Denver Nuggets
NCAA Football Picks: 3 Week 8 Unders You Need to Bet On Saturday 10/19
- Kentucky visits Florida for an SEC matchup.
- NC State heads west to face host California in ACC play.
- Nebraska squares off with unbeaten Indiana in a key Big Ten battle.
- Check the latest college football odds on BetUS Sportsbook.
Picking winners in some of the conference battles on the slate in Week 8 isn’t easy, but finding some games that we think will finish under the total is a task we’ll take on. The intensity is getting ratcheted up as the fall weather starts to show up across the country, and that’s going to lead to some games that aren’t as high-scoring as expected.
We have three such matchups that we think you need to make your college football bets on to finish under the total. Read our roundup of these games and make yourself some winning wagers.
Top 3 Unders You Should Bet in Week 8
1. Kentucky Holds Florida in Check in SEC
The Kentucky Wildcats don’t have one of the better records in the SEC, coming into their game with the Florida Gators on Saturday with a 1-3 mark in league play. But the team’s defense has been one of the conference’s best, holding its last four opponents – including Georgia and Ole Miss – to 20 points or less.
Kentucky is fourth in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 14.5 points per game this season. And the Wildcats are now matched up with the 13th-best scoring offense in the conference in the Gators, who average 28.0 points.
Unfortunately for Florida, it will be without quarterback Graham Mertz the rest of the way. The senior made NCAA football news when he tore the ACL in his left knee in last week’s loss to Tennessee. With Mertz out, freshman DJ Lagway will take over the quarterbacking duties.
Lagway will make his second start of the season against Kentucky, having started against Samford earlier when Mertz suffered a concussion. Lagway has rotated in during other games as well and has passed for 765 yards and five touchdowns, though he also has four interceptions.
Lagway has the talent but not the experience of playing against a ferocious SEC defense. That will help keep the Gators’ score down and keep this score under the total. Make this matchup one of your college football picks to go under this weekend.
2. Why the Under 46½ Is the Smart Play
One of the more disappointing teams in college football this season has been the North Carolina State Wolfpack, who were a preseason Top 25 team but enter this game with the California Golden Bears with a 3-4 mark, going winless in three conference games. The Wolfpack have had injuries, including to veteran quarterback Grayson McCall.
Freshman CJ Bailey has taken over as signal caller, but the team’s offense just hasn’t had the same explosiveness as was expected. Bailey has thrown for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns, but he also has four interceptions.
The Wolfpack managed just 17 points in a home loss to Syracuse last week, and they’re going to have their troubles on the road on Saturday.
California has had its struggles as well in its first season in the ACC, going 3-3 overall and winless in conference play. Outside of a shootout with Miami two weeks ago, the Golden Bears have scored a total of 24 points in their two games against competition from their new league, including a 17-15 loss to Pittsburgh last weekend.
Sophomore quarterback Fernando Mendoza passed for 272 yards and a touchdown in that contest, but he was also sacked six times. That came two games after Florida State recorded seven sacks of Mendoza in a 14-9 win over California.
These two teams struggle to put a consistent offensive attack together, so make sure this game is part of your college football predictions for games that will go under this weekend.
Bet on NC State vs California Under 46½
3. Indiana Takes on Nebraska Under 50½
One of the biggest matchups in the Big Ten this weekend has the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers trying to stay undefeated on the season when they host the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Not exactly the tradition-rich matchup like an Ohio State-Michigan tussle, but this is the new Big Ten.
Indiana has put together a 6-0 mark, including 3-0 in conference play, though it hasn’t exactly been against the best competition. UCLA, Maryland and Northwestern were the Hoosiers’ first three Big Ten foes this season, and those three have a combined one win within the conference. That might explain why Indiana is +2000 in NCAA football futures odds to win the Big Ten.
Nebraska has rebounded from its only loss of the season with two straight victories, including a 14-7 battle against Rutgers two weeks ago. The Cornhuskers have been very good defensively outside of their one loss – a 31-24 overtime setback vs Illinois – holding their other five opponents to a total of 37 points.
The defense has come up B1G 💪#B1GFootball x #B1GStats pic.twitter.com/IZWp4pKg1o
— Nebraska On BTN (@NebraskaOnBTN) October 8, 2024
It’s not going to be easy for Indiana to get points on the scoreboard against the Cornhuskers, especially on the ground. That means senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke (1,752 yards, 14 TDs passing) must be able to have a big game.
Rourke will face a relentless Nebraska defensive line, which will make it difficult for him to have time to throw. He may get enough passes off to lead the Hoosiers to the victory, but we see this game finishing under the total.
This Big Ten showdown should be among your under picks when you bet online on college football for this weekend.
Bet on Nebraska vs Indiana Under 50½
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Questions of the Day
When was the last time Indiana started a season with seven straight wins?
The Hoosiers were 8-0 in 1967 on their way to a Rose Bowl appearance.
