Week 7 college football PrizePicks were profitable, with three of four predictions hitting and the one loss due to a unique situation where Jawhar Jordan went from playing to DNP to playing then leaving the game after one series on offense. On to Week 8! There are two matchups of ranked teams: An SEC battle between Tennessee and Alabama and a battle of unbeatens, with No. 7 Penn State visiting No. 3 Ohio State. There are a handful of games and picks to choose from, so let’s take a look at the best college football PrizePicks plays for Saturday’s slate of games.
With the assistance of OddsShopper’s PrizePicks optimizer, I’ve designed these plays to help you make informed choices and maximize your chances of success. If you aren’t on PrizePicks yet, you can find the best PrizePicks promo code here.
College Football PrizePicks Predictions for Week 8
Jonathon Brooks, Texas, More/Less Than 115.5 Rushing Yards
Brooks has been on a tear since the Alabama game in Week 2. In his last three games, he has totaled 453 rushing yards and five touchdowns. This number may seem high until you realize he’s averaging 121 rushing yards a game for the full season. Coming off a loss to Oklahoma, Texas needs to score as many points as possible if they want to stay in the hunt for the final four, and Houston is just the opponent to do it against.
Of the 68 schools in the Power Five, Houston ranks 63rd in tackling. Brooks has 16 carries of 10 yards or more and is likely to add to that against Houston. Brooks ranks ninth in rushing yards and has the second-best elusiveness rating in the country. Houston has allowed four different players to rush for 100 yards or more in its six games. The Cougars allow 162 rushing yards and 31.5 points per game, and Texas is favored by 23.5 points in a game with a total set at 61.
This is not the first time Brooks has been a target here, and it will not be the last.
College Football PrizePicks Play: Jonathon Brooks More Than 115.5 Rushing Yards
Katin Houser, Michigan State, More/Less Than 145.5 Passing Yards
East Lansing will be up early and rowdy for this one, this is basically the national championship game this season for Michigan State. The Spartans will host undefeated and No. 2-ranked Michigan in what is supposed to be a rivalry game. The Spartans have won two of the last three games but were beaten 29-7 last year in Ann Arbor. However, this team is a mess; it fired its coach after two games and has lost four straight after starting 2-0.
In his first career start last week, quarterback Katin Houser threw for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 29 attempts in a loss to Rutgers. Rutgers’ defense is not Michigan. The Wolverines have a top-3 defense in the country, allowing just 233 total yards per game and a CFB-low 6.7 points per game. Only two quarterbacks in seven games have thrown for more than 150 yards, and neither was able to reach 200 against this secondary. Michigan ranks third in pass rush and ninth in coverage in the nation.
Michigan is favored by 24.5 points in a game with a total of just 45.5.
College Football PrizePicks Play: Katin Houser Less Than 145.5 Passing Yards
Brady Cook, Missouri, More/Less Than 284.5 Passing Yards
Cook is coming off a game against Kentucky where Missouri had 37 passing snaps, its fewest since Week 4. It ran a more balanced offense with 34 rushing attempts, while Cook ran for 60 yards and a score on the ground. This week will be a different story against South Carolina, who has allowed 30 or more points in each of its last three games. Their defense is bad, second worst in the SEC, and its coverage ranks 13th worst in the Power Five. South Carolina allows 321 passing yards per game, the most in college football. It has allowed two quarterbacks to throw for more than 400 yards.
Cook has thrown for more than 341 yards four times this season. He ranks top 10 in passing yards, completion percentage and yards per attempt. Missouri is a 7.5-point favorite in a game with a total of 60. South Carolina likes to air it out, and this game could turn into a shootout if the Gamecocks can be efficient on offense. Bettors on the books are heavy on the over on this one, and it’s likely to get bumped up before game time.
College Football PrizePicks Play: Brady Cook More Than 284.5 Passing Yards
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina, More/Less Than 17.5 Rushing Yards
It’s always a good idea to stack high-total games, and that’s exactly the play here. Although the Gamecocks are 7.5-point underdogs, Missouri’s defense isn’t great and has allowed opposing quarterbacks to succeed on the ground. It has allowed four quarterbacks to rush for 20 yards or more, including Jayden Daniels, who ran for 130 yards. Missouri did hold Kentucky’s Devin Leary to 8 yards last week, but he still managed to score a rushing touchdown.
Rattler averages 21.5 rushing yards per game, and that includes a game where he suffered nine sacks and negative-22 yards against North Carolina (side note: College football really needs to stop counting sacks as negative rushing yards). All the juice on the books is on the over on this pick, and Rattler has gone over this number in four straight games.
College Football PrizePicks Play: Spencer Rattler More Than 17.5 Rushing Yards
Jase McClellan, Alabama, More/Less Than 12.5 Fantasy Score
Alabama will host SEC rival Tennessee as an 8.5-point favorite. The total for this game isn’t very high at 48, but the Alabama defense is going to put McClellan in a position to score lots of points in the red zone.
He leads all Alabama backs in snaps, yards and touchdowns. He’s not much of a threat in the receiving game but does have at least one catch in every game since Week 1. He was on the field for 26 rushing snaps last week, six more than his previous season high. He also logged the second-most snaps for a position player, behind Jermaine Burton. His rushing projection is at 69.5 yards on all the books, 5 yards more than his season average. Stokastic projections have McClellan at 19.15 fantasy points, 6.5 more than this number.
College Football PrizePicks Play: Jase McClellan More Than 12.5 Fantasy Points
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