NCAAF Player Prop Bets Week 8

When looking for player props in College Football, or any sport for that matter, it can be handy to take into account the total set by oddsmakers for any given game.

When the total is high, points are to be expected, and with points come yards and everything else.

If the total is high, defense is not the proposed story of the game, offense is.

Let’s dig into some Week 8 matchups across College Football with totals set around 60 points or higher and see if we can find some nice valuable overs on player props.

Brady Cook – QB, Missouri Tigers

This week, the Missouri Tigers face the South Carolina Gamecocks in an SEC Conference battle.

The total of this contest has been set at 60.5, with the best odds coming from Fanduel, at -105 on the over.

The Gamecocks lost to the Florida Gators last week in a 41-39 shootout.

In the loss, South Carolina allowed Florida quarterback Graham Mertz to throw for a season-high 423 yards and three touchdowns.

The Gamecocks now have the NCAA’s 132nd-ranked passing defense, allowing 337.4 passing yards per game.

There are 133 FBS teams, so 132nd is a pretty bad spot to be.

This all bodes well for Mizzou QB Brady Cook.

Cook is averaging 290 passing yards per game, and has thrown for as many as 395 yards, which he did in back-to-back games against Vanderbilt and LSU earlier this year.

In fact, in four consecutive games, Cook tallied at least 341 yards from Week 3 through Week 6.

The Week 5⃣ #ManningAward QB of the Week goes to…🥁🥁

Brady Cook, Missouri🏆

33-of-41, 395 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT, QBR: 87.9https://t.co/RkVHNeh8Hn pic.twitter.com/h5YSghVWHB

— Manning Award (@ManningAward) October 5, 2023

Missouri’s defense is not that great either, so Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks are almost certain to score plenty of points as well, hence the high total.

This calls for a game script with chucking of the pigskin from both sides.

I’ll back the quarterback that’s facing arguably the worst passing defense in the NCAA.

Pick: Cook – OVER 302.5 Passing Yards

Best Odds: (-114) FanDuel

Omarion Hampton – RB, North Carolina

Omarion Hampton is the running back for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and ‘Tar Heels’ sounds like a name for a team that can’t run well, but UNC can run very well.

Hampton has quietly been one of the best running backs in the country, as he is currently averaging 109.7 rushing yards per game and has scored eight rushing touchdowns in six games; nine touchdowns total.

Highest graded Power Five RB in Week 7:

🔹 Omarion Hampton: 90.4 pic.twitter.com/0B4eFMRcpv

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 16, 2023

This Saturday, Hampton will face the Virginia Cavaliers, a neighbor to the north that has become an ACC Conference doormat.

Running backs continuously are wiping their shoes all over this Cavalier defense.

Virginia currently holds the NCAA’s 109th-ranked rushing defense, allowing 183 rushing yards per game.

At 1-5, the Cavaliers are constantly playing from behind, and when UNC inevitably goes up, they will put the game in Hampton’s hands to churn out some yards and burn out the clock.

The total for this game is set at 57, with best odds on the over coming from BetRivers at -108.

The high scoring total will largely be one-sided by Hampton and the Tar Heels.

Pick: Hampton – OVER 90.5 Rushing Yards

Best Odds: (-114) FanDuel

JP Richardson – WR, TCU Horned Frogs

TCU gets a matchup with the Kansas State Wildcats this week, and if last year’s Big 12 Championship game is any indicator, a 31-29 win for the Wildcats, there will be revenge on the Horned Frogs minds.

Kansas State’s passing defense has been subpar, ranking 113th in the NCAA and surrendering 274.4 passing yards per game.

The leading receiver for TCU is currently JP Richardson, who has collected 399 receiving yards in seven games, and in this winnable matchup against a weak defensive secondary, Richardson’s receiving yards prop is set at a wildly low 36.5 yards.

The passing offense has been up-and-down for the Horned Frogs in 2023, but Richardson is still averaging 57 receiving yards per game.

The Wildcats have allowed at least two 40 yard receivers in every game this season, that includes their opening game against FCS-level Southeast Missouri State, too.

Richardson reeled in six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win against the BYU Cougars, and TCU had a new starting quarterback under center in Josh Hoover.

A look back at TCU WR JP Richardson’s (@jprichardson17) 42-yard touchdown catch from Josh Hoover (@JoshJHoover). #ReelAnalytics

🎥: @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/hdTxJCjfUV

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) October 18, 2023

Richardson quickly proved to be one of Hoover’s favorite targets last week, and in a game with the total set at 59 points, with best odds on the over at -109 on BetRivers, Richardson should see enough targets to eclipse his absurdly low receiving yards prop.

Pick: OVER 36.5 Receiving Yards

Best Odds: (-114) FanDuel

Dillon Gabriel – QB, Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooner and UCF Knights go head-to-head in Norman this week, and seeing as the Sooners’ quarterback Dillon Gabriel is a transfer from UCF, he may be looking to get into the endzone himself against his old school.

UCF has allowed four rushing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in their last four games, and with Gabriel coming off a great rushing performance against the Texas Longhorns last week (113 rushing yards and a touchdown), I believe that Gabriel will find the painted grass again in Week 8.

The Knights rushing defense has been awful, allowing 220.2 rushing yards per game, good for 130th in the NCAA.

UCF has also conceded 15 rushing touchdowns in six games!

Despite the fact that Gabriel has thrown for 16 touchdowns this season, he’s no slouch on the ground, collecting five rushing touchdowns on the year.

Oklahoma didn't score in last year's Red River Rivalry.

They're up 7-0 less than 2 minutes in after this Dillon Gabriel touchdown run 👀pic.twitter.com/INzmQox8PZ

— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 7, 2023

The Knights’ defense has done a solid job at limiting opposing passers, holding opponents to under 200 passing yards per game.

If Oklahoma is going to beat the Knights’ defense, success will be found on the grass.

With a total set at 66 points in this contest, scoring in bunches is to be expected, so I am going to back Gabriel for not one, but two touchdowns!

UCF’s defense yielded two rushing touchdowns to Kansas State QB Will Howard a few weeks back, and I see Gabriel duplicating that effort this week.

The best value for Gabriel to score two touchdowns is +340 at BetMGM, and that’s a valuable shot I’m willing to take.

Pick: Gabriel – To Score 2+ Touchdowns

Best Odds: (+340) BetMGM