Friday Forecast: SDS Staff picks 5 Week 8 matchups against the spread
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Chaos rocked the nation in Week 7. What do we have in store for Week 8? Like always, the crew at Saturday Down South has locked in their picks for the 5 most intriguing matchups of the weekend, including Ole Miss at Texas and Houston at Utah, to name a few.
Let’s jump right in.
(All odds are via DraftKings, finalized on Thursday, October 22. Point spreads might not necessarily reflect current odds.)
Week 8 Picks ATS
Here’s how the SDS crew picked 5 college football games in Week 8 (against the spread).
Want to join the SDS crew and make some picks? Take a look at our guide of the best sports betting apps to score a sign-up bonus ahead of Week 8.
2026 Season Records
- Spenser Davis: 17-21
- Andy Olson: 15-23
- Adam Spencer: 17-21
- Ethan Stone: 28-10
LSU (-7.5) at Auburn
Spenser Davis: I’m happy to sell Auburn coming off of a relatively-flukey win at Georgia last week. Alex Golesh has done a nice job in Year 1, but I think Auburn will be out-classed here at home. PICK: LSU -7.5
Andy Olson: If I depended on these picks to make a living, I’d be unemployed and living with my parents. This week, I’m going to try George Costanza’s strategy and do the opposite.
The win over Georgia was impressive (and worthy of being ranked in the AP Top 25), but I’m not really on the Auburn bandwagon yet. I think LSU has the talent and coaching advantages in this one. I’m also not sure about Auburn being able to get up two weeks in a row, but I’ll pick the opposite of my gut feeling. PICK: Auburn +7.5
Adam Spencer: Auburn’s win over Georgia was incredible. I’m not trying to take away from that. But there were some lucky bounces and some turnover luck. I think the Tigers have some regression this week, even at home, and fall by 10 to LSU. PICK: LSU -7.5
Ethan Stone: I wouldn’t take either of these teams to win by more than a touchdown. I also think Auburn has figured out that Byrum Brown works best when he can build off designed runs and just be an elite athlete. Auburn is at home. Going to roll with the Tigers to keep their momentum. PICK: Auburn +7.5
Texas A&M at Alabama (-13.5)
Spenser Davis: I have some concerns about Alabama’s offense after 2 subpar weeks in a row. I know exactly what Texas A&M’s offense is, though — putrid. I would prefer to just bet the under in this game, but with this number being under 14, I’ll take the Tide. PICK: Alabama -13.5
Andy Olson: Texas A&M has been one of the SEC’s biggest disappointments this year. It wouldn’t surprise me if Alabama resumes lighting up the scoreboard now that it is back at Bryant-Denny Stadium (and doesn’t have to face the Georgia defense). But I’m committed to the opposite this week. PICK: Texas A&M +13.5
Adam Spencer: I still think Alabama is a great team. Playing at Tennessee and vs. Georgia in back-to-back weeks is brutal. Texas A&M is not good. Marcel Reed has been awful. Keelon Russell and the Tide keep their Playoff hopes alive with a big win at home. PICK: Alabama -13.5
Ethan Stone: Alabama has some frustrations to vent in front of a home crowd on Saturday. Texas A&M is a broken team right now, and Marcel Reed has failed to prove he can move the ball against a real team. I think the Tide win big: PICK: Alabama -13.5
Tennessee at South Carolina (-2.5)
Spenser Davis: South Carolina is pretty good at home but I think this Tennessee team is still very underrated. George MacIntyre isn’t anything special, but the Vols don’t need him to be anything but a game manager to win this game outright. PICK: Tennessee +2.5
Andy Olson: The stars feel aligned for South Carolina to knock off another ranked team. The Gamecocks should be confident after winning in The Swamp and they got to rest up while the Vols were playing Alabama. I’m not sure George MacIntyre is ready for a rocking Willy B. PICK: Tennessee +2.5
Adam Spencer: This is a classic “Vegas knows something I don’t know” spot. Why Tennessee isn’t favored in this game is baffling to me. I’m going to go with the Gamecocks to save the graphic and to cover my bases. PICK: South Carolina -2.5
Ethan Stone: This is such a classic letdown spot for Tennessee, and I’m not surprised in the least that the Gamecocks are favored at home. LaNorris Sellers appeared to flip a switch before the bye week. That said, the Gamecocks haven’t faced a defense like Tennessee’s this year – and Heupel has extra incentive to not allow another season to be blown against South Carolina. Vols squeak it out. PICK: Tennessee +2.5
Ole Miss at Texas (-3.5)
Spenser Davis: Time to buy low on a Texas team that has endured 2 flukey losses in a row. I think we see Arch Manning play much better at home and the Ole Miss defense is probably due for some regression after back-to-back brilliant performances against Vanderbilt and Mizzou. PICK: Texas -3.5
Andy Olson: I really don’t get why Texas is favored. But I will stick to my strategy for this week. PICK: Texas -3.5
Adam Spencer: Ole Miss just beat the hell out of my Missouri Tigers. Color me impressed. I’m not impressed by Texas the last couple of weeks. Rebels win by a touchdown. PICK: Ole Miss +3.5
Ethan Stone: One side has Trinidad Chambliss and the other has Arch Manning. And Ole Miss gets the points? Sure, winning on the road is tough, but Texas is moving backwards, folks. PICK: Ole Miss +3.5
Houston at Utah (-6.5)
Spenser Davis: I think Houston is live to win this game outright. The Utes have played one of the worst strength-of-schedules of any P4 team so far this season while Houston has been tested multiple times by quality opposition. I also really like backing Willie Fritz over Morgan Scalley, who we still don’t know much about as a head coach. PICK: Houston +6.5
Andy Olson: When I don’t have a strong feeling on a non-SEC game, I usually put my trust in SP+. Instead of going with the projected Utah cover, I’ll do the opposite. PICK: Houston +6.5
Adam Spencer: One does not simply walk into Salt Lake City and win. This Utah team hasn’t played anyone, sure. But the Utes have passed every test they’ve faced thus far. They’ll do the same against the Cougars. PICK: Utah -6.5
Ethan Stone: Houston is the best offense Utah has played by far this season. Both squads have a top 10 offense by total yards per game, and while Utah has blown out lesser teams, Houston has already been challenged against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in close games. I think this is a true coin flip, so I’ll take a close game and Houston with the points: PICK: Houston +6.5
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Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
