Week 4 College Football Best Bets:

Underdogs can be a betting man’s best friend. Still, sometimes a dog can get lazy and sleep all day, which is what happened last Saturday when my four college football home ‘dogs played dead in lopsided losses. No excuses. There were live ‘dogs on the schedule — Kentucky was getting 22 points in a 13-12 loss to Georgia — but I picked the wrong underdogs. Hopefully that changes this weekend. Let’s take a look at my Week 4 college football best bets.

 

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Miami (FL) (-17) at South Florida

Saturday, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)

In his fifth year and with his third team, Cam Ward is living up to the hype as a Heisman Trophy candidate for the Hurricanes. Ward has completed 73 percent of his passes while totaling 1,035 yards and 11 touchdowns in victories over Florida, Florida A&M and Ball State. Ward, who started for two seasons at Incarnate Word and for two seasons at Washington State, has 130 career touchdown passes and is the real deal. A Miami team with an abundance of talent is likely headed to the ACC title game. But not every game will be a blowout and the Hurricanes will hit a few bumps in the road.

The Bulls are capable of making Miami work for this road win. Byrum Brown is a dual-threat quarterback and the leading rusher for South Florida, which has averaged 268.7 rushing yards in three games. Two weeks ago, the Bulls ran for 206 yards against Alabama and trailed the Crimson Tide 21-16 with six minutes to go in Tuscaloosa. This underdog is confident and ready for a fight after playing Alabama tough two years in a row.

College Football Best Bet: South Florida +17

Iowa (-3) at Minnesota

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (NBC)

Two years after transferring from Michigan, quarterback Cade McNamara has been a disappointment for the Hawkeyes. If McNamara is only mediocre, that’s still good enough for Iowa to win a lot of games. The Hawkeyes rely on their defense and a running attack led by Kaleb Johnson, an ugly yet effective formula that will be on display in this rivalry game. The Gophers (6.3 ppg) and Hawkeyes (13.7 ppg) rank among the nation’s top-scoring defenses. It’s tempting to play this Under the total of 35.5. I’m not tempted to lay any points with Iowa, which is out for revenge for last year’s controversial 12-10 loss to Minnesota. The Hawkeyes won three Big Ten games by three or fewer points last season, so this is a moneyline play.

College Football Best Bet: Iowa -140

Kansas State (-7) at Brigham Young

Saturday, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Taysom Hill, a versatile playmaker for the New Orleans Saints, once was a rugged dual-threat quarterback for BYU. Jake Retzlaff, sort of a poor man’s version of Hill, triggers the Cougars’ offense. He passed for 291 yards and ran for 62 yards in a win at Wyoming a week ago. A BYU defense allowing 14 ppg is strong enough to keep the dog in the game and give Retzlaff a shot to win it in the fourth quarter. Avery Johnson is a young quarterback on the rise for Kansas State, but Johnson has not passed for 200 yards in any game this season and BYU is sturdy against the run. While the Wildcats’ coaching edge with Chris Klieman is a concern, the Cougars have the home-field edge for this night game at altitude in Provo, Utah.

College Football Best Bet: BYU +7

Tennessee (-7) at Oklahoma

Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ABC)

The betting public is falling in love with freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the Volunteers, who have outscored three weak opponents by a combined score of 191-13. The Sooners will present a much different challenge, and Iamaleava has yet to encounter a hostile crowd on the road. Oklahoma’s defense has allowed 265 yards and 11.3 points per game and its young quarterback, Jackson Arnold, can trade shots with Iamaleava.

The Sooners are the contrarian side. Oklahoma, which opened as a 4.5-point favorite in this matchup in July, has not been a 7-point home ‘dog since 1998.

College Football Best Bet: Oklahoma +7

Last week: 0-4 against the spread

Season: 4-10

For more College Football Week 4 predictions, visit the College Football Week 4 Hub at VSiN.com.

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