Week 3 of the college football season is now in the rearview mirror and it didn't disappoint. UGA pinked out, BYU fans stormed the field and Najee Harris hurdled his way onto every sports highlight show in the country.
Week 4 is just days away and we have you covered with hard-hitting insight and analysis on some of this week's most eagerly anticipated games as well as the latest trends and storylines from across the U.S.
Wager on all Week 4 NCAAF action at BetAmerica!
Quicklinks
#11 Michigan vs. #13 Wisconsin
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|
Michigan | +3.5 (-110) | +140 | O 43.5 (-110) |
Wisconsin | -3.5 (-110) | -170 | U 43.5 (-110) |
*All odds are subject to change.
On the other side of the field, Wisconsin has been an absolute wrecking ball through their first two games. After opening the season with a 49-0 thumping of South Florida, Wisconsin followed that up with a 61-0 beating of Central Michigan. QB Jack Coan has been efficient but it is no secret that the game-changer on the roster is RB Jonathan Taylor, who has an elite combination of strength and speed.
In the Big Ten’s first big clash of the season, Michigan heads to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in a top-15 matchup and one of the best games of the week. The line currently sits at Wisconsin -3.5 and this seems right given the circumstances at play in this matchup.
Michigan has been underwhelming and very nearly tragically disappointing early on this season, last taking the field at home against Navy and squeaking out a win in double overtime. For a team that many touted as a dark horse national title contender because of the talent on the roster, the ultimate end-goal is still attainable but the level of play will have to improve rapidly for that to be anything more than a pipe dream. The offense looked mediocre against Navy and QB Shea Patterson has not taken the next step expected of him by so many. Patterson is at risk of losing more snaps to backup QB Dylan McCaffrey and the power running game has been serviceable but hardly dominant.On the other side of the field, Wisconsin has been an absolute wrecking ball through their first two games. After opening the season with a 49-0 thumping of South Florida, Wisconsin followed that up with a 61-0 beating of Central Michigan. QB Jack Coan has been efficient but it is no secret that the game-changer on the roster is RB Jonathan Taylor, who has an elite combination of strength and speed.
It was a career day for @BadgerFootball QB Jack Coan as Wisconsin had their biggest margin of victory in a shutout since 2005. pic.twitter.com/CTTvphaC5n
— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) September 7, 2019
The trends in this matchup make me prefer Wisconsin in this game. Wisconsin is 2-0 against the spread this year while Michigan is 0-2. Michigan is also 0-5 against the spread in their last five games at Wisconsin, and 1-6 against the spread in their last seven road games overall. There is a belief among the betting public that Jim Harbaugh is an elite coach who has assembled elite talent, but the results on the field are not reflecting those sentiments. Wisconsin, on the other hand, may just be a year late on the high expectations that were placed upon them going into 2018.
With both teams coming into the game off a bye I expect it to be a fairly clean game that sees both teams executing at a high level. Wisconsin knows what they are best at, however, while Michigan still appears to be figuring it out, and for this reason I’m making Wisconsin my pick in this game. Through two games of 2019, Wisconsin’s ceiling appears higher than Michigan’s.
With both teams coming into the game off a bye I expect it to be a fairly clean game that sees both teams executing at a high level. Wisconsin knows what they are best at, however, while Michigan still appears to be figuring it out, and for this reason I’m making Wisconsin my pick in this game. Through two games of 2019, Wisconsin’s ceiling appears higher than Michigan’s.
Bet on Michigan vs. Wisconsin here.
#8 Auburn vs. #17 Texas A&M
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|
Auburn | +4 (-110) | +155 | O 48 (-110) |
Texas A&M | -4 (-110) | -185 | U 48 (-110) |
#8 Auburn goes on the road to #17 Texas A&M in the first of many ranked vs. ranked SEC games in 2019. And while it undoubtedly will be a great matchup that offers lots of intrigue, what’s really fascinating is that this isn’t even one of the four hardest games they’ll play all year! Texas A&M has been gifted quite possibly the hardest schedule I can remember a team facing with matchups against Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and LSU all on the schedule. Throw in this matchup against top-10 Auburn and the Aggies are in for a long, difficult season.
Two weeks ago Texas A&M scratched off the first tough game on their schedule with a 24-10 defeat at Clemson in which QB Kellen Mond and the offense really found itself shut down for basically the entire game. While it flashed some positive signs early on and ultimately found its way in the end zone for a very impactful late score, the offense never looked all that threatening. Mond was banged up but the Clemson defense might just be better than anticipated as well, so this matchup vs. Auburn will be a telling indicator of just how potent Head Coach Jimbo Fisher’s offense really is. The running game especially had absolutely no traction with RB Jashaun Corbin only accumulating 34 yards on the ground.
