College Football Odds, Picks for Week 8: Collin Wilson’s Full Betting Card, Featuring Texas vs. Oklahoma State & More

Last week marked one of the best weeks of college football in recent memory.

Upsets flooded the schedule, and all of the marquee matchups — excluding Penn State vs. Michigan — were close late, as Alabama vs. Tennessee, Oklahoma State vs. TCU and USC vs. Utah came down to the final seconds.

Well, Week 8 should be a good one as well.

It all starts with a huge game in Conference USA on Friday night, as UAB and Western Kentucky take the field in a game that will go a long way in determining the conference championship field.

Then, we'll see three similar matchups on Saturday.

Undefeated Syracuse heads to Death Valley at noon ET to face undefeated Clemson in a game that could decide the ACC Atlantic Division and maybe even narrow the College Football Playoff field.

At 3:30 p.m. ET, UCLA head coach Chip Kelly makes the trip to Eugene to face his old Oregon team. With UCLA and Oregon sitting atop the division-less Pac-12, this matchup is sure to have conference championship ramifications as well.

At the same time, Texas will be battling Oklahoma State in Stillwater in what is essentially a Big 12 Championship elimination game.

I'm betting all four high-stakes games, so read on for my analysis and picks — and be sure to check out the rest of Action Network's Week 8 college football betting coverage.

• #14 Syracuse vs. #5 Clemson
• Cunningham's CFB Betting Card
• #9 UCLA vs #10 Oregon

Week 8 College Football Best Bets

The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click the team logos for one of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.

Game	Time	Pick
	8 p.m. ET	UAB +2.5
	12 p.m. ET	Over 49.5
	3:30 p.m. ET	Over 71.5 ·  UCLA +6.5
	3:30 p.m. ET	Texas Team Total Over 32.5
Specific bet recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game.

UAB vs. Western Kentucky

Friday, Oct. 21 8 p.m. ET CBS Sports Network

UAB +2.5

Two teams desperate to stay in the hunt for a Conference USA Championship berth will meet under the Friday night lights in Week 8.

Western Kentucky and UAB have each suffered a loss in conference standings, trailing undefeated UTSA and North Texas, who are set to play this weekend.

The winner of this game remains in the thick of the race, while the loser will step back into the bottom half of a conference without divisions.

This is a vital two-game stretch for the Hilltoppers as they face North Texas — which remains undefeated in conference play — in Week 9. The Tops have cruised against lesser competition but suffered one-possession losses against Indiana, Troy and UTSA.

Donning the black uniforms and getting a boost from a Shaquille O'Neal concert, the Hilltoppers are motivated by a coaching staff with strong ties to a UAB program that's departing for the AAC.

The Blazers have two losses on the season, both coming on the road against Rice and Liberty. The real loss on the schedule can be contrived from penalties and mental errors, per interim head coach Bryant Vincent.

The Blazers end the season with back-to-back road games, but kicking November off against UTSA and North Texas will decide who plays in the conference championship.

The must-have app for college football bettors

The best NCAAF betting scoreboard

Free picks from proven pros

Live win probabilities for your bets

DOWNLOAD NOW

UAB Blazers

In the wake of longtime head coach Bill Clark's retirement, Vincent is no stranger to UAB, serving as coordinator since 2018 with a previous stint in 2014.

Plenty of traits remain from Clark's regime, as the Blazers are heavy on the rush and have shown the ability in the explosive passing game with one of the slower tempos in FBS.

Running back DeWayne McBride has been one of the toughest running backs to tackle in all of college football.

McBride averages 4.3 yards after contact and has recorded 31 missed tackles this season. The junior has the third-best yards-after-contact mark in college football, just behind Auburn's Tank Bigsby and Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim.

Thanks to the work of the offense, UAB ranks eighth nationally in standard downs explosiveness. The offense has picked apart secondaries over the past two games, as quarterback Dylan Hopkins has increased his average depth of target from 9.7 yards to over 12.

