Week 8 weeknight college football best bets
College football season is already the best time of year; the point of college football season when there are games starting on Tuesday is *really* the best time of year, and we have reached that glorious point of the season. There are seven games between Tuesday and Friday, and the T Shoe Index has indicated there are some bets worth making on this weeknight slate, so I wanted to give those out in addition to my usual Wednesday “best bets” article that generally is more Saturday focused.
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Jacksonville State vs Western Kentucky (-7.5),O/U 59.5
Western Kentucky has taken a step back this season from their usual offensive onslaught against Group of Five competition, while Jacksonville State has certainly exceeded expectations in the Gamecocks’ first season in FBS, with a 5-2 record so far. WKU and Jacksonville State are power rated No. 28 and No. 22 in the Group of Five TSI ratings, respectively.
When the Hilltoppers have the ball, it will be a matchup of the 13th-ranked G5 offense against the 25th-ranked G5 defense; on the flip side, the Gamecocks’ offense is No. 25 in the G5, facing a WKU defense ranked 45th in the G5. TSI projects JSU as a 4-point favorite here, so a huge discrepancy from the betting market, who hasn’t caught up to the FBS newcomer.
Pick: Jacksonville State +7.5 (Play to +7)
Bonus: .25 units on the Jacksonville State ML +260
Marshall vs James Madison (-3.5),O/U 52
At one point early in the season, Marshall had the top ranked Group of Five defense in the TSI ratings and it seemed like their defense was going to have to carry them. The switch has been flipped, and this defense is leaky, at best, and downright bad at preventing big plays. We faded the Herd against Georgia State last week and had a sweat-free winner there, and I’m fading this Marshall defense – ranked No. 51 in the G5 – again.
James Madison is bringing the sixth-ranked G5 offense into Huntington on Thursday night, and I like the Dukes’ offense to be able to have its way. I would lean to James Madison covering this 3.5, but I’m going to take the team total over here, which offers some protection if this game turns into a shootout and Marshall manages to keep it within a field goal with some explosive plays of their own with running back Rasheen Ali.
Pick: James Madison Team Total Over 27.5 (-120) (Play to 28)
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