College Football Parlays for Week 8: Indiana, Wisconsin, and More Picks
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College Football Parlays for Week 8: Indiana, Wisconsin, and More Picks

Kody Malstrom shares three college football parlays for Week 8, including spread bets on Indiana and Wisconsin.

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Fresh off a heartbreaking loss to Ohio State, Indiana hits the road to battle it out against Michigan, which is sticking with Tommy Carr after the backup QB led the Wolverines to a win over Penn State. To pair with the Hoosiers, we turn our attention toward Wisconsin, with the Badgers hosting USC, which struggles to play at a competitive level when having to travel across multiple time zones.

College Football Parlays for Week 8

Indiana -7/Wisconsin +3 (+250, Fanatics)

Even with a new face under center, Josh Hoover has been able to keep Indiana competitive, leading an offense that ranks in the top 40 in success rate, explosiveness, finishing drives, and havoc allowed. Hoover’s efficiency has been on full display in Curt Cignetti’s QB-friendly system, with the Hoosiers ' signal-caller keeping a clean sheet in seven starts.

While a matchup against Michigan looks daunting on paper, the Wolverines have been vulnerable to getting beat over the top, slipping down to 63rd in pass play explosiveness. When Michigan is forced to stretch out, Turbo Richards' running lanes in the middle will widen, making it easier to reach the second level to keep the Hoosiers ahead of the sticks.

Speaking of explosiveness, Wisconsin’s offense has been boom-or-bust this season, ranking 11th in explosiveness and 109th in success rate. Fortunately for the Badgers, the offense will be able to march down the field at a more consistent rate against USC by taking advantage of a defense that resides near the bottom of the board in EPA allowed per play and in havoc.

Texas Alt -2.5/Texas Tech Alt -9.5 (+187, DraftKings)

Once regarded as the 1.01 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, Arch Manning has yet to live up to the hype, falling to 1.11 in my latest mock draft. Manning’s inconsistencies have made it difficult for the Longhorns to move the ball down the field, leading a star-studded group that ranks 70th in success rate while completing just 63.9% of his passes.

In a highly anticipated matchup against Ole Miss, Manning will have a great opportunity to round back into form by attacking a secondary that struggles in coverage, per the Rebels' below-league-average marks in defensive pass success rate and PPA. With fewer bodies near the point of contact, Manning will be able to trim the amount of havoc in his throws, keeping the Longhorns' drives alive.

Like Ole Miss, Cincinnati has also been abysmal on defense this season, limping into Week 8 ranked outside the top 100 in success rate and in points per opportunity. With Will Hammond capable of extending plays with his legs, the Bearcats' LBs will struggle to keep the Texas Tech QB behind the line to gain while scrambling on the back end, leading to an uptick in the Red Raiders' total number of scoring opportunities.

Tennessee ML/Texas A&M ML (+1088, Bet365)

In just his second start with Tennessee, George MacIntyre was able to upset Alabama, keeping the Volunteers' hopes of making the playoffs alive. With South Carolina on deck, MacIntyre will be able to string together his performances by picking apart a second level that ranks near dead last in EPA allowed per play and in explosiveness.

To round out the underdog parlay, we continue to fade the Crimson Tide, with the defense struggling to keep opposing offenses out of the red zone while ranking 87th in finishing drives. With positive regression looming large over Marcel Reed, Alabama will be forced to play in a highly volatile track meet, increasing the Aggies' chances of keeping it close enough to secure the upset.

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