NCAAF betting: What to look for in CFB Week 8

Before you get drawn in by those fancy cleats ...

... there are some things you should know about the No. 2 Oregon Ducks, who are 27.5-point favorites at DraftKings against the host Purdue Boilermakers on Friday. 

Oregon is 2-4-0 ATS despite being undefeated this season, per Covers. Additionally, Sporting News notes that the Ducks failed to cover the spread twice this season when they were favored by over 20 points. Those games were against UCLA and Michigan State, both Big Ten opponents.

This isn't too say that the Ducks won't keep rolling after after that very emotional win against No. 3 Ohio State in Week 7. Dan Lanning's team is going up against a Purdue side that is 1-5-0 in the standings and 2-4-0 ATS. Sporting News adds that the Boilermakers rush defense ranks last in the conference, allowing 228.8 yards per game on the ground.

The stage is set for the Ducks to advance to 7-0 on the season on Friday. Given their ATS record and the fact they are traveling on short rest, however, you may not want to back them to cover the spread.

Another undefeated team that could fail to cover ...

... is No. 13 BYU, which DK lists as the 9.5-point favorite at home on Friday against Oklahoma State.

The undefeated Cougars are also 6-0-0 ATS this season. They are going up against a Cowboys team that is 0-3 in Big 12 play and lost three straight games going into their Week 7 bye.

So why wouldn't BYU cover here? Because of their defense, especially if running back Ollie Gordon gets going.

"[BYU] has a +7 turnover margin this season, which offsets an offense that is 58th in EPA/Play this season," Sports Illustrated explains. "The defense has been sturdy, mainly against the pass, but is outside the top 60 in both EPA/Rush and tackles for loss on the season." 

Sporting News also reminds us that Oklahoma State beat BYU 40-34 last season.

The Cougars should win here but the Cowboys have the tools to hang tough if Gordon can shoulder the workload. Shy away from backing BYU to cover on Friday.

A Heisman hopeful to keep an eye on...

... is Cam Ward as No. 6 Miami comes out of its bye week to visit Louisville as a 5-point favorite at DK.

Miami is a perfect 6-0-0 on the season but 3-3-0 ATS and failed to cover in close calls against Virginia Tech and Cal ahead of the bye week. Ward has a 6-3 TD-INT ratio over those two games and got sacked three times in each contest.

The Texas native still has a 91.8 QBR according to ESPN and is listed at +650 odds at DK to win the Heisman behind Ashton Jeanty (+210), Dillon Gabriel (+320) and Travis Hunter (+550). He needs to be sharp on Saturday for his stock to rise.

If you're looking to back him in any way on Saturday, DK lists him at +125 odds to be an anytime TD scorer.

The popular bet to cover in an intriguing SEC battle ...

... may surprise you. Or maybe it won't, but it can at least help you decide which team to back on Saturday.

No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Tennessee were both top-5 teams in the AP poll just a couple of weeks ago and are each looking to climb back up the mountain. The Crimson Tide are 3-point road favorites against their SEC rival after the Vols offense struggled over the last two weeks. Not to mention that Nico Iamaleava has thrown just one touchdown pass in three conference games this season.

However, bettors don't see the Crimson Tide running away with Saturday's game.

According to SI, 58% of bets are behind Tennessee to either keep within the close spread or beat 'Bama outright. It's possible bettors don't trust Alabama's defense, which is fourth-worst in the conference after allowing 342.5 yards per game this season per ESPN.

This matchup is set up to be an exciting game and one that will be hard to bet on given the stakes. If you're one to follow the crowd with your bets, however, the Vols are the popular pick to keep things interesting in Week 8.