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2018 College Football Week 4 Betting Odds
Conference play gets into full swing as we reach Week 4 of the 2018 college football season. All 10 FBS conferences will have at least one league matchup on the schedule with eight Pac-12 teams participating. Conference USA has just one league matchup on the slate when Rice hosts Southern Mississippi. There’s a big one in the SEC when defending champion Alabama hosts Texas AM and new coach Jimbo Fisher. If Jimbo thought competing against Clemson in the ACC Atlantic was tough, he’ll quickly find out what SEC football is all about.
The betting week starts on Thursday with an American Athletic Conference tilt between Temple and Tulsa. The Owls ended last season winning four of its last five games and is looking to close the gap on Central Florida. Tulsa is looking for an improvement on their 2-10 record from a season. The Golden Hurricane weren’t as bad as their record and they can’t be overlooked. Life after Saquon Barkley begins in Happy Valley as Penn State battles Illinois on Friday. The Nittany Lions are expected to be near the top of the Big Ten East standings and beating the Illini is a must. Closing out a tough three-game stretch, USC hosts Washington State in a Pac-12 matchup also on Friday night.
2018 NCAA Football Week 4 Betting Schedule
September 18th, 2018 to September 24th, 2018
Thursday, September 20
Tulsa at Temple, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Week Four of college football kicks off with an interesting matchup of up and down teams. The Temple Owls were winless until their stunning upset of Maryland last week at College Park. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane nearly upset the Longhorns at Texas but were less than impressive in a loss last week to Arkansas State. Both teams have shown ability for both big seasons and bad ones in the past few years. All of which makes this American Athletic Conference matchup a challenging handicap. More
Friday, September 21
Florida Atlantic at UCF, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Although it is a matchup of Group of Five teams, Friday’s night’s game between the Florida Atlantic Owls and Central Florida Knights is a great appetizer for week four action. Anytime Florida Atlantic takes the field all eyes are upon head coach Lane Kiffin, one of the most controversial figures in the sport. As for Central Florida they are trying to prove that they can continue their national level success without departed head coach Scott Frost, who built the Knights into a national power and undefeated team in 2017 before going home to Nebraska. More
Penn State at Illinois, 9 p.m. ET (FS1)
Friday night’s menu of Week four appetizers includes a Big Ten matchup that could be more interesting than at first glance. The Penn State Nittany Lions are rolling after a week one scare against Appalachian State. Meanwhile the Fighting Illini of Illinois are operating under the radar as an improved team that is yet to master the art of consistency. While coach James Franklin has gotten Penn State to the point where they can reload his counterpart Lovie Smith at Illinois is still working on the buildout. More
Washington State at USC, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
With the departure of their starting quarterback, leading rusher and top receiver from last season, the USC Trojans were expected to have some trouble moving and scoring the football. The issues appear to be much deeper than anticipated. The men of Troy managed just 17 points in their last two games, dropping both and falling out of the national rankings. In previous seasons the Trojans would score 17 points in a quarter, however the running game abandoned them in a loss to Texas and the unbeaten Washington State Cougars await in Week 4. More
Saturday, September 22
Stanford at Oregon, TBD
The PAC 12 North might be the second-best division in the country. Every team but Oregon State looks very competitive, and the only team of the other five with a loss is Washington. That should create a thrilling race for the division title, and the College Gameday crew will be at the first big intra-divisional clash this Saturday. That’s when the Stanford Cardinal head north to take on the Oregon Ducks in Week 4 of the season. The winner will take an early lead in the race for the PAC 12 North title, while the loser will have a lot of work to do. More
Arizona at Oregon State, TBD
Arizona State at Washington, TBD
After a surprisingly great start which included a big upset win over Michigan State the Arizona State Sun Devils got something of a reality check last week in a tough road loss at San Diego State. Meanwhile the Washington Huskies are continuing to try and dig out from their week one loss to the Auburn Tigers which gives them no margin for error in their quest to make the College Football Playoff. Washington certainly impressed all with their win in the Muss at Utah last Saturday in one of the toughest environments in all of college football. Washington hosts Arizona State Saturday night in another “Pac 12 After Dark” special! More
Clemson at Georgia Tech, TBD
On balance Paul Johnson has had a decent run as head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. But since peaking with an 11-3 record and Orange Bowl championship in 2014 the program has deteriorated and is no longer a serious Atlantic Coast Conference title contender. Since that ACC Coastal Division championship season Johnson’s teams have gone 3-9, 9-4, and 5-6 last year. So far, the Ramblin’ Wreck has stumbled out of the gate at 1-2 and the already fickle Yellow Jacket fans are out of patience. Things won’t get easier on Saturday when the Yellow Jackets host the second ranked Clemson Tigers in a critical week four game. More
Northern Illinois at Florida State, TBD
Louisville at Virginia, TBD
