Six Pack of CFB Week 8 Player Prop Picks

With four games featuring two ranked teams against each other, Week 8 of the college football schedule is shaping up to be a fun slate of games. In addition to those contests, rivalry games – like No. 2 Michigan at Michigan State – will give bettors plenty to choose from this Saturday.
Through Week 7, this author has connected on 75% of his player prop bets. Oddsmakers sometimes overlook different aspects of a player’s game, meaning some wagers are sneaky-good picks that savvy bettors snap up.
So without further adieu, here are this week’s Six Pack of CFB player prop bets.
Oklahoma Sooners QB Dillon Gabriel UNDER 29.5 Rushing Yards
Heisman candidate Dillon Gabriel has been everything Oklahoma has needed and more during the team’s 6-0 start to the 2023 season. In his last game against Texas, the Sooners QB threw for 285 yards while rushing for a season-best 113 yards on 14 carries to lead his team to a 34-30 victory over the Longhorns.
This week’s contest against UCF looks to be one of Oklahoma’s easier opponents remaining on the schedule. UCF’s defense is porous against good rushing teams.
In their past three Big 12 contests, the Knights have given up 833 rushing yards to opponents and 13 rushing TDs. The Sooners will rely on RBs Tawee Walker and Marcus Major while Gabriel focuses on passing – not rushing – to lead his team to victory.
Tennessee Volunteers QB Joe Milton III OVER 190.5 Passing Yards
Offensively, the Tennessee Volunteers prefer to run the football. RBs Jaylen Wright (80 carries, 571 yards) and Jabari Small (65 carries, 359 yards) lead the Volunteers on the ground. Through the air, QB Joe Milton III has led Tennessee with 1,264 passing yards, completing 62% of his throws with 10 TDs and 4 INTs on the year.
Alabama’s defense has geared up to stop opponents’ ground game during their last two contests. Against Texas A&M and Arkansas, the Crimson Tide allowed 165 yards combined on 56 carries for a 2.4 yards per rush average.
Expect the Tide to again buckle down on Tennessee’s fantastic running game. With the Volunteers forced to find yards through the air, expect Milton to somewhat easily exceed the 190.5 passing yards Saturday in this ranked versus ranked rivalry game.
West Virginia Mountaineers QB Garrett Greene OVER 46.5 Rushing Yards
Through six games, West Virginia has shown their offensive identity is a run-oriented offense as the Mountaineers have rushed almost twice as much as they’ve passed the ball.
RB C.J. Donaldson leads the team with 103 carries for 414 yards while QB Garrett Greene is second on the team with 45 carries for 231 yards and five scores. Oklahoma State enters the game vastly improved since the start of the season, but the Cowboys are susceptible to running QBs.
Against Kansas State, QB Will Howard rushed for 104 yards on 10 carries and a score. Expect Greene to become the second running QB to find success against the Oklahoma State defense, rushing for at least 47 yards Saturday.
Virginia Cavaliers WR Malik Washington OVER 88.5 Receiving Yards
North Carolina – ranked No. 10 at 6-0 – is one of the hottest teams in the country. The Tar Heels have five victories by more than 10 points this season and continue to roll through the ACC schedule.
Up next for UNC is the Virginia Cavaliers. After notching their first victory of the season, UVA will look to continue their win streak behind senior QB Tony Muskett. In his two games starting, Muskett has completed 65% of his passes for 479 yards and five scores. His top target in those games is WR Malik Washington.
For five consecutive games, Washington has eclipsed the 88.5 receiving mark, notching over 100 yards in four of those five games. Expect more of the same this week as Washington remains the clear-cut favorite in the Cavaliers passing attack.
Michigan Wolverines RB Blake Corum UNDER 93.5 Rushing Yards
The No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines operate a run-first offense, evidenced with more than 64% of their plays occurring on the ground. Wolverine RB Blake Corum is the clear beneficiary of Michigan’s predilection to run as the senior has accumulated 546 yards and 12 TDs on 96 carries in 2023.
While Michigan State does own a 2-4 record, the Spartans are better than that mark suggests. Their four losses have come to undefeated Washington, a ranked Iowa team that is 6-1, and two 5-2 teams in Rutgers and Maryland. Although the Huskies dominated Michigan State from start to finish, the Spartans’ defense rebounded against Iowa and Rutgers to make those contests close.
Playing in a rivalry game with their season – one that started with New Year's Day bowl aspirations – in tatters, Michigan State will be a dangerous team for the Wolverines to play. Expect the Spartans to try and force QB J.J. McCarthy to beat them, limiting Corum’s rushing total Saturday.
USC Trojans QB Caleb Williams OVER 274.5 Passing Yards
After a hot start to the season, USC QB Caleb Williams has cooled in his recent games. The 2022 Heisman winner is 37-of-62 for 418 yards, two TDs and three INTs against Arizona and Notre Dame with the latter opponent giving the Trojans their first loss of the season.
Expect Williams to get back on track when the Trojans host Utah. Although the Utes have surrendered only an average of 211 passing yards through six games, Williams torched Utah in their two meetings last season.
The then-sophomore QB threw for 744 passing yards, eight TDs and only one INT in those meetings, giving bettors confidence he can do so again Saturday.