Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica’s 2024 College Football Week 8 ‘Bear Bytes’ promises thrilling moments for football enthusiasts and bettors eager to explore engaging wagering opportunities.
He has already shared his top picks for the Week 8 matchups, but it’s time to add a twist with his entertaining “Bear Bytes.”
These “bytes” serve as intriguing tidbits, offering fun conversation starters for football gatherings with friends and family or lively discussions at work. Here are the standout points that caught his attention during research.
(All times ET)
No. 5 Georgia @ No. 1 Texas
Home teams have triumphed in eight of the last nine regular-season clashes between top-five ranked teams, with Ohio State’s defeat to Michigan in 2022 being the only exception.
No. 6 Miami @ Louisville
Miami has struggled to cover the spread in the week leading up to their matchup against Florida State for the past three seasons. Despite being favored, the Canes lost to North Carolina State last year and narrowly won against Virginia and Georgia Tech in the previous two seasons.
No. 7 Alabama @ No. 11 Tennessee
For the first time since 2008, Alabama enters this game not favored by at least a touchdown against Tennessee. In 2008, the Tide defeated Tennessee 29-9 as a 5.5-point favorite.
Under Josh Heupel, Tennessee has been a home underdog six times, managing one upset in 2022 with a thrilling 52-49 victory over the Tide.
Kalen DeBoer has coached 12 games with a spread of +7/-7 as a Power Four head coach, achieving a remarkable 10-2 record (8-1 during the regular season).
Ball State @ Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt has not been this substantial a favorite against an FBS opponent since they faced Massachusetts in 2013, where they were a 30-point favorite.
No. 12 Notre Dame @ Georgia Tech
Under Brent Key’s leadership, Georgia Tech has been an underdog 17 times, winning 10 of those matchups outright and boasting a 13-4 record against the spread. Notably, half of their wins occurred when they were double-digit underdogs.
No. 17 Kansas State @ West Virginia
West Virginia has struggled as an underdog against ranked opponents, with only one upset in their last 26 attempts. That victory came in 2021 against No. 22 Iowa State when they were a 7.5-point underdog. Last week, they faced Iowa State again and lost 28-16 in a similar situation.
USC @ Maryland
Since 2021, Lincoln Riley has led his teams as favorites away from home 15 times, winning 10 of those games. However, they have struggled against the spread, going just 3-12 ATS (2-9 at USC).
Nebraska @ No. 16 Indiana
Matt Rhule’s teams have faced ranked opponents as underdogs 20 times, with only two outright victories, both occurring during his tenure at Temple. Since then, his teams have gone 0-13 when facing ranked opponents as underdogs.
