A&M | USC at N Dame
New Mexico State at Hawaii | Results So Far
CFN Expert NFL Week 7 Picks

NEXT: Tulane at SMU Expert Picks, Predictions