Week 8 of the 2024 college football season is here and our VSiN team is attacking it relentlessly. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out the Week 8 CFB Betting Hub for write-ups and picks from all of our talented analysts. However, keep reading for my college football best bets and predictions for this exciting Week 8 slate. I’ll probably add some picks as lines move and more information comes out later in the week — and on game day. If I do, I’ll put them on the VSiN Pro Picks page. Don’t miss out on those.

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2024 Record: 22-17-1 (+9.53 units)

Miami at Louisville – 12:00 pm ET

Miami was really struggling head into last week’s bye week. The team barely beat Virginia Tech in Coral Gables on September 27th, winning 38-34 as a 17.5-point favorite. The Hokies also came very close to winning that game, but a touchdown on a Hail Mary to end the game was overturned. Miami then went into Berkeley and nearly lost to unranked California. The Hurricanes won that game 39-38 as 10-point road favorites, but they were down 35-10 and looked like the worse team for a majority of that one. So, while Miami was 4-0 straight-up and 3-1 against the spread through four weeks, this team has been shaky since seeing a step up in competition. And Louisville will be the best team that Mario Cristobal’s group has faced this year.

While the Cardinals already have two losses this season, those came against good Notre Dame and SMU teams. They’re also 27th in the nation in Dropback EPA per play allowed (-0.075) and 15th in the nation in EPA per play (0.159). This is a team that can slow down the opposing team’s passing game, which should mean that the Cardinals won’t get torched by Heisman candidate Cam Ward. The Cardinals should also be able to move the ball against a Hurricanes defense that has now allowed an average of 382.0 total yards per game over the last two weeks. Keep an eye on running back Isaac Brown, who just rushed for 146 yards and two scores against Virginia. Brown has rushed for 263 yards over the last two weeks and he’s capable of making some explosive plays in the running game. That could be troubling for a Miami team that got shredded on the ground by Virginia Tech a few weeks ago.

Louisville also happens to be 9-2 SU and 8-3 ATS at home under Jeff Brohm, and the team is also 2-1 SU and 2-0-1 ATS as an underdog with the Cardinals alum on the sidelines. So, not only am I playing Louisville to cover the spread, but I’m also sprinkling the moneyline. The Cardinals have a real shot at winning this thing. Quarterback Tyler Shough just needs to avoid making big mistakes in the passing game.

Bet: Louisville +4.5 (-104 – 1.5 units) & Louisville ML (+170 – 0.5 units)

RELATED: Here’s an updated look at the Heisman Trophy betting markets!

UCLA at Rutgers – 12:00 pm ET

Rutgers has lost a little steam in recent weeks, losing 14-7 in a road game against Nebraska and then following it up with a 42-7 home loss against Wisconsin. However, the Scarlet Knights were 4-0 both SU and ATS heading into that first loss, and I still believe this is a solid football team. And even if I’m wrong, this team is definitely good enough to handle its business against UCLA.

This season, the Scarlet Knights are 43rd in the country in EPA per play (0.098), and the team is Top 45 in both Rush and Dropback EPA per play. Meanwhile, UCLA is just 105th in the nation in EPA per play (-0.049) and ranks outside the Top 100 in both Rush and Dropback EPA per play. The hiring of Eric Bieniemy just hasn’t gone well for the Bruins. Rutgers also happens to have a slight edge defensively, as the team is 40th in the nation in EPA per play allowed (-0.045) while UCLA is 50th (-0.025).

With Rutgers having a massive advantage on offense and a small advantage on defense, it’s just really hard to see the Scarlet Knights struggling to win this game comfortably. On top of all of that, UCLA is coming from across the country to play this one, as the Bruins lost to Minnesota at the Rose Bowl last week.

There just isn’t much that suggests this will be anything but a straightforward win for Rutgers, and it doesn’t hurt that the Scarlet Knights are 9-5 ATS as home favorites under Greg Schiano.

Bet: Rutgers -4.5 (-105)

LSU at Arkansas – 7:00 pm ET

This definitely feels like a bit of a trap from the oddsmakers, but I can’t help but fall for it. As of right now, LSU is 12th in the nation in EPA per play (0.117) and Arkansas is just 37th (0.058). The Tigers also happen to have a legitimate NFL prospect at quarterback, as Garrett Nussmeier has thrown for 1,989 yards with 18 touchdowns and only six picks this year. He also just threw for 337 yards with three scores in a massive win over Ole Miss. Nussmeier isn’t much of a mover, but he can dissect defenses from the pocket. That’s going to stand out in a big way here, as Arkansas will either be playing a banged-up Taylen Green or an inexperienced Malachi Singleton under center. That’s a big edge for LSU at the most important position on the field.

It’s also hard not to like the strides that we’re seeing from the Tigers defensively. LSU’s defense was able to come up with some key stops against an explosive Ole Miss offense last week, and the team has now allowed a total of 53 points over the last three weeks. Blake Baker is doing a great job in his first year in Baton Rouge, and we have also seen the Missouri defense struggle without him.

Overall, I just don’t think there’s much of a difference between these two teams defensively, and LSU might even be better on that side of the ball. But I have a lot of trust in Nussmeier finding a way to win this game if it’s close. I also like that LSU is 20-5 SU as a favorite under Brian Kelly, and the team is also 5-2 SU as a road favorite under him. That’s pretty big when considering I’m only playing the Tigers to win on the moneyline. Meanwhile, Arkansas is 9-21 SU as an underdog with Sam Pittman on the sidelines, and the team is also 4-6 SU as a home underdog in that span. So, while Razorback Stadium is a tough place to play, I don’t think LSU will be intimidated here. The Tigers have won seven of their last eight games against the Razorbacks, and they haven’t lost in Fayetteville since 2014.

Bet: LSU ML (-130)

Last Week

BYU -4.5 (-110) vs. Arizona
LSU +3.5 (-109 – 2 units) vs. Ole Miss

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