College Football Best Bets for Week 8: Can LSU Bottle Up Auburn?
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College Football Best Bets for Week 8: Can LSU Bottle Up Auburn?

Kody Malstrom breaks down his three best college football bets for Week 8, including angles on LSU vs. Auburn and Iowa vs. Minnesota.

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With only a handful of games left in the year, the margin for error is razor-thin while plenty of playoff contenders hover near the cut line. This week’s edition of our CFB Best Bets kicks things off with an elimination game in the SEC, pitting LSU against Auburn, which is fresh off a stunning upset over the Georgia Bulldogs.

Here are my favorite Week 8 college football bets. 

College Football Best Bets for Week 8

LSU vs. Auburn (Team Total u21.5) (-111, FanDuel)

In his first year with LSU, Lane Kiffin is flirting with danger, entering Week 8 on the verge of elimination after losing to Kentucky and Ole Miss in conference play. While the offense has struggled to find its footing, the defense has been able to keep the Tigers afloat, ranking in the top 25 in success rate, explosiveness, points per opportunity and havoc.

Fortunately for LSU, the Tigers will have a great opportunity to hold Auburn off the scoreboard by relentlessly attacking an offense that has been unable to stay ahead of the sticks, per below-league-average marks in success rate and finishing drives. Byrum Brown’s inability to take care of the ball has made it difficult for Auburn to keep drives alive, with the former South Florida QB coughing up more than one turnover per game.

While Brown struggles to pull defensive attention away from the middle of the field, LSU’s linebackers will be able to stack the box at a high rate, forcing Jeremiah Cobb to fight off contact in the trenches. With extra bodies crashing down to the line of scrimmage, Cobb’s chances of creating an explosive play will plummet, keeping Auburn comfortably behind the line to gain.

Iowa vs. Minnesota (Team Total u16.5) (-105, BetMGM)

Speaking of underwhelming offenses, Minnesota has been abysmal this season, limping into Saturday ranked 76th in success rate while hovering near the bottom of the board in explosiveness and in finishing drives. With the offensive line struggling to open up holes, TJ Thomas has been consistently bottled up in the trenches, averaging just 2.4 yards per carry.

In a Big Ten matchup against Iowa, the Golden Gophers will continue to struggle on offense while battling it out against a front seven that ranks in the top 15 in rush success rate, PPA and explosiveness. Place a wager on Minnesota to be held under 16.5 points, with intentions of adding more to your position should the Golden Gophers team total cross through the key number of 17.

Kansas State (-2) vs. Arizona State (-110, BetMGM)

After dropping a pair of conference games to Cincinnati and Houston, Kansas State was able to bounce back in a big way by defeating Kansas 35-24. Avery Johnson was efficient in the Wildcats' win, throwing for 201 yards and one touchdown while adding another 132 yards with his legs. Joe Jackson was also able to hit the ground running, averaging nearly 6.0 yards per carry.

Against Arizona State, Johnson will be able to build on his momentum by gashing a defense that ranks outside the top 70 in EPA allowed per play and havoc. With the Sun Devils struggling to generate pressure, the quality of Johnson’s throws will drastically improve, chipping away at the total of turnover-worthy plays to help sustain drives down the field.

On the other side of the ball, Kansas State has been able to consistently hold opponents comfortably behind the sticks, ranking 16th in success rate. With Arizona State struggling to cut the distance to gain on the ground, the Wildcats will be able to stretch out in coverage, making it easier to create disruptions at multiple levels of the field.

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