Betting Recap - Week 4
By Daniel Dobish
VegasInsider.com
College Football Week 4 Results
Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 44-14
Against the Spread 25-33
Home-Away
Straight Up 29-29
Against the Spread 22-36
Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 26-32
The largest underdogs to win straight up
Virginia (+13.5, ML +425) at Boise State, 42-23
North Carolina State (+11, ML +350) at Florida State, 27-21
New Mexico (+9, ML +260) at Tulsa, 16-13
Texas Christian (+9, ML +280) at Oklahoma State, 44-31
Texas Tech (+7, ML +220) at Houston, 27-24
Idaho (+6.5, ML +220) at South Alabama, 29-23 (OT)
The largest favorites to cover
Virginia Tech (-29.5) vs. Old Dominion, 38-0
Washington State (-28.5) vs. Nevada, 45-7
Indiana (-21.5) vs. Georgia Southern, 52-17
Alabama (-20) at Vanderbilt, 59-0
Auburn (-18.5) at Missouri, 51-14
South Florida (-18) vs. Temple, 43-7
New Mexico State (-17) vs. UTEP, 41-14
Top 25 Notes
Oklahoma State had been humming right along, thumping opponents during the early going. They entered Saturday's game against Texas Christian as a nine-point favorite, but not many expected the Horned Frogs to come away from Stillwater with a straight-up win. However, they built a 34-17 lead after three quarters and held on for a 44-31 victory to throw themselves into a potential Top 10 ranking and the shirts with the target. ... The rival of the Cowboys, Oklahoma, received all they could handle from a team which had looked moribund in its first three games, Baylor. The Bears entered 0-3 SU/ATS, but they went toe-to-toe with the Sooners, trailing just 35-31 after three quarters. OU gained a little separation at 49-31 with 8:55 to go, but the Bears chipped away and had the ball in a one-possession game before turning it over late to seal the win for the Sooners. ... Florida State was back in action after a two-week absence due to Hurricane Irma, and they looked a bit rusty at times. Using a true freshman QB, the Seminoles trailed wire-to-wire against North Carolina State, a team that always seems to give FSU trouble.
-- Alabama hit the road as 20-point favorites and whitewashed Vanderbilt, 59-0. The Crimson Tide offense appears to be hitting on all cylinders over the past three games, posting 41 or more points. The defense is also doing its job, as the Tide are allowing just 10.0 PPG, including just 3.5 PPG in games away from Tuscaloosa this season.
Florida was at it again in the final minute of regulation. The Gators were tied or trailing for the entire game at Kentucky until the final 43 seconds of regulation. That's when Luke Del Rio hit a wide-open Freddie Swain on a 5-yard TD strike, as the Wildcats were in disarray with just 10 players on the field. It was something Wildcats fans have seem all too often, as that's now 31 consecutive wins for Florida against Kentucky dating back to 1986. The Wildcats were still able to hang on for the cover, moving to 2-0 ATS in conference this season.
Mississippi State was unable to carry over momentum after their rout of LSU last week, as they were never in the game at Georgia. UGA fired out to a 14-0 lead after 15 minutes and never looked back, rolling MSU by a 31-3 score. Georgia moved to 4-0 SU/3-1 ATS while the 'under' is 4-0 thanks to their suffocating defense, allowing just 11.5 PPG.
Penn State struck in dramatic fashion at Iowa. The Hawkeyes took a 19-15 lead with 1:42 to go, and the upset appeared to be in good shape. However, Trace McSorley threw a strike in the middle of the end zone to Juwan Johnson with no time remaining on the clock to stun the previously happy crowd in Iowa City, 21-19. The Hawkeyes were able to hang on for their first cover since the opener on Sept. 2. The 'under' is now 3-1 for Iowa.
Big Five Conference Report
Duke dealt rival North Carolina its third loss before the calendar has flipped to October, topping the Tar Heels 27-17. Duke is now an impressive 4-0 SU/ATS heading into next Friday's showdown at Wallace Wade against Miami-Florida. ... Speaking of the Hurricanes, they rolled to a 52-30 win. It wasn't easy, as the Rockets were leading 16-10 at halftime before the Canes woke up. Chalk up the first half to rustiness, as they had been off since Sept. 2 due to Hurricane Irma. ... Wake Forest moved to 4-0 SU with a non-conference win at Appalachian State, 20-19. It was the first time this season the Demon Deacons failed to cover. They'll host an angry and winless Florida State team in Winston-Salem next Saturday.
Indiana showed off impressive offense in a win over Georgia Southern. The Hoosiers nearly erased the entire 21 1/2-point spread after 15 minutes, taking a 21-0 lead. The Hoosiers rolled up 467 total yards to 2-1 SU/ATS, and the 'over' is 2-0 in two games at 'The Rock' this season. ... Michigan dropped Purdue down a peg, winning in West Lafayette by a 28-10 count. The Boilermakers had covered their first three games until this non-cover. The Wolverines defense improved for the third consecutive game, allowing an average of 13.5 PPG. ... Michigan State had nothing for Notre Dame in their annual rivalry game, falling to the Irish 38-18. After going 2-0 SU/ATS with two 'under' results, Sparty failed to cover and the 'over' hit.
