College Football Week 8 Player Props: 4 Saturday Picks for Phil Jurkovec, Elijhah Badger & Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images. Pictured: Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
- Saturday brings with it plenty of stellar games, which means plenty of player props with betting value.
- Our staff came through with four picks, including Boston College's Phil Jurkovec, UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Arizona State's Elijhah Badger.
- Check out all four college football player props and picks for Week 8 below.
Betting a college football slate like Week 8's isn't complete until a few player props litter the card. Luckily, we see plenty of value across the board.
Our staff came through with four player props for Saturday's college football slate. Whether you're looking to make some money on a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in Dorian Thompson-Robinson or you're hoping to cash in on a player who has struggled (sorry, Phil Jurkovec), we have you covered.
Check out all four of our top player props below — and be sure to check out our 13 other best bets for the noon, afternoon and evening kickoff windows.
Let's have a day.
College Football Player Props for Week 8
In the table below, you'll find each of our college football staff's top player prop picks from Saturday's slate of games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Specific bet 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. | ||
UCLA vs. Oregon
 3:30 p.m. ET ET Saturday, Oct. 22 FOX  |
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson Passing Yards
UCLA senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is quietly off to one of the best starts this college football season, working his way into the Heisman conversation. Thompson-Robinson has earned that reputation as a downfield threat with excellent decision-making.
Through six games, he has thrown for 1,510 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
In Pac-12 play, Thompson-Robinson has averaged 282 yards per game and has thrown nine touchdowns to just one interception.
In his last outing against Utah, Thompson-Robinson was excellent, throwing for 299 yards, four touchdowns and one interception on 18-of-23 passing..
This week, Thompson-Robinson gets a favorable matchup against an Oregon passing defense that ranks 113th in the nation, allowing 275.3 yards per game through the air. Additionally, the Ducks' secondary has surrendered 13 passing touchdowns this season, tying them for 92nd in FBS passing touchdowns allowed.
Thompson-Robinson is the second-most accurate passer in FBS with an astonishing completion rate of 74.8%. The quarterback’s accuracy will be paramount for the Bruins on Saturday afternoon as they look to defend their perfect record and keep an eye on the College Football Playoff.
Look for Thompson-Robinson to easily surpass this 265.5-yard prop in a favorable matchup against a leaky secondary. I expect Thompson-Robinson to have at least 300 yards in his game, as Chip Kelly will put the game in the senior quarterback's hands.
Pick: Dorian Thompson-Robinson Over 263.5 Passing Yards · Play to 300
UCLA vs. Oregon
3:30 p.m. ET ET Saturday, Oct. 22 FOX |
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson Passing Yards
By Cody Goggin
This week, I’m looking to the biggest matchup of the week for my favorite prop.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is having the best season of his five-year career and has been throwing the ball better than just about anyone in the country.
UCLA has the best Success Rate in the entire country when throwing the ball. It ranks eighth in EPA per dropback, as Thompson-Robinson is averaging 0.44 EPA per dropback.
Oregon’s defense has struggled to defend the pass all season. It ranks 118th in the country in Success Rate against the pass and 121st in EPA per dropback.
Part of this mismatch that should also help UCLA is in the trenches. UCLA ranks 11th in pass-blocking grade, per PFF, while Oregon ranks 104th in pass-rush grade. Without much pressure, DTR should have all day to pass.
The Ducks allow 275.3 passing yards per game. If DTR does what every other quarterback this year has done against Oregon, he would hit this over. Odds are that Thompson-Robinson exceeds the average and goes well over this total, making this a good play for me.
Thompson-Robinson has exceeded this total in each of his last two games, which were both high-scoring conference games. With a total of 70.5, there should be plenty of offense in this one.
The Bruins are currently six point underdogs, so there may end up being a situation where Thompson-Robinson has to throw more due to the game script as well.
I could see him going well over 300 yards this weekend and putting himself into the Heisman conversation.
Pick: Dorian Thompson-Robinson Over 263.5 Passing Yards · Play to 279.5
Boston College vs. Wake Forest
 3:30 p.m. ET ET Saturday, Oct. 22 ACC Network  |
QB Phil Jurkovec Passing Yards
It’s been a nightmare first half of the season for the Boston College offense that’s averaging just 20 points per game.
That’s due to an offensive line that has been the anchor to the program. The Eagles had to replace all five starters during the offseason and the new group has struggled mightily.
The rushing attack is averaging only 2.2 yards per carry and 70 yards per game. That has put extra pressure on Jurkovec and the passing offense, and they haven’t delivered.
Jurkovec has had three starts where he’s thrown for over 300 yards. But that came against Louisville, Maine and Rutgers. Against Virginia Tech, Florida State and Clemson Jurkovec completed 53% of his passes while averaging only 4.7 yards per attempt.
Jurkovec has had no time in the pocket, as he’s been hit 35 times resulting in 22 sacks. Now he must match up against the No. 1 pass rush in the country, and it’s hard to imagine his offensive line that ranks outside the top 100 holding up.
In this matchup last year, Jurkovec completed 3-of-11 passes for a whopping 19 yards. I’m anticipating a similar result this season as the Eagles offense has taken a massive step backward.
Pick: Phil Jurkovec Under 207.5 Passing Yards · Play to 200.5
Arizona State vs. Stanford
 4 p.m. ET ET Saturday, Oct. 22 Pac-12 Network  |
WR Elijhah Badger Receiving Yards
The Sun Devils sparked the passing game in their Week 6 upset over Washington.
Badger was an integral part, snagging seven passes for 54 yards and two scores. He quietly has at least five receptions in four of the last five despite playing a quadrant of ranked opponents.
Badger scored his first collegiate touchdown against Stanford last year. He should provide fits yet again for a Cardinal defense that ranks in the bottom 25 nationally in yards per reception allowed.
Arizona State’s new coaching staff has stressed running more uptempo, and though you have to squint to see the progress, the Sun Devils are averaging more plays over the last three than they did in the first four with Herm Edwards at the post.
Badger has 31 receptions this year, 13 more than the next-closest Arizona State receiver.
I love the prospects of playing a target-heavy skill player in a potential track meet.
Pick: Elijhah Badger Over 56.5 Receiving Yards · Play to 62.5
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