Florida International at Miami, TBD
Pittsburgh at North Carolina, TBD
Notre Dame at Wake Forest, TBD
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish could be entering a trap with their road matchup at high noon against the pesky Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest likely doesn’t match the Irish in pure physical talent but they have a culture of winning that has been built by fifth year head coach Dave Clawson. Even more problematic for Notre Dame has been the subpar play at quarterback by Brandon Wimbush. After their impressive week one win over Michigan head coach Brian Kelly’s team has been sluggish ever since. More
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State, TBD
Tulane at Ohio State, TBD
The Ohio State Buckeyes continue to keep moving forward. They are the lone team in the Big Ten that has looked the part of national title contender through the first three weeks of the college football betting season. Ohio State blasted two Power Five opponents to start the year, and the Buckeyes are fresh off of a convincing win over TCU this last weekend. The Buckeyes will have one more non-conference test before they get back to their Big Ten slate, with the Tulane Green Wave coming to town in Week 4 of the season. More
Charlotte at UMass, TBD
UConn at Syracuse, TBD
Buffalo at Rutgers, TBD
Michigan State at Indiana, TBD
The Indiana Hoosiers are a live dog coming into their game with the Michigan State Spartans this week. Indiana is ranked in the top 25 of Bill Connelly S&P+ ratings, and the Hoosiers are halfway towards bowl eligibility already. A win over Michigan State in Week 4 would send them into the AP Top 25 and likely lead to Indiana being 5-0 heading into their game against Ohio State in three weeks. Michigan State will aim to avoid the upset. More
Wisconsin at Iowa, TBD
Last week was a bad week for the Big Ten. Seven teams fell to unranked non-conference opponents, and the Wisconsin Badgers fell victim to the curse as well. Wisconsin suffered the most devastating loss of any team, losing a tough one to BYU and falling from No. 6 to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 rankings as a result. The Badgers will now begin the long road to salvaging their season with a trip to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 4 of the college football betting season. These are likely the two best teams in the Big Ten West, and whichever team wins here has the pole position for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. More
Minnesota at Maryland, TBD
Nebraska at Michigan, TBD
Scott Frost certainly didn’t expect his tenure with the Nebraska Cornhuskers to begin like this. Nebraska was thought to have won the offseason by landing the highly sought after coach after leading UCF to a share of the national championship, but his return to Lincoln has gotten off to a rocky start. The Cornhuskers are sitting at 0-2 entering Big Ten play, and there is a good chance they miss out on bowl season yet again. They are staring down the barrel of 0-3 as they travel to face the Michigan Wolverines in Week 4 of the college football season. More
Kansas at Baylor, TBD
Akron at Iowa State, TBD
Kansas State at West Virginia, TBD
Don’t look now, but Dana Holgorsen has a quarterback. The West Virginia Mountaineers are a dark horse in the Big 12 with Will Grier at the helm. Their game against North Carolina State last week was cancelled due to Hurricane Florence, but the Mountaineers lit up their first two opponents this season. They hammered Tennessee and Youngstown State, and they are now set to turn their sights on conference foes. The first of those will be the Kansas State Wildcats in Week 4 of the season. More
Army at Oklahoma, TBD
TCU at Texas, TBD
The Texas Longhorns are looking to turn the corner as a program. The school has largely floundered this decade, but many believe that Tom Herman is the man to lead a renaissance for Texas football. The Longhorns failed to gain much traction in 2017, but there is optimism once again after Texas thrashed USC 37-14 last Saturday. A win in Week 4 over the TCU Horned Frogs would likely send expectations soaring heading into the Red River Showdown in two weeks. More
Texas AM at Alabama, TBD
Jimbo Fisher is being paid a lot of money to win games like this one, but it will be a challenge for the Texas AM Aggies to knock off the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on the road. The Tide is rolling having outscored its first three opponents 170-28 after crushing Ole Miss, 62-7, in their SEC opener. The Aggies should feel confident about their chances after nearly beating Clemson a few weeks ago, but stopping the Bama juggernaut in a Week 4 confrontation seems unlikely. More
Arkansas at Auburn, TBD
The Auburn Tigers are looking at an eerily similar situation to last year. Auburn is seen by almost everyone as one of the best teams in the country, but the Tigers have already lost one game and need to keep winning if they have any hope of making it to the College Football Playoff. They are heavy favorites in their Week 4 game against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Under Chad Morris, Arkansas is undergoing a complete overhaul, and it’s going to take some time for this team to be successful running the quick strike offense he wants. More
Mississippi State at Kentucky, TBD
It looks like the Mississippi State Bulldogs found the right man to replace Dan Mullen. Joe Moorhead has thrived during his short time in Starkville. It doesn’t look like the offense has missed a beat with Moorhead at the helm, and the Bulldogs look like a team that can hold its own in the toughest division in college football. In Week 4, Mississippi State is facing its first conference test against a team that is on cloud nine. The Kentucky Wildcats are still celebrating after picking up their first win over Florida in more than three decades. More
