Week 8 continues with a loaded Saturday noon slate that features No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 3 Ohio State and UCF vs. No. 6 Oklahoma.
Our staff has three best bets for the early games, including picks for the two aforementioned conference matchups.
So, dive in below and get the top college football odds, best bets and picks for Saturday's noon slate.
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Week 8 College Football Noon Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from Saturday's noon slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
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| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
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Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Penn State vs. Ohio State
Ohio State backers can hide behind Kyle McCord’s QBR (87.2, 6th) or the Silver Bullets’ improvement in Year 2 under Jim Knowles, but the fact remains that this is a bad matchup for the Buckeyes.
For starters, they have injury issues to three key starters. Cornerback Denzel Burke and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka will both attempt to go in this game but could be limited. Likewise, running back TreVeyon Henderson is listed as questionable.
But even if the Buckeyes were at full strength, they’re going to struggle to consistently move the ball against this Penn State defense. Manny Diaz’s crew is the top-rated unit in both Success Rate and Havoc generated.
They’re far and away the best pass-rushing team in the country, sacking opposing passers 4.5 times per game.
McCord, protected by the nation’s 48th-rated pass-blocking offensive line (PFF), is sure to make a few dicey throws in this game. After all, he’s already thrown seven turnover-worthy passes this season and lost two fumbles in his last four starts.
And when Penn State has the ball, it’s done a masterful job protecting Drew Allar and the football. The Nittany Lions have just three giveaways in six games, and Allar has yet to throw an interception in his entire career.
The offense is content relying upon its offensive line and elite running back room to move the needle. According to Sports Info Solutions, Allar has attempted just 19 passes with at least 15 air yards out of 181 total attempts. This approach from Allar and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is deliberate.
Ohio State has been elite at limiting explosive plays, but Penn State is super comfortable dinking and dunking to move the football.
In a low-scoring affair, I’d prefer to back the better defense, better running game and quarterback who has looked unflappable in terms of protecting the football.
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Rutgers vs. Indiana
By Stuckey
Indiana let me down last week, but it was simply overmatched by Michigan in the Big House, despite a nice start following the bye week that saw the Hoosiers make a change at offensive coordinator.
You're just not going to win on the road with an extreme talent discrepancy when you commit four turnovers and have special teams blunders.
However, this week, Indiana will get to play at home against a team much closer to its own weight class in Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights have darted out to a 5-2 start, but the schedule has certainly been beneficial, with wins coming against Wagner, Temple, Virginia Tech, Northwestern and most recently, Michigan State in a game Rutgers needed two Sparty special teams mistakes to overcome a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Overall, the Knights have had a strength of schedule that I have ranked below the national average, while the Hoosiers have played one of the country's toughest schedules, with contests against Michigan, Louisville, Ohio State and Maryland already behind them.
This looks like a prime spot to fade a Rutgers team that has benefited from an easy schedule and will be playing its eighth straight game prior to its bye week.
Meanwhile, Indiana recently had its bye week and can tweak some things it tried out under a new offensive staff in a game it really needs to keep any real hopes of bowl eligibility alive.
Plus, this is still a horrendous Rutgers offense that will need to win by margin on the road in conference, which I'm more than fine making it prove it can do in a game with a sub-40 total where points will come at a premium.
Lastly, the Hoosiers have also had horrid fumble luck, so maybe a bounce or two will eventually go their way.
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UCF vs. Oklahoma
I love this spot for the Knights to hang tough in Norman.
John Rhys Plumlee is set to return at QB, and he brings an added dimension to the offense with his ability to use his legs to scramble for first downs and escape the pocket.
UCF is a much better team than its 0-3 Big 12 record suggests, and I think you’ll see Gus Malzahn pull out all the stops this week to ensure his team is ready to go.
Gus is no stranger to pulling off major upsets as an underdog going back to his time in Auburn.
On the Oklahoma side, yes it’s coming off a bye week, but I’m not so sure the timing of that bye is that great. The Sooners had all the momentum in the world after beating Texas in the Red River game, and now they’ve had to listen to everybody tell them how great they are for the last two weeks.
There are still some concerns on both sides of the ball for Brent Venables’ team, and it’s also important to note that leading WR Andrel Anthony is out for the year with a knee injury.
Give me the Knights to keep this one much closer than what this number suggests, in a game I actually believe they have a slight chance to win outright.