What Texas A&M did do well in defeat, however, was play defense and relatively slow down a potent Clemson offense. Holding Clemson at home to just 24 points should be considered a victory and that kind of defensive effort vs Auburn would bode well.
Two weeks ago Texas A&M scratched off the first tough game on their schedule with a 24-10 defeat at Clemson in which QB Kellen Mond and the offense really found itself shut down for basically the entire game. While it flashed some positive signs early on and ultimately found its way in the end zone for a very impactful late score, the offense never looked all that threatening. Mond was banged up but the Clemson defense might just be better than anticipated as well, so this matchup vs. Auburn will be a telling indicator of just how potent Head Coach Jimbo Fisher’s offense really is. The running game especially had absolutely no traction with RB Jashaun Corbin only accumulating 34 yards on the ground.
What Texas A&M did do well in defeat, however, was play defense and relatively slow down a potent Clemson offense. Holding Clemson at home to just 24 points should be considered a victory and that kind of defensive effort vs Auburn would bode well.
The Legend of Bo Nix has begun at Auburn.
pic.twitter.com/3Ya2H8DjZE — Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) September 1, 2019
For Auburn, new QB and late-game star Bo Nix is going to get the opportunity to face his first true road test when he steps onto Kyle Field. For a young QB that hasn’t yet shown prodigal talent, this might be too much to overcome. Nix made a huge late play to get the win vs. Oregon, but his stat-line for that game actually wasn’t all that impressive. Nix was just 13-for-31 with two interceptions. Against inferior competition when facing Tulane, he was just 19-for-37.
In the receiving corps, big-body WR Seth Williams is hurt with a shoulder injury and the two leading receivers so far this year (Eli Stove and Will Hastings) are both coming off ACL-injuries, so it’s reasonable to question their ceilings. The Auburn defense is tough and will come ready to play but we don’t anticipate them playing up to the level they did on opening night or with the intensity we can expect to see if it was played at Auburn.
The spread for this game currently sits at Texas A&M -4 and we're willing to lay the points here. Auburn’s freshman QB and poor receiving options in a very hostile and loud environment makes for a scary recipe. Texas A&M also has to win the games they can with such difficult games still upcoming. Aggies -4 is the play.
In the receiving corps, big-body WR Seth Williams is hurt with a shoulder injury and the two leading receivers so far this year (Eli Stove and Will Hastings) are both coming off ACL-injuries, so it’s reasonable to question their ceilings. The Auburn defense is tough and will come ready to play but we don’t anticipate them playing up to the level they did on opening night or with the intensity we can expect to see if it was played at Auburn.
The spread for this game currently sits at Texas A&M -4 and we're willing to lay the points here. Auburn’s freshman QB and poor receiving options in a very hostile and loud environment makes for a scary recipe. Texas A&M also has to win the games they can with such difficult games still upcoming. Aggies -4 is the play.
Bet on Auburn vs. Texas A&M here.
#7 Notre Dame vs. #3 Georgia
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|
Notre Dame | +14 (-110) | +420 | O 56 (-110) |
Georgia | -14 (-110) | -590 | U 56 (-110) |
Remember the good ol’ days when Notre Dame was at the center of every college football conversation? Back then, the Fighting Irish chewed up and spat out opponents on a weekly basis and produced a top 10 Heisman candidate every season.
Well, those days are back. Notre Dame is 2-0 after victories against Louisville and New Mexico, and Ian Book is in the conversation for football’s most prestigious individual award. The senior QB has thrown for 563 yards and six touchdowns and has +5000 odds to become the school’s first Heisman winner since Tim Brown.
Book was especially ruthless against the Lobos, recording 360 yards and a career-high five TDs in just three and a half quarters of play. The California native also showed off his wheels by rushing for an additional score in the lopsided 66-14 rout.Notre Dame will face its biggest test of the 2019 season on Saturday when it faces #3 Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens. The Bulldogs are fresh off a 55-0 shellacking of Arkansas State and have outscored opponents 148-23 to start the year.
The Key to Georgia’s dominance has been Jake Fromm, who has been carving up defenses at will. The Junior signal caller has thrown for 601 yards and zero picks while guiding the Bulldogs to a perfect 3-0 record. Fromm has some of the best targets in the country in running back D’Andre Swift and wide receivers George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock, the latter of whom hauled in four passes for 112 yards against the Red Wolves.
