The 2026-27 college football season rolls on with a loaded Saturday slate of games on tap! It’s time to lock in our CFB best bets today before the action gets underway. Check out these CFB picks for Saturday’s college football Week 8 slate on October 24th. Without further ado, let’s jump into this week’s top CFB predictions.

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Saturday, 10/24

Our CFB best bets today start with South Carolina hosting Tennessee in an SEC matchup. Plus, Houston takes on Utah in a marquee Big 12 showdown of Top 25 squads. Check out more CFB picks below for the rest of this Saturday’s action. Good luck!  

 

 

 

Tennessee vs. South Carolina Prediction: Saturday, October 24th

Tennessee is coming off one of its biggest wins under head coach Josh Heupel. The Volunteers took care of rival Alabama, 26-10, at home last week. The victory has vaulted them up to 11th in this week’s AP rankings. The Vols now hit the road for a sneaky-tough matchup against South Carolina. Let’s break it down for our CFB best bets today. 

Despite Tennessee’s massive win and current ranking, it’s now a road underdog against the 3-3 Gamecocks this weekend. Do the oddsmakers know something? Let’s count on it. Simply put, it’s worth fading the Volunteers in a poor situational and letdown spot. Plus, South Carolina is trending up and has what it takes to win this game. 

Let’s examine Tennessee first. Last week’s victory was impressive, but it also might’ve been more about how bad Alabama looked. The Tide gained just 201 total yards on offense, went 3-for-16 on third/fourth downs, and turned it over 4 times. Give credit to the Vols, of course, but Bama also came in banged up and reeling off the previous Georgia loss. 

Before that win, Tennessee was playing with fire against prior opponents. The Volunteers had just a 3-point lead over Auburn late in the fourth quarter, but ultimately won by 10 thanks to some questionable decision-making by the Tigers. They were also out-gained by Auburn in that victory. The Vols then edged out a bad Arkansas team, 24-17, in a game that was tied in the final 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, South Carolina is coming off a bye week and will be hungry to get its season back on track. The Gamecocks beat Florida by 19 points on the road before their bye to end a 3-game losing streak. They were previously underperforming, but the offense looked much better against the Gators. 

South Carolina’s offense is the key in this week’s matchup. At their best, the Gamecocks can be tough to stop. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was playing with more confidence against Florida, throwing for 272 yards and 4 TDs. Plus, tailback Matt Fuller and Sellers’ dual-threat ability provide a threat and stability in the run game. 

Tennessee brings in a strong defense, but South Carolina has the offensive firepower to put up a fight. The Gamecocks actually rank 24th nationally in offensive EPA/Play and 18th in offensive success rate. They grade out well and can exploit some cracks that Tennessee’s defense has shown at times this year. 

On the other side, the Volunteers’ offense has some question marks right now. There’s uncertainty at quarterback, with George MacIntyre putting up inconsistent numbers in place of Faizon Brandon. We’ll see who starts this week, but the Vols still rank 123rd in passing success rate this year. South Carolina has struggled to defend the pass, but Tennessee doesn’t have the air attack to exploit that. 

All in all, South Carolina is the pick to win. The Gamecocks’ rest and prep advantage is notable, especially since Tennessee is in prime let-down territory following last week’s emotional rivalry win. Let’s follow the odds and back the home squad.  

Houston vs. Utah Prediction: Saturday, October 24th

Let’s turn our attention to a late-night showdown between #14 Houston and #10 Utah. This is a massive game in the Big 12, with the 6-0 Utes hosting the 6-1 Cougars. The winner would be in great standing for the College Football Playoff, especially if Utah stays undefeated. The game total is our focus for the CFB best bets today. 

Houston boasts one of the sport’s most potent offenses. The Cougars rank 4th nationally in offensive success rate, 5th in offensive EPA/Play, and 10th in total yards per game. They’re also averaging 33 points per game vs. FBS opponents (29th in the country). Quarterback Conner Weigman is anchoring the high-scoring attack with 20 passing TDs and 6 rushing scores over the first 7 games.  

Utah’s defense might present the toughest test Houston has faced this year. Even so, we should expect the Cougs to move the ball and score. The Utes have shown some cracks defensively lately. They allowed 24 points apiece and nearly 400 total yards to both Colorado and Kansas in the last two weeks. Houston has a much better offense than those opponents. 

Meanwhile, Houston’s own defense has struggled in its two hardest matchups. The Cougars allowed 32 points and 499 total yards to Oklahoma State last week. They also gave up 28 points and 425 total yards to Texas Tech earlier this season. Houston ranks 111th nationally in defensive EPA/Play, as those struggles show. 

The Cougs especially have issues against the pass, ranking 130th in passing yards allowed per game and 115th in success rate vs. the pass. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier can slice up this pass defense. He owns a 73.1% completion rate and 10:2 TD:INT ratio at home this year. Plus, Dampier’s dual-threat ability and the Utes’ dangerous run game with tailback Wayshawn Parker could give Houston problems. 

Take the over for this Top 25 matchup. Both Houston and Utah can score 30+ points in what may quickly turn into an offensive shootout. The over is 5-2 in Houston’s games this season, and 4-2 for Utah. Let’s bank on another on Saturday night. 

 

 

 

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