We’re entering the home stretch of college football’s regular season. One of the benefits (or drawbacks) of a 12-team playoff format is that plenty of teams are still in the hunt at the season’s midway point. However, the next few weeks of in-conference play will weed out the contenders from the pretenders. In Week 7, we saw a slew of massive, sport-altering upsets take place. Which CFB underdogs will shock the world this Saturday?
Let’s break down two plus money picks on DraftKings Sportsbook that could pull off an upset in Week 8.
Best CFB Upset Picks for Week 8
Michigan ML (+235) vs Indiana
You’d be forgiven for expressing some skepticism about this Michigan crew. After all, things have gotten so bad on offense that quarterback Bryce Underwood has been benched. In his place, freshman Tommy Carr is expected to get the start this weekend. As if that wasn’t dicey enough, the Wolverines will be hosting defending national champion Indiana. The Hoosiers will come into this one with a chip on their shoulder, having come up just short last week against Ohio State. On paper, there’s not a ton of reason to back the home team.
With that being said, Michigan remains one of the nation’s most formidable defensive units. Kyle Whittingham’s squad is allowing a Big Ten-best 256.5 yards per game to opponents. UM has given up the conference’s fourth-fewest yards per pass attempt (5.8) and third-fewest yards per carry (2.68). No team has scored more than 20 points in a game against the Wolverines, and there’s reason to believe that will continue at home.
Indiana hasn’t been lighting the world on fire in recent weeks. The champs eked out one possession wins over Northwestern and Nebraska before a sluggish showing at home against OSU. Quarterback Josh Hoover has struggled, completing just over half of his pass attempts during the team’s two most recent matchups. It’s hard to imagine he’ll turn things around this afternoon against a sticky Michigan secondary. As for the Wolverines, a midseason QB change is never a great sign. However, it’s not like things can get much worse without Underwood, who leads the Big Ten with six interceptions. If UM’s backfield finds a few running lanes to work with, a low-scoring victory is within reach.
Rice (+270) at Florida Atlantic
Rice isn’t a very good football team, coming into Saturday with a 1-6 record. Regardless, this week presents the perfect conditions for an AAC upset. If there’s one thing this group does well, it’s running the ball. Head coach Scott Abell’s guys are gaining 239.0 rushing yards per game. That’s the third-best mark among all 14 American Conference schools. Quarterback Jacurri Brown doesn’t offer much as a pocket passer. However, he’s gained a whopping 669 yards and six touchdowns with his legs. Traditional running backs Tyvonn Byars and D’Andre Hardeman have also combined for 610 rushing yards and three scores of their own this season.
Obviously, a run-first game plan works much better when you possess a lead. If Rice falls behind early, passing isn’t exactly their forte. It’s a far different story for FAU, a team that loves slinging the rock. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp leads the American with 161 pass completions, racking up 1,745 passing yards and 15 touchdowns in the process. However, this offense is a bit of a one-man show. The Owls are averaging a conference-worst 3.29 yards per rush attempt. Things haven’t been much better on the other side of the ball, either. Florida Atlantic is giving up 416.5 yards per game to opponents, third-highest in the American. Last week, Army’s triple-option run game gashed the Owls en route to a 56-24 win.
As if that wasn’t enough for FAU, there’s a chance of rain and strong winds in Boca Raton. Whether or not that comes to fruition, Rice should remain committed to pounding the rock. To boot, the visitors are allowing a modest 6.6 yards per pass attempt to opposing quarterbacks. Veltkamp will likely need to move the ball with short passes rather than deep shots downfield. That plays into Rice’s efforts to keep the clock ticking. Add it all up, and there’s never been a better time than Saturday to fade Florida Atlantic.
