College Football Parlay Picks for Week 8: Nittany Lions Buck the Spread

For Week 8 of the college football season, I’m going to focus on one of the more interesting conferences in the country: the Big Ten. The conference boasts three of the Top 7 teams in the nation, as well as a number of schools that have very strong stylistic tendencies for bettors to exploit.

I’m looking at a couple of underdogs in the Big Ten to show up and cover their spreads, even if the college football odds say they can’t win against their powerful opponents. I also have a total 

I’m taking aim at, as well as a lower-stakes conference matchup that looks like a great target for a same-game parlay.

Keep reading to see which parlays I’m playing on Saturday in my free college football picks for Week 8.

Week 8 college football parlay picks

• Michigan State +24.5 + Penn State +5.5 + Minnesota/Iowa Over 30.5 = (+538)
• Wisconsin ML + Braelon Allen anytime TD + Under 45.5 = (+258)

Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Best college football parlay Week 8

Michigan State +24.5

Penn State +5.5

Minnesota/Iowa Over 30.5

50% boost available

+538 +807 at FanDuel

There’s no doubt that the Michigan Wolverines are a threat to win the national championship this year. They’ve proven enough to earn serious consideration as the top team in the country, even if Georgia still holds the top spot in all major polls. But the Wolverines have largely gotten to this point on the strength of their defense, especially when they play against reasonable opposition.

Sure, Michigan has blowout wins against weaker opponents, but a rivalry matchup doesn’t seem like a place where the Wolverines will name their own score. I expect the Michigan State Spartans to put up a fight, limiting the Michigan offense enough to cover the 24.5-point spread.

The country's biggest game of the week pits the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes in a game that might be a College Football Playoff eliminator. Penn State has yet to be challenged this year, while Ohio State had one close call in a 17-14 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish back in September. If I have to pick, I think the Buckeyes win this game, but Penn State is the smart bet to cover a generous 5.5-point spread.

Finally, we have a matchup between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Iowa Hawkeyes. There may be no team more defensive-minded in the country than Iowa, but that’s no excuse for a putrid total of just 30.5 points. The Hawkeyes have played above that number in six of their seven games this year, while Minnesota has exceeded that total in five of its six games. We’re taking the Over here to round out our parlay.

Best college football SGP Week 8

Wisconsin ML

Braelon Allen anytime TD

Under 45.5 

+258 at DraftKings

For my same-game parlay this week, I’m focusing on a Big Ten matchup that may be overlooked by the general public. The Wisconsin Badgers are traveling to visit the Illinois Fighting Illini, in a game that could still have some implications for the West Division standings. 

First off, I think Wisconsin should be able to walk away with the win in this matchup. If nothing else, we can see how much better the Badgers have played than the Illini against similar competition. While Wisconsin beat the Purdue Boilermakers by three touchdowns on the road, Illinois lost that same matchup by 25, which suggests these teams aren’t actually on the same level.

One reason to think that the Badgers are superior is thanks to their offensive weapons. Chief among them is running back Braelon Allen, who has run for seven touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry. I’m backing Allen to find the endzone at least once against the Illini on Saturday.

Finally, I’m taking the Under at 45.5 points in this matchup. Wisconsin has hit the Under in four of its last five games, and has come in below that 45.5 total in each of its last two contests. Illinois has also hit the Under in four of five games, playing to totals below 45.5 in three of those games. These two teams are established as low-scoring, and when they play against each other on Saturday, they should have no trouble staying below the Over/Under.

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