2023 Week 8 Mid-Week CFB Betting Preview
A betting preview for the beginning of Week 8 of the 2023 college football season
Another week of college football is upon us after a riveting, and profitable, Week 7. Once again, we get the week started with some midweek action in Conference USA and the Sun Belt to distract from playoff baseball and early-season hockey. The games this week are not expected to be as competitive as last week as the top teams in each conference are beginning to distance themselves from the competition. A full accounting of my Week 7 picks can be found at the bottom of this post. Let’s get to football!
Week 7 Review
Two successful weeks in a row (not including Week 6 because I was absent) have pushed the season-long record back over .500. Totals continue to lead the way but picks against the spread are slowly making headway. This is the opposite of last year which started hot before leveling off mid-season. Of course, just as we reach the point in the season where we can begin to trust 2023 data, some teams will be starting to prepare for next year leading to more week-to-week volatility.
Week 8 Picks
Tuesday, October 17th
WKU at Jacksonville State, 6:30 PM CT
Pick: Jacksonville State +7.5, Under 58.5
Jacksonville State sustained injuries to both starting QBs and their starting RB in a loss to Liberty. That has caused the line in this game to balloon out to 7.5 points after opening at 4.5. This is a great spot to buy back in on the Gamecocks. Jacksonville State’s commitment to running the ball lines up well with a WKU defense that struggles against the run. It also has the added benefit of keeping the Hilltopers’ passing attack on the sideline. Of course, that was true prior to the injuries. While losing your starting QB is never good, neither Zion Webb nor Logan Smothers were particularly impactful when under center. Losing either one is not worth three points, especially not when it crosses the key number of 7. With that being said, I don’t expect the Jacksonville State offense to be very effective with an uncertain QB position, so I am also on the under.
Wednesday, October 18th
FIU at Sam Houston, 6:00 PM CT
Pick: FIU +5.5, Under 40.5
This seems like a slam dunk. Sam Houston, who is 0-6 on the season, is somehow a 5.5-point favorite against FIU. The fact that Sam Houston is favored at all is a surprise. When a line is this confusing, I tend to stay away as Vegas must know something that I don’t. Instead, I will hit the total. Sam Houston’s offense has been abysmal all year and has not been helped by a running back room that is down to a fourth-string RB and a converted QB. On the other side, FIU’s starting QB, Keyone Jenkins is legitimately one of the worst QBs in the league. The strength of this Sam Houston team is the defense (I know, low bar), so I at least think the Bearkats can keep the Panthers in check. However, the defense is not enough for me to back Sam Houston as a substantial favorite, so I will take the under.
Dogs of the (Mid)Week
Louisiana Tech came up just short last week, so I’m doubling down with two picks this week.
Jacksonville State +275 over WKU
FIU +170 over Sam Houston
Week 7 Picks Summary
Let me know what you think of my picks on Twitter @CFB_Connor. Thanks for reading! Good luck!