Sometimes, bettors who are interested in parlays focus too much on underdogs who can return long odds. But stacking favorites can lead to big wins too, and that’s what we’re going to try this week.
I’ve found three slight favorites who I feel are very likely to walk away with wins, along with a couple of teams who look likely to cover big spreads in lopsided matchups on Saturday.
Keep reading to find out who I like in my best college football parlay picks for Week 8.
Week 8 college football parlay picks
- Houston ML (-145) + Penn State ML (-190) + TCU ML (-170) = +309
- Wake Forest -20.5 (-105) + Alabama -21 (-115) = +265
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Parlay Pick 1
PARLAY: Houston moneyline (-145) + Penn State moneyline (-190) + TCU moneyline (-170) = +309 (at PointsBet)
Houston moneyline (-145)
The Houston Cougars haven’t lived up to expectations so far this season. What looked to be a perennial Top 25 program in the making has stumbled in its biggest games this year, losing in overtime to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, falling by 18 to the Kansas Jayhawks, and losing at home (again in overtime) to the Tulane Green Wave. A miraculous comeback last week against the Memphis Tigers was only enough to even Houston’s record at 3-3.
Houston’s defense has been struggling this year, allowing 33.7 points per game. However, the unit should get a reprieve against a weak Navy Midshipmen offense that is averaging only 23.3 points per game. Navy once again boasts a one-dimensional attack, as the Midshipmen average 255.2 yards per game on the ground, but just 114.7 through the air. The Cougars have been solid against the run, giving up just under four yards per carry.
Houston quarterback Clayton Tune has thrown for 12 touchdowns this year, and the Cougars' offense found its stride last week by playing a bit more up-tempo football when it needed to. Look for that to continue this week, as Houston puts away Navy with room to spare.
Penn State moneyline (-190)
The Penn State Nittany Lions suffered a devastating loss to the Michigan Wolverines last week, but that game showed that Michigan was a national championship contender, not that Penn State can’t play. While the Wolverines scored 41 points against the Nittany Lions, no other team has come close to matching that production against a Penn State team that has allowed just 19.2 points per game.
The Nittany Lions will get a taste of their own medicine this Saturday against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Minnesota is allowing a measly 11.7 points per game, and is holding opponents to just 263.7 yards of offense a night.
However, much of that success has come against overmatched opponents. The Purdue Boilermakers put up 20 points against Minnesota, while the Illinois Fighting Illini hit them for 26. Those aren’t huge numbers, but it is possible to score against this team. Meanwhile, the Gophers haven’t been able to muster much offense themselves against better competition — scoring a combined 24 points against Purdue and Illinois.
The Minnesota defense will slow down Penn State, but the Lions will shut down the Golden Gophers entirely. This should be a low-scoring game, but most of the points will come from Penn State.
TCU moneyline (-170)
The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have become a trendy pick to make the College Football Playoff, and it’s easy to see why. TCU boasts one of the most explosive offenses in the country, one that is scoring 45.3 points per game against Big 12 competition (and 45.8 per game overall). Nobody has yet shown a game plan for stopping the Horned Frogs, who are now 6-0 on the year.
TCU does face a challenge this week when it hosts the Kansas State Wildcats (5-1). The Wildcats are allowing just 16.7 points per game this season, and rely on a punishing rushing attack that averages 5.73 yards per carry to control games.
The Horned Frogs may not put up 50 points on Saturday, but Kansas State won’t stop them from scoring, no matter how much it tries to dictate the tempo. This will be a shootout, and the Wildcats don’t have enough firepower to keep up. I’m taking TCU to round out a three-game parlay of slight favorites who should all earn victories this weekend.
More Covers betting analysis
Parlay Pick 2
PARLAY: Wake Forest -20.5 (-105) + Alabama -21 (-115) = +265 (at DraftKings)
Wake Forest -20.5 (-105)
If the Wake Forest Demon Deacons could only have outlasted the Clemson Tigers in their overtime thriller last month, they might be among the teams fighting for a College Football Playoff berth. Instead, Wake Forest (5-1) will now need help just to get a shot at the ACC Championship, despite the fact that it could reasonably finish the season with an 11-1 record.
The Demon Deacons should easily pick up their sixth win of the year on Saturday, when they take on the Boston College Eagles (2-4). While Boston College has a couple of conference wins over the likes of the Virginia Tech Hokies and Louisville Cardinals, it has come up way short against tougher competition. The Eagles lost to Clemson by 28, while the Florida State Seminoles beat them by 30.
The biggest problem for Boston College is that it has trouble scoring points. The Eagles are averaging just 20 points per game, and outside of Clemson, they haven’t been facing off against top-tier defenses. Meanwhile, Wake Forest scores in bunches, averaging 41.2 points per game. The Demon Deacons average 6.2 yards per play on offense, while the Eagles allow 5.4 yards per play — both of which are significantly higher than average.
Wake Forest will turn this game into a shootout, and there’s little Boston College can do to keep up. The Demon Deacons should put this game away in the first half and run away from the Eagles with little resistance.
Alabama -21 (-115)
We rarely get to see the Alabama Crimson Tide coming off a loss. But when it happens, they tend to overperform the next week, covering the spread in each of the last four times they hit the field again after a defeat.
This time around, Alabama (6-1) heads home to face off against a solid Mississippi State Bulldogs squad. Mississippi State (5-2) is coming off a 27-17 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, but remains ranked — at least until Saturday’s game.
These two teams played very different styles of offense, with Alabama running the ball effectively while Mississippi State relies on junior quarterback Will Rogers to move the ball through the air. But while Alabama can also stop the pass, the Bulldogs have struggled against the run this season. Mississippi State is allowing 154 yards per game on the ground, while Alabama gains 6.6 yards per rush.
The Crimson Tide haven’t been blowing teams out this year, but a home game against Mississippi State following a loss is the exact spot in which they’re likely to change that trend. Let’s lay the three touchdowns and add Alabama to this parlay of heavy favorites to cover the spread.