Defense has always been a calling card for the Blazers under Clark, as coordinator David Reeves is in his sixth season at Birmingham.

UAB has been ultra stingy in defending opposing passing attacks, ranking second in coverage grading with a top-35 mark in Passing Downs Success Rate and explosiveness.

Mac McWilliams ranks sixth in forced incompletions among individual cornerbacks, taking away half of the field from opposing passers.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Just as UAB is undergoing a shift without a long-term head coach, Western Kentucky is moving along in the post-Bailey Zappe and Zach Kittley world.

The Hilltoppers remain a pass-first offense with a top-25 mark in Passing Success Rate. Much of that success can be attributed to transfer quarterback Austin Reed, who's already posting a 21:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Reed has implemented the designed run into his game as well, as almost half of his 39 rushing attempts have come in the past two games against UTSA and Middle Tennessee.

The Western Kentucky defense continues to struggle compared to Tyson Helton's first few seasons as head coach at Bowling Green. The Hilltoppers don't generate Havoc or generate a pass rush ranking in the top half of FBS defenses.

Their Defensive Finishing Drives rank has fallen to 88th by allowing 4.3 points on 51 opponent scoring attempts. Helton knows possessions will be limited, and starting slow has been a consistent issue with the Hilltoppers.

UAB vs. Western Kentucky Betting Pick

Removing a blowout game against Florida International, the Hilltoppers own a scoring differential of -12 in the first quarter of every game this season. That number is in stark contrast to the Blazers, who support a +49 point differential in the first frame in 2022.

Each of these teams falls just outside of the top 100 in strength of schedule, but UAB has clearly taken the blowout route in advantageous spots.

Western Kentucky finds itself at a disadvantage against the UAB secondary. Not only is McWilliams one of the best cornerbacks in FBS, but Starling Thomas on the opposite side is also a top-70 individual defensive player in pass breakups.

Although Reed has a healthy touchdown-to-interception ratio, the quarterback has produced 14 big-time throws and 12 turnover-worthy plays this season.

In 52 dropbacks with pressure, Reed has yet to record a big-time throw. Reed has just a single big-time throw on underneath passes, with the 13 remaining coming on connections beyond 20 yards. However, UAB enters as a top-10 defense in defending passing plays beyond 20 yards.

Action Network projects this game at UAB -1.5, giving value to the Blazers in the current market.

Considering Western Kentucky has no presence in the run game and will be limited in downfield throwing, scoring opportunities may be limited for the Hilltoppers. UAB ranks top-10 in tackling and Defensive Finishing Drives, further complicating offensive goals for WKU.

The referee crew will play a part in this game, as each team ranks outside the top 110 in penalty yards per game.

With McBride leading the Blazers to a top-five mark in rush explosiveness and a Blazers defense that has locked down against the pass, look for UAB to overcome previous issues on the road in this Conference USA battle.

Pick: UAB +2.5

Syracuse vs. Clemson

Saturday, Oct. 22 12 p.m. ET ABC

Over 49.5

Two surging teams dressed in orange will collide Saturday for the top spot in the ACC Atlantic Division. Both Clemson and Syracuse have exceeded expectations in being undefeated through Week 7.

The Orange had a season win total of five over the summer, as head coach Dino Babers has cashed those over tickets with recent victories over NC State and Purdue. Led by a stingy defense, Babers will look to upset a highly-ranked Clemson team similar to the scenario in 2017.

A plethora of questions surrounded Clemson entering the 2022 season. Would a change in weight affect DJ Uiagalelei's quarterback play? Would an explosive passing attack return? Will the defense be as good as hyped compared to the record-breaking 2018 unit?

Halfway through the season, all of those preseason questions have been answered positively. Considering the number of injuries so far this season, Clemson is on track to return to the College Football Playoff despite not reaching its peak potential on defense.

If the college football world wants to return to the chaotic 2007 season, a Syracuse victory for the division lead is a must. Clemson has won eight of the last nine against the Orange, making this an uphill climb for Babers.

