Hedmann’s Campus Card: Week 8 College Football Picks

This week on the Campus Card, we are swinging for some of the bigger games across college football. The moneyline still leans toward a more niche matchup because the value is too strong to ignore, but as the season deepens, those hidden value bets are starting to dry up. So this week, we are going big.

On the card: a value moneyline play, a spread bet banking on a disappointing team staying true to form, an over pick featuring two 5-1 squads with plenty on the line, and a gut check on an undefeated team because college betting lines love to get weird.

Best Moneyline Bet: North Texas Mean Green (-176 vs UTSA Roadrunners)

North Texas is coming off a humbling loss to South Florida, giving up 63 points in a game where the defense completely folded. That defeat took some shine off their season and raised questions about balance on both sides of the ball.

Still, UTSA is not the team to expose them again. The 3-3 Roadrunners have dropped games to Temple and Texas State, both of whom are weaker than North Texas. The Mean Green offense should simply be too much for UTSA to handle, making this one of the safest moneyline bets on the board this week.

Best Spread Bet: SMU Mustangs (+9.5 at Clemson Tigers)

Both of these programs have been underwhelming at times, but each comes in on a mini hot streak with back-to-back wins. SMU has handled Syracuse and Stanford convincingly, while Clemson has steadied the ship with victories over Boston College and North Carolina.

That said, the Tigers have not proven they can handle a competent opponent yet, and SMU’s balance on offense makes them a strong play to cover +9.5. Clemson may still win, but the Mustangs have every chance to keep this one close.

Best Over/Under Bet: LSU Tigers at Vanderbilt Commodores (Over 48.5)

Vanderbilt’s undefeated run ended in a 14-point outing at Alabama on October 4th, but the Commodores have had a bye week to reset ahead of this Top 25 matchup. LSU also sits at 5-1 after a gritty 20-10 win over South Carolina.

While LSU has leaned on defense, Vanderbilt has been a scoring machine in nearly every other game. Expect both sides to trade punches here, pushing this total into the 50-to-55 range. The over feels like a sharp play in what should be one of the weekend’s more entertaining games.

Gut Check Bet: Ole Miss Rebels (+7.5 at Georgia Bulldogs)

Georgia being favored makes sense, but the matchup feels much closer than the line suggests. Ole Miss remains undefeated and will fight to protect that record, while Georgia has looked mortal in a few spots this season.

The wild card is quarterback Austin Simmons, who is not listed on the injury report but could still impact the Rebels’ plan. For now, Trinidad Chambliss is expected to start, with Lane Kiffin leaving the door open for Simmons to reclaim his job soon. Keep an eye on any late changes under center, but either way, this game has the feel of a one-score finish.

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