College Football Week 8 odds preview: Top 5 games to watch and best sports betting bonus codes

Akron Beacon Journal
 
College Football Week 8 odds preview: Top 5 games to watch and best sports betting bonus codes

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College football’s week 8 schedule features multiple ranked vs. ranked matchups, and you can wager on the highly-anticipated games with up to $4,950 in sports betting welcome bonuses.

The Big Ten East is up for grabs between Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan, and the list will reduce to Michigan and the winner of Nittany Lions vs. Buckeyes after this Week 8 clash.

Ohio State’s transition from C.J. Stroud to Kyle McCord has been relatively seamless thus far, as Ohio State is undefeated with a marquee win vs. Notre Dame in the bag.

Future NFL first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr. has been sensational, leading the Big Ten in receiving yards and average yards per catch. But points won’t come easy against a Penn State defense that leads FBS in defensive passing yards and is second in points allowed.

The Nittany Lions have faced a relatively easy schedule thus far but have been dominant. Penn State’s average margin of victory is 36 points.

The Third Saturday in October is upon us, and Alabama is hungry for revenge. Chaos ensued in Knoxville last season when a walk-off field goal gave Tennessee its first win over Alabama since 2006.

The Crimson Tide have one loss and must be perfect for the remainder of the season to earn a spot in the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff. Alabama led Arkansas by 18 points last week but allowed the Razorbacks to make it tight down the stretch en route to a 24-21 Tide triumph.

Tennessee lost to Florida in Week 3 but travels to Bryant-Denny Stadium with momentum after notching three-straight wins over UTSA, South Carolina, and Texas A&M. The Volunteers boast a pair of premier pass rushers in James Pearce and Tyler Baron, who rank second and sixth in the SEC in sacks, respectively.

USC opened the year ranked sixth in the AP Top 25 but has steadily fallen to No. 18. The Trojans suffered a crushing 48-20 loss to Notre Dame last week, and Caleb Williams failed to surpass 200 yards for the first time this season and tossed three interceptions.

Utah holds a 4-1 record as starting QB Cam Rising works his way back from a severe Rose Bowl knee injury suffered in January. The Utes defense has been impenetrable in Rising’s absence, allowing the fifth-fewest points per game in FBS.

It’s unclear if Rising will lace up vs. USC, but his return would provide an invaluable boost to Utah’s offense.

Florida State has a shot at winning the ACC Championship for the first time since 2014, thanks to the Seminoles’ undefeated record through six games. The Noles snatched impressive victories vs. LSU and Clemson and have another stern test against Duke in Tallahassee.

Florida State has an unstoppable trio in Jordan Travis, Keon Coleman, and Trey Benson, who have their work cut out for them vs. a Duke defense that allows the fourth-fewest points per game in the nation.

The Blue Devils also defeated Clemson and narrowly lost to Notre Dame. Duke QB Riley Leonard’s status for the game is questionable after sitting out the Blue Devil’s Week 7 win vs. N.C. State with an ankle injury suffered in the loss to the Fighting Irish.

Ole Miss fell short against Alabama in its lone loss but still has an excellent shot at winning the SEC West. The Rebels have knocked off a pair of ranked teams in wins over Tulane and LSU.

Earning a night victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium is never easy, and Auburn is desperate to bounce back after consecutive losses to Texas A&M, Georgia, and LSU.

Slowing down Jaxson Dart, Jordan Watkins, and Quinshon Judkins is the key to Auburn ending its losing streak. Ole Miss’ offense ranks eighth in the country in points scored per game.

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