Syracuse Orange

The Orange's success can be directly linked to quarterback play and improved defense against the pass.

The ACC was on notice for running back Sean Tucker heading into the season, but the play of quarterback Garrett Schrader has been the difference. With a 4:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, the fourth-year signal-caller has seen his adjusted completion percentage rise more than 10% from his career mark.

A lack of fumbles on rushing attempts has improved Syracuse to a ranking of 31st in Havoc Allowed.

Syracuse possesses a great mixture of power run with Tucker and a dangerous target in the slot with Oronde Gadsden II. The tight end has nearly double as many targets as any wide receiver, holding the highest rating of any tight end, per PFF.

While the offense is heavy on the rush attack at 60%, the defense has had its most success defending opponent passing attacks.

The strength of the Orange defense comes from linebackers Marlowe Wax and Mikel Jones, who leads the team with 58 combined tackles.

The defensive shift from Babers' 4-3 to coordinator Tony White's 3-3-5 has aptly been named "The Mob" and ranks top-25 in Havoc.

The pass rush ranks outside the top 100, but plenty of the Orange's defensive counting stats are skewed with one of the lowest numbers of plays in the nation.

The defense is not only backed with the fourth-highest coverage grade but also a top-10 mark in Defensive Finishing Drives. Only 17 opponent drives have crossed Syracuse's 40-yard line, resulting in just 2.6 points per opportunity. Of its opponents' 12 red-zone attempts, only six have turned into touchdowns.

Clemson Tigers

The redemption tour continues for Uiagalelei after a 2021 season that raised multiple questions about the quarterback.

After answering questions about slimming down throughout the summer, the junior has compiled 20 big-time throws and three turnover-worthy plays in 2022. Only North Carolina's Drake Maye has more big-time throws, while Arkansas State's James Blackman and LSU's Jayden Daniels have fewer than three turnover-worthy plays in 200 dropbacks.

Clemson's complementary rushing attack fumbled twice in the opener against Georgia Tech, but only two fumbles have been recorded in 54 rushing attempts since Week 1.

The rest of the offense has improved statistically with clean quarterback play.

Will Shipley averages 3.8 yards after contact and has recorded eight explosive runs. Antonio Williams has been the most explosive target in the passing game, averaging 2.2 yards per route run with 93% of snaps coming from the slot position.

As the offense continues to build steam, the defense is on a similar path from a health perspective. This 2022 defense was project to contend with the 2018 defense that was considered an all-time best in college football.

Injuries have sacked the playing time of key contributors, including safety Andrew Mukuba, interior Bryan Bresee and edge Xavier Thomas. All three are now near full strength, with Bresee and Thomas playing over 20 snaps against Florida State last week.

The Seminoles' ultra-explosive passing downs offense was limited to just a 26% Success Rate when playing behind schedule in that game.

Syracuse vs. Clemson Betting Pick

The under has recorded plenty of steam triggers this week, as investors look at each of the defenses as a strength in this game.

Both defensive units boast plenty of top-25 statistics, but the ability to stop dual-threat zone read attempts from Schrader and Uiagalelei will determine the side and total.

The Orange have two defensive players ranked in the top 25 individually by PFF in run stop percentage, as interior Kevon Darton and edge Leon Lowery are blowing up opposing rush attempts.

The Tigers are returning players to the defensive front seven and lack the counting stats, but execution against Florida State's ground attack was poor. The Seminoles averaged 6.1 yards per carry and logged six explosive runs on 15 zone-read attempts.

Syracuse and Clemson run zone read on nearly 60% of rushing attempts, with each offense having a common opponent in NC State. The Orange nearly doubled the Tigers in rushing yards per attempt against the Wolfpack.

There's reason to think Syracuse will have successful attempts rushing the ball and extending drives into scoring position against Clemson's rank of 54th in Defensive Line Yards.

The Tigers have also struggled in the red zone, allowing opposing offenses to score on 18 of their 22 attempts.

