Week 4 is a sneaky can’t miss college football Saturday. There’s a bigtime Top 25 matchup in every window, a handful of hate filled rivalries, and even a couple revenge spots.
We’ve got plays in every window but first and foremost let’s start our day with four plays with noon kickoffs.
Best Bet: TCU -6.5
I talked about hate filled rivalries and revenge spots, would you believe me if I told you this matchup has both? Sports are fueled by stories, and this is an underrated one as head coach Sonny Dykes of TCU will take on his former team the SMU Mustangs in the Battle for the Iron Skillet.
This game has been played more than 100 times and these two teams hate each other. Last year, the Mustangs beat the Horned Frogs on their way to a College Football Playoff run with a roster riddled with NFL talent.
They ran up the score in a 66-42 win at home that saw former SMU head coach Sonny Dykes get EJECTED for the first time in his coaching career.
Now TCU has the better team, TCU has the home field advantage, and TCU has revenge on their minds in what is likely the biggest game of their season.
I like the Horned Frogs to exact their revenge and run up the score on an SMU team that has not yet shook of an early season overrating from what was an excellent run in 2024.
Wisconsin -9
This is another classic home field advantage spot for one of the best atmospheres in the Big Ten. The Wisconsin Badgers host the Maryland Terrapins in a revenge spot for quarterback Billy Edwards who transferred to Wisco this offseason.
Edwards has spent all week telling his coaches and teammates exactly what this Terrapins defense is going to try to do to them. The Terps are 3-0 with a strength of schedule that ranks outside of the top 200 (there are only 136 teams in the FBS).
Don’t let the record fool you, this is an unproven Maryland team going on the road with a true freshman quarterback in Malik Washington who will be making his first road start in his collegiate career.
If you needed any other reason to lean toward Wisco, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley has been awful on the road with an ATS record of just 12-22. In those games, Locksley fails to cover by an average of five points per game.
16 Ranked Utah Takes On 17 Ranked Texas Tech
I tend to stay away from early season games between two teams that have looked great. There’s no handicap for either side. You can talk yourself into either one of these sides. I will likely stay away from it, but if you’re the kind of person who loves having action on a massive football game (who doesn’t), I like the Utes at home.
Utah has an NFL offensive line, and NFL quarterback, they score in the red zone, and they win at home (91-28 over the last 18 years).
The Texas Tech Red Raiders have spent nearly $30 million in the transfer portal to put together a talented team, but we haven’t seen how this team will gel when tested on the road against an equally as talented opponent.
I’m taking the Utes -3 and I wouldn’t be surprised if they win by more than six and earn a top ten ranking next week.
Memphis Is Live On The Money Line
Arkansas is getting 7.5 points on the road against the Memphis Tigers. Arkansas is coming off an emotional 41-35 loss to an Ole Miss team that was on the ropes in the final minutes.
Memphis is sandwiched between four straight ranked match-ups on the horizon for the Razorbacks. This is a very easy position to overlook an out of conference opponent that might be better than they expect.
By no means is this a lock, but if you’re looking for a fun money line underdog with a good number, the Tigers at +218 could get it done ugly at home and go laughing into conference play.