Louisiana Tech at LSU, TBD
Hold that Tiger! The LSU Tigers are riding high after another big win over Auburn last week. LSU erased a fourth quarter deficit in Jordan-Hare Stadium to pull out a 22-21 victory thanks to a last-second field goal from Cole Tracy. Now, the Tigers are ranked in the top ten and trying to keep the momentum going in Week 4 against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. With the stunning loss to Troy last year still fresh in their minds, LSU will not take a good Louisiana Tech team lightly. More
Kent State at Ole Miss, TBD
Georgia at Missouri, TBD
The early portion of Week four College Football Saturday features a Southeastern Conference matchup that some believe could turn into a wild shootout and potential upset special. The Missouri Tigers boast one of the most prolific passing attacks in the country and have played improved football so far this year. Head coach Barry Odom’s seat is much cooler than it was one year ago. The Georgia Bulldogs are among the most talented teams in the land in have the look of a team ready to make a repeat run at the National Championship Game. More
Florida at Tennessee, TBD
This is a great chance for Jeremy Pruitt to reward Phil Fulmer for his trust. Pruitt was at least the Tennessee Volunteers sixth choice to be their next head coach, and there are many around the program who still wonder whether or not he was the right pick. Fulmer seemed to settle on Pruitt just to end the nightmare that Tennessee’s coaching search had become, and the new coach is not in the most comfortable situation. However, a win over the Florida Gators at home in Week 4 of the season would endear him to fans. Florida has dominated Tennessee over the last two decades so beating the hated Gators would be huge. More
South Carolina at Vanderbilt, TBD
The South Carolina Gamecocks are ready to get back on the field. After cancelling last week’s game with Marshall due to Hurricane Florence, the team is looking to respond by getting a win for their fans. However, that won’t come easy. They will be travelling to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 4 of the season, and Vandy is coming off of a tough loss. Vandy came close to knocking off a top ten Notre Dame team last week, so South Carolina better be prepared. More
Ohio at Cincinnati, TBD
East Carolina at South Florida, TBD
Western Kentucky at Ball State, TBD
South Alabama at Memphis, TBD
Navy at SMU, TBD
Nevada at Toledo, TBD
Western Michigan at Georgia State, TBD
Miami (OH) at Bowling Green, TBD
UNLV at Arkansas State, TBD
Coastal Carolina at Louisiana-Lafayette, TBD
Troy at UL Monroe, TBD
Air Force at Utah State, TBD
Boston College at Purdue, 12 p.m. ET
Returning to the national spotlight for the first time in a decade, the Boston College Eagles go in search of their fourth straight win when they visit the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 4 action. BC entered the AP poll for the first time since 2008 at No. 23 following their 41-34 win over Wake Forest. Year 2 of the Jeff Brohm era at Purdue has hit a roadblock. The Boilers are off to their worst start since 1996, but they’ve been close and need a break to end their slide. Purdue has lost its three games by a combined eight points and they are good enough to lose the close games. More
Virginia Tech at Old Dominion, 3:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
North Texas at Liberty, 6 p.m. ET
Rice at Southern Mississippi, 7 p.m. ET
Texas State at UT San Antonio, 7 p.m. ET
NC State at Marshall, 7 p.m. ET (CBSSN)
New Mexico State at UTEP, 7:30 p.m. ET
Eastern Michigan at San Diego State, 10:30 p.m. ET (CBSSN)
Week 4 College Football Games of the Week
Texas AM at Alabama, Saturday, September 22
Welcome to the SEC Jimbo Fisher. Expectations are high in College Station and Fisher was given a lot of money to get the program to the top of the conference. Kevin Sumlin couldn’t do it and after beating the Tide in his first season, the Aggies lost the last five. If Fisher thought the ACC was a meat grinder he’ll have to rethink his position competing in the toughest division in college football. The good news is that the rest of the conference season should be easier after opening SEC play in Tuscaloosa.
The Aggies made some noise during their first year in the SEC, going into Bryant-Denny Stadium and handing Bama its only loss during the 2012 season. While the Tide was an accommodating host that day, they’ve been downright rude over the last two meetings in Bama. The Tide rolled to a 59-0 win in 2014 and a 33-14 victory two seasons ago. It’s not the most ideal situation for Fisher to open his new gig, but the Aggies are going to have to play Alabama at some point. And beating them early will lay the groundwork for a successful campaign.
Wisconsin at Iowa, Saturday, September 22
Most of the excitement in the Big Ten takes place in the East Division, but an early season showdown between Wisconsin and Iowa could pave the way in the West. Iowa is rebuilding after several key performers were lost to graduation, but they have a talented quarterback in Nate Stanley and future first-round NFL draft pick in tight end Noah Fant. The Hawkeyes’ schedule in 2018 is favorable and this meeting becomes more important for their title hopes. They skip Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in crossover play and get the division favored Badgers at home.
Wisconsin remains the standard in the Big Ten West and they are favored to win the division again. They’re coming off a perfect 9-0 league record and 13-1 overall slate that included a victory over Miami in the Orange Bowl. Another undefeated run through league play is probably unrealistic, but winning the West starts with a victory over Iowa, one of the competitors for the division title.
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