Syracuse's defense may have issues defending Clemson despite high rankings in advanced categories. Purdue threw for more than 400 yards and left numerous scoring opportunities on the table. With a 3-3-5 scheme that's fresh on the Tigers' minds, a rank of 99th in Defensive Stuff Rate suggests Uiagalelei and Shipley will be hitting the line of scrimmage at full speed.

Action Network's projection makes Clemson two-touchdown favorites with a total in the high 50s. The total continues to bounce between two of the biggest key numbers in 51 and 48.

Considering both offenses prefer to move the ball on the ground and will have success in Death Valley, there will be scoring opportunities that give value to the over.

Pick: Over 49.5

UCLA vs. Oregon

Saturday, Oct. 22 3:30 p.m. ET FOX

Over 71.5 or Better ·  UCLA +6.5 or Better

Only two weeks of play remain before the first College Football Playoff rankings are released on Nov. 1.

The Pac-12 hasn't sent a member of the conference to the national semifinal since 2016, when Washington had a non-covering effort in a loss to Alabama.

Since then, a collection of Stanford, Utah, USC and others have all failed to win the Power Five West with a clean enough overall record to compete for the national title.

Enter UCLA and Oregon. Both teams find themselves undefeated in conference play and inside the AP top 10. The Bruins and Ducks, along with USC, represent the only chance the Pac-12 has to send a team to the 2022 College Football Playoff, as all other teams in the conference have a minimum of two losses.

Among the drama of the national title picture, this game will see UCLA head coach Chip Kelly attempt to beat his old team after striking out on three previous tries.

A victory for Oregon not only eliminates the last undefeated team in the conference but gets new head coach Dan Lanning on track to the championship game.

A win for UCLA keeps the Bruins undefeated and just a Stanford win away from entering the College Football Playoff discussion as an undefeated team.

UCLA Bruins

Members of the Pac-12 struggle to prepare for Kelly's style of offense. While most West Coast members prefer a spread attack with different wrinkles in the mold of an Air Raid or Run and Shoot, UCLA presents a change-of-pace ground attack.

Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is now in his fifth season under center, starting at quarterback since Kelly's second-ever game as UCLA's head coach against Oklahoma.

The high-powered ground attack ranks sixth in Standard Downs Success Rate, utilizing using fullbacks, tight ends and receivers in motion. Opposing defenses have struggled to move from defending spread-out attacks to UCLA's bunch set with a dual-threat quarterback.

Zach Charbonnet is having a career season, as he's on pace to break his total of explosive runs while averaging a career-high of 4.7 yards after contact. UCLA ranks sixth in Offensive Line Yards and second in Offensive Stuff Rate, dominating trenches and consistently moving the chains.

Thompson-Robinson has seen a decrease in big-time throw rate versus last year, but his low mark of two interceptions adds to the rank of third nationally in Havoc Allowed.

The Bruins' undefeated record can be attributed to gains on the defense. New coordinator Bill McGovern has improved the pass defense to a rank of 18th against the rush and 23rd in coverage.

In a Pac-12 filled with explosive plays, UCLA has limited big plays through the air with a top-20 rank in expected points against the pass.

Oregon Ducks

Quarterback Bo Nix is on the verge of breaking his personal single-season touchdown record, set at 16 in his 2019 freshman season.

Nix's big-time throw rate of 3% is the lowest mark recorded dating back to his freshman season, but a 2.8% rate of turnover-worthy plays is also a welcome record for the senior quarterback.

New scenery and some clean Oregon air has also helped Nix achieve more rushing touchdowns than any of his previous three seasons at Auburn.

Similar to UCLA, the Ducks boast a high-powered offense that dominates in the trench and rarely makes mistakes. Oregon is the top team in the country in Standard Downs Success Rate, Rushing Success Rate and pass blocking.

Bucky Irving has been the workhorse for the ground game, creating 27 missed tackles and 4.3 yards after contact.

When offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham has called for Nix to go downfield, Troy Franklin has been the primary target at wideout with an explosive 2.6 yards per route run.

The offense has been fantastic at moving the chains and putting points on the board, but the Ducks defense is still under construction.

Previous versions of the Oregon defense featured elite pass rushers and soft trenches against the run. Against the 25th-toughest schedule so far this season, the Ducks rank top-30 in Success Rate against the run and outside the top 100 against the pass.

They've also been poor in opponent scoring opportunities, allowing 4.7 points on 33 attempts past their 40-yard line.

UCLA vs. Oregon Betting Pick

There will be a plethora of points here, which is par for the course in Oregon games. The Ducks field one of the best numbers in Offensive Finishing Drives and one of the worst in Defensive Finishing Drives.

Each time Oregon or UCLA crosses the opponent's 40-yard line, there's an expected 4.7 points coming from the offense. Considering these are two of the top six offenses nationally in Standard Downs Success Rate, the number of scoring opportunities may reach double digits per team.

Each team has the ability to grind on the ground and keep the other offense off of the field, but UCLA runs tempo at 23.6 seconds per play with Oregon not far behind at 25.9 seconds per play.

There are defensive liabilities on both sides. UCLA sits outside the top 75 in Defensive Success Rate, while Oregon comes in at 129th in opponent third-down conversion rate.

As steam hits the market, the total has gone past our projection of 70. The key numbers in this range are 69 and 72, as the best investment is getting at or below those two numbers with a smaller play at a higher number.

Action Network projects the game at Oregon -5, as the Ducks are given just 1.6 points for playing in Autzen Stadium. Considering this game will come down to which offense makes a mistake first, there's value in backing UCLA at +6.5 or better in the longshot case of an overtime game.

UCLA has the better third-down defense and numbers against explosive plays. This is a buy spot on the Bruins pregame and buy back on the Ducks live.

Pick: Over 71.5 or Better ·  UCLA +6.5 or Better

Texas vs. Oklahoma State

Saturday, Oct. 22 3:30 p.m. ET ABC

Texas Team Total Over 32.5

There will be no shortage of drama when two Big 12 brand names collide in a knockout round Saturday afternoon.

Both Texas and Oklahoma State have a single loss in the conference standings with TCU and Kansas State undefeated in the pole position.

A loss by the Longhorns or Cowboys will not only send the teams to two losses in the Big 12 standings but also complicate any tiebreaker scenarios that play out through the remainder of the season.

The Longhorns still have both the Horned Frogs and Wildcats in front of them, signifying a Big 12 Championship berth may run through Austin when TCU visits on Nov. 12.

Steve Sarkisian's team receives a bye week after the Pokes, but a close call against Iowa State last week has set a different mentality in the Longhorns' locker room.

Mike Gundy doesn't want to talk about injuries. As heard on the New BCS episode of the Big Bets on Campus podcast, the grizzled head coach will keep practice time and injury status within the program.

While Action Network's own Brett McMurphy said the Cowboys quarterback didn't even ice after last week's game, the point spread took large wagers on Texas throughout Sunday.

An opener of Texas -1 at Circa Sports flew to Texas -4 within three minutes, as another wave of Monday morning money stabilized the Cowboys as 6.5-point underdogs.

Texas Longhorns

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers returned from injury in Week 6 against Oklahoma, blistering the Sooners for four touchdowns and nearly 300 yards passing.

The freshman had a tougher task facing the 3-3-5 stack scheme from Iowa State but added another three passing touchdowns.

Ewers is playing quarterback over Hudson Card because of a higher big-time throw ceiling, but with those plays comes the risk of turnover. Ewers has logged three turnover-worthy plays since returning from injury and also recorded a fumble against the Cyclones.

Opportunities will exist for the Cowboys to force Ewers into turnovers, but weapons at the skill positions are thriving.

