College football picks: UNC, Michigan State worth backing as bold bets for Week 8
Here are three games to target when looking to make bold bets for Week 8 of the 2025 college football season
College football continued to deliver chaos in Week 7, headlined by Northwestern upsetting Penn State to push the Nittany Lions to fire James Franklin. The Wildcats were one of three bold bets we suggested ahead of Week 7 and they delivered beyond covering the spread. Here's a look at which games you should target in Week 8 of the college football season if you're trying to cash in on potential upsets.
North Carolina +10.5 vs. Cal (10:30 p.m. ET on Friday)
The Tar Heels did not envision the season going this way when they brought in Bill Belichick. The vibes in Chapel Hill are not great off the field either, with North Carolina's docuseries with Hulu seemingly being scrapped thanks to poor results. The reality is Belichick, like any coach, does need some time to figure things out. This is a game the Tar Heels can win, and Cal is coming off a bye week where the Bears potentially dismissed UNC. The SportsLine Projection Model has North Carolina covering in 57% of simulations.
UAB +21.5 vs. No. 22 Memphis (4 p.m. ET on Saturday)
As long as Memphis can win against South Florida on Oct. 25, the Tigers will likely be going to the AAC Championship game and potentially the playoff. Can they avoid a letdown against a bad UAB team this Saturday though? The Blazers have not been competent defensively, giving up 53 points to FAU in Week 7. I don't think Memphis looks past UAB because Ryan Silverfield has this team focused, but three touchdowns is a lot given how proficient the Blazers can be on offense.
Michigan State +26.5 vs. No. 3 Indiana (3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday)
There's really no great way to say this -- the Spartans are awful. Michigan State gave up 38 points to UCLA to give the Bruins their second win in a row and has fallen from its perch near the top of the Big Ten in the early 2010s. On the flip side, Indiana has reached its highest ranking ever in college football. It's not exactly a letdown spot, but there's a lot of hype and the Hoosiers could easily overlook Michigan State. I don't see the Spartans pulling off the upset, but they can make things interesting enough to cover this number. The Spartans cover in 55% of SportsLine simulations.
