CFB betting: Biggest games of Week 4
Last week, there weren't many big matchups on the college football schedule. That's not the case this Saturday as pivotal games highlight the slate, including No. 7 Notre Dame going on the road to face No. 3 Georgia. The winner will become a front-runner to nail down one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff.
Here's the betting breakdown for Week 4's biggest matchups.
Notre Dame at Georgia
Line: Georgia -14
Georgia and Notre Dame each breezed through the very beginning of their schedules and now meet in one of the biggest games of the college football season. The Fighting Irish rolled over New Mexico 66-14 last week, while the Bulldogs are coming off a 55-0 shutout of New Mexico State.
The Fighting Irish have a small problem in that they tend to play horribly against elite competition. They were outscored 232-88 across their last six appearances in the BCS, College Football Playoff, and New Year's Six bowl games. Notre Dame will try to buck that trend Saturday but needs its defense to play better - in the opener against an improved Louisville team as a 20-point favorite, the Irish allowed 249 yards rushing. If they don't manage a stronger performance against the Bulldogs' run, they'll get blown out again.
This may be a big game on paper but bettors aren't buying into the Irish. Georgia opened -12.5 and quickly moved to -14. Even with the sharps backing the home favorite, expect Notre Dame getting two touchdowns to be a big public underdog play.
Oklahoma State at Texas
Line: Texas -5.5
It's hard to tell how good 3-0 Oklahoma State actually is, but we'll find out Saturday night in Austin. The Cowboys crushed cupcakes Oregon State, McNeese State, and Tulsa by a combined score of 148-71, with new quarterback Spencer Sanders racking up 841 total yards and eight touchdowns.
Texas easily disposed of Louisiana Tech and Rice by a combined score of 93-27, but in a more challenging test against No. 4 LSU, the Longhorns played well and lost 45-38. Heisman Trophy candidate Sam Ehlinger has been on fire, putting up 1,077 total yards and scoring 12 touchdowns with no interceptions through three games.
Texas opened as a 6.5-point favorite but that number is down to -5 at some books. The Longhorns were -5.5 at theScore Bet in New Jersey as of Wednesday. Oklahoma State has gotten the best of the Longhorns in recent years: The Cowboys have won four straight meetings and are 5-1 against the spread in their last six trips to Texas.
Michigan at Wisconsin
Line: Wisconsin -3.5
Is Wisconsin a College Football Playoff contender or pretender? Hosting Michigan on Saturday might shed some light after the Badgers defeated South Florida and Central Michigan by a combined score of 110-0.
The unbeaten Wolverines, however, may still be sorting themselves out. They're fortunate to be 2-0 after squeaking by Army in overtime as 22-point favorites Sept. 7, and they've struggled to adapt to Josh Gattis' fast-paced offense. Sloppy play is killing Michigan: The team ranks last in the nation in fumbles lost per game and 114th in penalties (8.56 per game). The Wolverines need to cut down on penalties and turnovers while also getting a better effort from inconsistent quarterback Shea Patterson if they hope to pull off the road upset.
The public will jump on Michigan in the underdog role here, although beware - Wisconsin has dominated the series of late. The Badgers are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings. Also, both teams enter this game off a bye. Wisconsin is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games following a bye, while Michigan is just 1-6 ATS over its last seven in this spot.
Thomas Casale is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL, and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.