College football Week 4 best bets: 5 expert picks to back this week
![ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 17: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Michigan Wolverines looks to throw a pass during the first half of a college football game against the Connecticut Huskies at Michigan Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 17: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Michigan Wolverines looks to throw a pass during the first half of a college football game against the Connecticut Huskies at Michigan Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/7e11423116849766c764c52290970abc4d9ef1f71742ee970e83d5db62c13f06.jpg)
The college football Week 4 best bets from our expert picks that you can feel comfortable backing on a loaded Saturday slate.
While the season might have gotten off to a less-than-ideal start as we went winless in Week 0, things have been white hot lately. So as the football world heads into a loaded Saturday slate, you might want to pay attention to my college football Week 4 best bets as we are trying to keep this run going.
Last week, the best bets went 4-1-0 on the week with the only loss being the SMU/Maryland over, which was definitely a trap that I fell into. But still, that makes us 7-2-1 over the past two weeks and moves the overall record to 7-5-1 on the season.
Now with a tasty Week 4 slate on deck, we’re targeting our best bets for Saturday, a collection that features backing some of the best teams in the country. And if you’re reading this on Friday, be sure to take Syracuse -9.5 against Virginia as a bit of a bonus pick. Onto the main slate, though!
Note: All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. For more betting content, check out BetSided.
College football Week 4 best bets: Against the spread picks, totals and more
Georgia 1H -29.5 vs Kent State (+100)
Kent State has already played two quality offenses in Washington and Oklahoma. They actually stifled the Sooners for almost the entire first half but then gave up 33 unanswered points to the Sooners. But what you need to know is that neither of those Power Five opponents are on the same level as Georgia.
The Bulldogs have looked unstoppable on both sides of the ball. I expect Stetson Bennett IV and company to come out and pour it on Kent State early while suffocating them on defense. That should get us to this number, which I’d play up to 30.5.
Vanderbilt vs Alabama – Over 58.5 (-112)
Just got a season ago, Alabama completely torched Vandy to the tune of 59-0, which would obviously have hit this total. And given the way that Wake Forest, Northern Illinois and even Elon moved the ball on the Commodores this season, it stands to reason that they could concede 59 points to the Crimson Tide yet again. But even if they don’t, Vanderbilt is off to a 3-1 start thanks to a much-improved offense that can effectively move the ball down the field with real weapons around. I think this total hits easily as the ‘Dores actually contribute to it this season.
Washington State +6.5 vs Oregon (-105)
It was an inauspicious start for Washington State this season as they beat Idaho by just seven points. But the next week, they knocked off Wisconsin. Oregon wants to employ a similar rush-heavy offense, but we know the Cougars are more than capable of stopping that. When you then factor in that Bo Nix has been substantially worse on the road in his career (30-2 touchdown-interception ratio at home vs 16-16 in road or neutral site games), Pullman could be the spot where we see an upset. At the least, though, I think we get a cover from Wazzu.
Tennessee 1Q -3.5 vs Florida (-106)
Josh Heupel deserves every flower thrown his way for the quick turnaround he’s ushered in at Tennessee. One of his best attributes as the Vols head coach, though, has been his early-game scripts. Tennessee has been one of the best first-quarter offenses in the country to this point and, despite how one-sided this rivalry has been in recent history, I don’t expect that to stop. Florida’s defense has been suspect at best through three games and Anthony Richardson hasn’t looked right since taking a big hit against Kentucky. Especially at Neyland Stadium, the Vols are going to jump out to a lead and try to take control of the game early.
Michigan -17 vs Maryland (-110)
Maryland has put forth a very simple formula over the years. They win the games they are supposed to and do so impressively, which makes sense given the talent of Taulia Tagovailoa and multiple NFL-caliber weapons on offense. But when they face the best teams in the Big Ten, the Terps have been a doormat.
Last season, Maryland started 4-0 before losing by a combined 86 points to Iowa and Ohio State. Understanding that Michigan has played a Charmin-soft schedule to this point, J.J. McCarthy and the offense have looked near unstoppable and the defense should have plenty of answers for the Terrapins as well. I would play this up to 23.5 if we’re being honest but will gladly take just 17.
Next. Red Flags: 5 CFB teams on upset alert in Week 4. dark
For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.