Welcome to Week 8.
There are so many good college football games today, and it all starts with the Noon slate.
Our staff of college football experts has spent the week grinding tape, breaking down the numbers, and creating the best gambling content possible.
Here are some of our favorite college football picks and NCAAF Best Bets for the noon window on Saturday, October 18.
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College Football Picks, 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.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
  | 12 p.m. | |
 | Noon | |
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. | ||
Washington vs Michigan Pick
Without Justice Haynes in the lineup for Michigan, the question remains: Can the Wolverines generate offense outside of quarterback Bryce Underwood?
The Michigan signal-caller is the third leading rusher on the team, but has generated just 80 yards through zone read and an additional 127 off scrambles.
Slot Semaj Morgan and wideout Donaven McCulley may receive an upgraded target share, as both combine to average less than 10 per game with only three touchdowns on the season.
Notably, Underwood has been fantastic against Cover 3 with a 59% Success Rate. Washington spends a considerable amount of time flipping between Cover 1 and Cover 3 under defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.
The Huskies will have success of their own moving the ball with Demond Williams and Jonah Coleman on outside zone reads. The Wolverines have been taken advantage of at the edge position, posting a low 44% Success Rate against outside zone.
Washington holds the statistical advantage in creating methodical drives and finishing in the red zone, while also ranking sixth in the FBS in terms of converting third downs.
However, the situational spot cannot be ignored from the perspectives of kickoff time and geography.
Washington has struggled with travel across multiple time zones in Big Ten play, failing to log a win in four games at Iowa, Rutgers, Indiana, and Penn State in 2024.
In this season's first trip out east, the Huskies failed to score in the first half against Maryland and averaged eight fewer points in first-half scoring on the season.
With a 9 a.m. PT kickoff, look for Michigan to have the edge despite the potential loss of Haynes.
Check out Collin's full Washington-Michigan breakdown and more bets in his full Week 8 card:
Pick: Michigan 1H -3 (-110, bet365)
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Central Michigan vs Bowling Green Pick
By Stuckey
I bet on Bowling Green last week and still have no idea how the Falcons covered double digits, let alone won the game outright, after trailing, 21-0, in a game that finished with more than 200 fewer yards.
That unlikely comeback marked the first time in 76 tries they came back from a deficit of three touchdowns over the past 20 seasons.
Toledo is going to Toledo under head coach Jason Candle, but it also took a flukey screen pass for a touchdown to end the half, a fumble at the one-yard line, and a trick play late in the second half (in addition to a couple of red-zone stops) to get there.
Other than that, the offense looked completely dysfunctional under backup quarterback Lucian Anderson III, who can't throw the ball downfield.
Original starting quarterback Drew Pyne was in a boot last week. I'm expecting him to miss this week, but his status remains up in the air.
While Pyne isn't great by any stretch, he's still a few points better than Anderson.
Both of these defenses are much better suited to stop the run, despite having severe deficiencies in the secondary. Well, in a matchup of Joe Labas vs. Lucian Anderson, the Chips would certainly hold an edge in their ability to complete passes downfield.
However, don't expect many of those on Saturday in Wood County in a matchup of two of the most run-heavy and slowest teams in the country. Points should come at a premium, which certainly makes the 'dog even more intriguing.
Plus, the situational spot significantly favors CMU.
While BG might come out a bit flat after an improbable comeback over its rival, Central Michigan could benefit immensely from its bye week, which I believe holds substantially more value for a team that had to deal with massive roster and staff turnover in the offseason (as CMU did).
Expect plenty of new wrinkles in one of the nation's most diverse rushing attacks under head coach Matt Drinkall, who should also fix some things along a struggling offensive line in a brand-new scheme.
The Chips also have some potentially significant looming late-down regression on both sides of the ball based on their early-down data, while the opposite is true for the Falcons.
I don't have hardly anything separating these two very similarly built teams with new head coaches, so I'll take the points in an ideal spot with a low total, especially with Pyne's status in doubt.
Check out all of Stuckey's situational spots for Week 8:
Pick: Central Michigan +3.5 (-110, bet365)
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Army vs. Tulane Pick
Army’s wins this season have come against a worn-down Kansas State team after its trip to Ireland and the two worst teams in the conference, UAB and Charlotte.
The Black Knights have taken a big step back from last year’s magical run.
Tulane was embarrassed by Army in the American Championship game last season, where the Black Knights ran up the score.
I expect the Green Wave to return the favor.
Jake Retzlaff has moved the ball at will with his arm and legs. He has a trio of talented receivers to throw to, but the running game has been the team’s strength. Retzlaff has rushed for 388 yards and seven touchdowns, while four running backs are averaging at least 20 yards per game — Javin Gordon is the lead man behind a great front five.
Meanwhile, Army ranks 98th nationally in Success Rate allowed. The two best offenses the Knights have faced shredded them for over six yards per play. This is an excellent game for Retzlaff to get the passing game going, as Army ranks 105th nationally in Explosiveness allowed.
Tulane has scored at least 28 points in four of its six games this season. The Wave should have scored at least 28 last year if not for a fumble on the two-yard line and a failed fourth-down conversion at the six-yard line.
The Wave should drop 30 on Saturday.
Check out all of Ianniello's G5 picks for Week 8:
Pick: Tulane TT o27.5 (-115, DraftKings)
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Georgia Tech vs Duke Pick
By Doug Ziefel
The Duke Blue Devils have been very good to me this season, as I have backed them on multiple occasions.
A big reason behind their success is quarterback Darian Mensah.
Mensah has revitalized this offense and made it a real threat in the ACC. Mensah ranks 32nd nationally in completion percentage and 31st in yards per pass. However, he's also 22nd in interception rate and has been sacked less than 5% of the time.
He has earned the right to have the ball in his hands a ton, as he's averaging 34 pass attempts per game. We should see him get close to that average in a tight game against a ranked Georgia Tech team, where the Blue Devils may be trailing at times.
While the Blue Devils profile for success on the ground, they are very comfortable letting Mensah drop back 30 times, and in this caliber of a matchup, they will need that from him if they want to win.
Pick: Darian Mensah Over 29.5 Pass Attempts (-115, bet365)
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Duck's Full Action App Card For Week 8
Speaking of Duck — if you need more picks for Saturday's slate, it's always wise to check out his full Saturday card on the Action Network App.
Additionally, if you haven't already, make sure you download the free award-winning Action Network App to track all your bets and tail all of your favorite experts:
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