Today’s top games to watch, best bets, odds: CFB Week 8, NHL and more

We’ve got another loaded college football Saturday in store for Week 8, with a pair of ranked SEC clashes among the top games of the day. 

The action begins right away when Vanderbilt hosts LSU, and when that’s over, Georgia will look for revenge for last year’s loss against Ole Miss. Some of the other top college football games on Saturday include Georgia Tech at Duke, Texas Tech at Arizona State, Tennessee at Alabama and USC at Notre Dame.

College football isn’t all that’s going on across Saturday, as there are also 13 NHL games, including the Seattle Kraken at Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins at Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes at Los Angeles Kings. We’re also just a day away from a huge Week 7 NFL slate. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet at the top sportsbooks on Saturday, Oct. 18. All times Eastern. 

CFB best bets today, where to watch

No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt

Time: 12 p.m. | Location: Nashville | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: LSU money line +103 | Expert: Vanderbilt -2.5 (Jeff Hochman)

Vanderbilt is coming off a bye week after losing to Alabama, while LSU recovered from a close loss to Ole Miss with a 20-10 win over South Carolina. It’s rare to see the Commodores as favorites in SEC play after years of futility, but that’s the case Saturday afternoon when they welcome the 10th-ranked Tigers to town. Vandy’s offense is humming behind Diego Pavia, but LSU’s defense has been stellar this year, which has helped mask an underperforming offense led by Garrett Nussmeier. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every college football game 10,000 times, is backing LSU on the money line with the Tigers winning in nearly 70% of simulations. SportsLine expert Jeff Hochman, however, likes Vanderbilt to win and cover against the Tigers. “The Commodores have significantly improved their scoring margin, offensive efficiency, third-down performance, and defensive consistency compared to last year’s squad,” Hochman said. “With an impressive 82.5 QBR (ranked 14th), Diego Pavia and company look to end their 10-game skid against LSU.”

No. 5 Ole Miss at No. 9 Georgia

Time: 3:30 p.m. | Location: Athens | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Ole Miss money line +219 | Expert: Ole Miss +7.5 (Emory Hunt)

Georgia doesn’t get too many “revenge games” under Kirby Smart since the Bulldogs don’t lose very often, but this week is just that as Ole Miss won this contest 28-10 last year. The game is in Athens this year, where Smart and Co. have been stellar in recent years. The Rebels are undefeated but have not looked all that great of late, winning closer than expected games against lesser competition. The Bulldogs’ lone loss this year was to Alabama. The Rebels are underdogs here, but the SportsLine model has them winning in over 50% of simulations. SportsLine expert Emory Hunt likes Ole Miss to at least cover on Saturday. “Maybe last week was a bit of a lookahead trap game spot, but expect (Ole Miss) to be razor focused heading on the road against Georgia,” Hunt said. “On top of that, I don’t believe Georgia is playing all that consistently to be favored by this much vs this particular team.”

More CFB best bets:

• Bruce Marshall’s weekend betting guide
• Thomas Casale’s spots to target
• Chinmay Vaidya’s Week 8 bold bets
• Brandon Gustafson’s Week 8 upset picks
• Brandon Gustafson’s Week 8 totals picks

NHL best bets today, where to watch

Kraken at Maple Leafs

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Toronto | TV: NHL Network | Stream: Fubo (try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Seattle +1.5

As the Mariners and Blue Jays fight for the American League pennant in MLB, the two cities’ hockey teams also face off this weekend north of the border when the Kraken visit the Maple Leafs. Seattle, now in its fifth season as the NHL’s newest franchise, is off to a 2-0-2 start, dropping each of its last two games in overtime. The Maple Leafs are 3-2-0 and are winners of two in a row. The SportsLine model likes Seattle tonight, and it has the Kraken covering +1.5 in over 70% of simulations.

Looking ahead: Falcons vs. 49ers

Time: 8:20 p.m., Sunday | Location: Santa Clara | TV: NBC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)

SportsLine picks — Model: Under 47 | Expert: Falcons +3 (R.J. White)

The Falcons are coming off their biggest win of the season as they handed the Buffalo Bills just their second loss of the 2025 campaign. As for the 49ers, they fell in Tampa Bay on Sunday as the Bucs moved to 5-1 and the 49ers are now one of three NFC West teams with a 4-2 record. The SportsLine model likes the Under here, as Under 47 hits in nearly 60% of model simulations. NFL expert R.J. White thinks the 49ers’ injuries, especially on defense, will lead to an Atlanta cover on Sunday Night Football. “The 49ers have been walking wounded all year, with the offense scraping together a passing game on a weekly basis,” White said. “They’ll have to face the second-best defense in net yards per pass attempt. Don’t expect the 49ers’ 32nd-ranked run game to bail them out either. I would’ve still thought about playing San Francisco at home if I thought the defense could dictate this game, but with Fred Warner joining Nick Bosa on the sidelines, I don’t have much hope for that unit.”