Business is about to pick up. Week 4 of the college football season is the traditional time to roll out the conference portion of the schedule; however, that timeline has gotten blurry over the years. Several teams, including the top-ranked Clemson Tigers, have already played as many as two conference games. Others will be playing non-conference opponents in Week 4 and beyond. It’s a different look to the NCAA football lines, but to a degree, it did improve the competition level we saw in the early season.
The marquee matchup on the Week 4 NCAA odds board is one of those non-con matchups, although neither team qualifies as a cupcake opponent. It’s one of three games on the FBS schedule between ranked teams, all being shown this Saturday on national television. And it could go a long way toward determining which four teams make the College Football Playoff.
NCAA Odds Week 4: Best Odds and Matchups
1. No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (Saturday, 8 PM ET, CBS)
This prime-time game looks big on paper. On one side, you have the Bulldogs (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS), who were this close to derailing the Alabama Crimson Tide the past two seasons. On the other side, you have the Fighting Irish (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS), one of the most storied programs in college football. But the NCAA football odds tell a different story: Georgia are 14-point home favorites at press time with a total of 56.
Saturday’s game is being advertised as a battle between Georgia QB Jake Fromm and Notre Dame QB Ian Book, but it’s really about how well the Irish offensive line can hold up against the Bulldogs’ pass rush – which is much better than last year’s. Georgia’s superior running game should also make a difference on the other side of the ball. But will it be enough to cover this inflated spread?
2. No. 11 Michigan Wolverines at No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FOX)
Name recognition means a lot when you bet on NCAA football, and the Wolverines are one of the most recognized brands in college. But they’re 3.5-point road dogs in this Big Ten matchup (with a total of 43.5), and that’s still being kind to the Blue and Maize. The Badgers (2-0 SU and ATS) have played tough, disciplined football for head coach Paul Chryst, while Michigan (2-0 SU, 0-2 ATS) have been less than sharp under Jim Harbaugh. Old-school defense and running should help Wisconsin get the job done at home.
3. No. 8 Auburn Tigers at No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
Auburn (3-0 SU and ATS) are one of the more trendy picks on the NCAA football betting menu, but despite their early success, they’re 4-point road dogs at College Station. Texas A&M (2-1 SU, 3-0 ATS) continue to play well for head coach Jimbo Fisher, although they did get outclassed by Clemson in Week 2 and were fortunate to earn the matador cover. Don’t be surprised if the Tigers pull off the upset here.
4. No. 10 Utah Utes at Southern California Trojans (Friday, 9 PM ET, FS1)
This could easily have been another Top 25 matchup, but the Trojans (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) fell out of the rankings last week after losing 30-27 to the BYU Cougars in overtime as 5-point road favorites. This is a tough part of the schedule for USC, especially with athletic director Lynn Swann leaving his post; they’re 4.5-point home dogs against the Utes (3-0 SU, 1-2 ATS), who may be overvalued here after failing to cover large spreads at home in their first two games.
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys at No. 12 Texas Longhorns (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
Get ready for some fireworks. At 74.5 points, this Big 12 battle has the highest total on the Week 4 FBS odds board – and it should be a competitive game, too, with Texas (2-1 SU and ATS) laying 5.5 points at home. Watch out for the Cowboys (3-0 SU and ATS), though. They haven’t been truly battle-tested yet, but they’re on the verge of joining the Top 25 after covering twice on the road, and they’ve covered six of their last nine games against the Longhorns.
*Odds as of September 17, 2019