Ian Book knows when to take it himself ? #NotreDame #CFBpic.twitter.com/2NqGJe5t4V
— Taste Of Sport (@TasteOfSport) September 8, 2019
The key differentiator between these two goliaths might be the running game. Namely, Georgia has one and Notre Dame does not. Swift is a multi-purpose beast in the backfield while Book is Notre Dame’s best rusher by default. Expect the 21-year-old QB to face plenty of pressure from Georgia’s frontline on Saturday as the Bulldogs prove that their bite is every bit as dangerous as their bark.
Bet on Notre Dame vs Georgia here.
Here are the betting trends you need to know for Week 4:
- Home teams have won 76% of all games SU in 2019
- Home favorites have won a staggering 90% of all games SU in 2019
- Teams ranked in the AP Top 25 went 20-3 against unranked opponents in Week 3
- 52% of all games have gone UNDER the projected total in 2019
- Visiting teams have gone 112-110-5 ATS in 2019
- Stanford has allowed 90 points combined in its last two games
- UCF has now won 27 consecutive regular season games
- Longhorn QB Sam Ehlinger has yet to commit a turnover in Texas' first three games of the season
We’ve narrowed down the 12 remaining games you can’t afford to miss from Week 4.
| Game | Date | Spread | O/U |
|---|
#10 Utah vs. USC | Fri, September 20 | USC +4.5 | 52.5 |
Air Force vs. #20 Boise State | Fri, September 20 | BSU -8 | 55.0 |
Southern Mississippi vs. #2 Alabama | Sat, September 21 | ALA -39 | 60.5 |
#4 LSU vs. Vanderbilt | Sat, September 21 | VAN +24 | 62.0 |
#11 Michigan vs. #13 Wisconsin | Sat, September 21 | WIS -3.5 | 43.5 |
Miami (OH) vs. #6 Ohio State | Sat, September 21 | OSU -40 | 58.5 |
#15 UCF vs. Pittsburgh | Sat, September 21 | PITT +13.5 | 58.0 |
#16 Oregon vs. Stanford | Sat, September 21 | STAN +10.5 | 58.5 |
Charlotte vs. #1 Clemson | Sat, September 21 | CLEM -41 | 62.0 |
Oklahoma State vs. #12 Texas | Sat, September 21 | TEX -5 | 73.0 |
Showing 1 to 10 of 12 entries
Jalen Hurts hit me with the rat poison line, @Lane_Kiffin ? https://t.co/zik3ZW3KRd
— Ed(ward) Carmichael A!!schoff (@AschoffESPN) September 15, 2019
It seems like everyone is impressed with Jalen Hurts performance this season except for Jalen Hurts himself. The Sooners QB has yet to throw a pick this season and has Oklahoma in prime position to win its first national championship since 2000.
Pat Narduzzi on why he opted for a field goal with a fourth and one with five minutes left, down seven
‘Because you need two scores to win the football game.’ He added that he doesn’t question that decision ‘at all’ — Craig Meyer (@CraigMeyerPG) September 14, 2019
If nothing else, you have to admire Pat Narduzzi's steadfast refusal to admit he made the most boneheaded decision of the year. He'll have a chance to prove he isn't dead above the neck this weekend when Pitt takes on UCF at Heinz Field.
"I'll be honest with you. I teared up and took a little while to compose myself."
Georgia and Arkansas State's pinkout means a lot for Blake Anderson ? pic.twitter.com/5OOzkEY0p8 — ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 14, 2019
UGA's football fans demonstrated the power of positivity on Saturday when they swapped their traditional red outfits for pink in honor of Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson, who lost his wife to breast cancer. It's quite possibly the classiest gesture you'll see all season long.
Tua Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 444 yards in Alabama's 47-23 win over South Carolina. Here are three things you should know about the Heisman contender:
- Tagovailoa became the first Samoan quarterback to win a national championship when he led #4 Alabama to a 26-23 win over #3 Georgia in 2018. The 21-year-old junior is one of more than 200 players from America Samoa who currently play Division I football.
- Tagovailoa is naturally right-handed, but throws with his left hand because he was taught by his father, Galu, who is a southpaw.
- Tua isn't the only elite football player in his family. His younger brother, Taulia, set an Alabama high school record by becoming the first player to have four 400-yard passing performances. He presently backs up his big bro as the Crimson Tide's third string QB.