Bijan Robinson has 10 rushing touchdowns on the season, averaging 4.2 yards after contact. Only Auburn's Tank Bigsby has a higher elusiveness rating, which is defined by the impact of the ballcarrier independent of blocking.

Robinson is also the second highest-graded running back in receiving grades, trailing only Georgia's Kenny McIntosh.

But is Texas back? The defense has made the case that the Longhorns are indeed a player at the national level.

Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has completed a 180 with his unit after spending the 2021 season in the FBS cellar in plenty of advanced statistical categories.

The Longhorns have been especially stout against passing attacks, generating a top-30 rank in pass rush and coverage. The biggest improvement comes in Finishing Drives, allowing just 3.1 points on 27 opponent scoring attempts.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

A market number close to a touchdown indicates Sanders will not play Saturday. While the information will not be confirmed until kickoff, investors quickly hit early limits to get the best of the number in case starting duties fall to Gunnar Gundy.

Even Sarkisian is looking at every single piece of film possible in diagnosing the status of Sanders, including the fifth-year quarterback's post-game body movement.

Gundy's sample size is limited, as 23 dropbacks against Arkansas-Pine Bluff resulted in two touchdowns with no big-time throws or turnover-worthy plays.

The coach's son showed an ability to scoot, generating 46 yards rushing on four attempts with an even distribution between designed runs and scrambles.

With minimal data available on Gundy, oddsmakers are making Sanders' absence a six-point adjustment to the spread.

There has been a drop-off on the defensive side of the ball after losing a number of key contributors and a coordinator from last season.

New coordinator Derek Mason and the 4-2-5 scheme remain a top-20 team in Defensive Havoc, generating a top-20 pass rush and terrorizing backfields as the fifth-best team in tackles for loss.

The Longhorns' offensive line will be tasked with containing Collin Oliver and Trace Ford at the edge positions, as both rank in the top 125 individually in pass rush productivity.

The Pokes are sixth in Defensive Stuff Rate, one of the more important metrics against a stable of Texas running backs that produce in the trench.

Texas vs. Oklahoma State Betting Pick

Action Network projects Texas as a one-point favorite considering full health on both sides of the ball. This number is expected to see minimal climb without Sanders and plenty of Oklahoma State buy-back if the starter is participating in drills around 2 p.m. ET at Boone Pickens Stadium.

There's value in backing Gundy at quarterback on an inflated spread of 7.5 or better, just as value exists on Oklahoma State to +3.5 with Sanders as the starter.

The total is behaving in a similar fashion, as an opener of 68 has decreased a full touchdown as of writing. Both key numbers of 65 and 62 have been crossed, as the total approaches the second-biggest key of all numbers at 59.

With the total dropping from Sanders rumors, there may be value on a Texas team total considering the Longhorns offense won't face Sanders himself.

The Oklahoma State defense ranks 70th in allowing explosive plays, but the Longhorns' advantage in early downs should provide extended drives. Texas has the 14th-highest rate of standard downs thanks to a Success Rate rank of seventh.

Ewers and Robinson will look to bounce outside of the tackles or go over center to avoid the Pokes' chaos creators lined up at the edge position. The two most successful rushing directions for Robinson have been outside the right edge and directly over center, producing five runs of 10 yards or more in both directions.

Texas doesn't have the speed-racer pace that Oklahoma State plays with, but the Pokes' 21 seconds per play will mean extra possessions for the Horns.

Poor second-level fundamentals from the Cowboys will be a factor when Ewers connects with Robinson and wide receiver Xavier Worthy, as Oklahoma State ranks 70th in tackle grading.

Because of a complete mismatch in Finishing Drives, the Horns will score more touchdowns than field goals. The Cowboys are allowing 4.1 points when opponents cross the 40-yard line, so look for Texas to exceed its team total with Sanders' status uncertain.

Pick: Texas Team Total Over 32.5

The ultimate CFB betting cheat code

Best bets for every game

Collin Wilson's biggest weekly edges

Profitable data-driven system picks

TRY FOR FREE