Kansas fell behind West Virginia 35-13 at halftime. However, the Jayhawks offense has been respectable this season and they didn't go away. Kansas outscored West Virginia 14-0 in the third quarter to get back in good shape before hanging on for the cover, 56-34. The Jayhawks have hit the 'over' in all four games, and they have 27 or more points in each of their four outings. ... Texas Tech stepped out of conference to top Houston, 27-24. The win snapped Houston's 16-game home winning streak. The Red Raiders are now 3-0 SU/ATS through three outings.
UCLA looked to bounce back after a disappointing loss at Memphis last week. They were playing on 'The Farm' against an angry Stanford side looking to avoid a third straight game. The Bruins were unable to shut down RB Bryce Love, who appears to be the next star in Palo Alto. The Cardinal ran away for a 58-34 win, dropping the Bruins to 1-3 ATS through four games. The 'over' is a perfect 4-0 for UCLA, as their defense has allowed 44 or more points in three outings. ... Utah held on for a 30-24 win at Arizona, moving to 4-0 SU/ATS. The 'under' also hit for the third time thisseason.
Tennessee struggled Massachusetts, topping the Minutemen 17-13. Perhaps the Vols were having a bit of a hangover after last week's stunning loss in Gainesville. The Vols slipped to 1-3 ATS so far, and the 'under' has hit in three in a row. ... Auburn stormed past Missouri, 51-14. It was the first cover of the season for Auburn, and their first 'over' results. ... Texas A&M and Arkansas needed overtime to decide things, tied 43-43 after regulation. The Aggies survived for the road win, 50-43, in OT.
Mid-Major Report
Tulsa suffered a stunning loss at home against New Mexico, 16-13. It was not only stunning the Golden Hurricane lost at home, but that this game was a defensive battle. Tulsa had allowed 55.0 PPG through the first three outings. ... UCF was back in action after a lengthy layoff due to Hurricane Irma. They certainly didn't look rusty in a 38-10 win at Maryland, as the Terps had injury issues at quarterback. UCF is now 2-0 SU/ATS heading into their home game against Memphis next week.
Charlotte was blanked at home by a poor Georgia State side in a battle between two of the worst teams in FBS. The 49ers have averaged just 4.7 PPG through three outings against FBS teams, and they're 0-4 ATS overall. ... Alabama-Birmingham came up short at North Texas, 46-43, but they were able to cover the number. UNT was a rare double-digit favorite, and early on it appeared they might cover it. The Mean Green led 30-14 at half, but the Blazers outscored them 29-16 in the second half.
Eastern Michigan took Ohio to double-overtime on that ridiculous gray field in Ypsilanti. The Bobcats ended up hanging on for the 27-20 win, moving to 3-1 SU/ATS with a win against a Power 5 team under their belt already. The 'under' result was their first of the season in four outings. ... The woes for Bowling Green continue, as they stepped out of conference and were dropped at Middle Tennessee, 24-13. The Falcons are now 0-4 SU/ATS. While the defense allowed a season-low 24 points, the offense continues to struggle. BGSU is averaging just 10.0 PPG in three games vs. FBS opponents and the 'under' is 3-0-1 overall for the Falcons.
Hawaii-Wyoming could not be decided in regulation in Laramie, but the Cowboys were able to hang on for the win and cover, 28-21, in the first OT. It was Wyoming's first cover in four tries, and the 'under' is a perfect 4-0 for them. ... San Diego State moved to 4-0 SU with a 28-24 win at Air Force. The Aztecs have covered all three of their games against FBS foes this season. ... San Jose State was hammered 61-10 at home by Utah State, as the Spartans are 0-3 ATS in each of their past three. Their offense is averaging just 8.7 PPG during the span.
Bad Beats
'Over' bettors (51) in the Miami (Ohio)-Central Michigan game were feeling good about things, as these two MAC teams combined for 42 points by halftime. However, there was just one field goal in the second half of action, as the Redhawks won 31-14. Ouch.
'Under' bettors (50) had to like their chances in Ball State-Western Kentucky, but things got ugly in a hurry. There were just 34 points on the board until the Cardinals scored at 4:50 left in regulation to take a 21-20 lead. The Hilltoppers stormed back to take a 26-21 lead with 1:38 to go, failing on a two-point conversion try. Under bettors were still in good shape until a pick-six with 1:13 to go by WKU turned an under into an over.
'Under' bettors (48.5) were staring at just 23 points after three quarters, feeling fine in the San Diego STate-Air Force game. But the Falcons outscored the Aztecs 15-14 in the final 15 minutes to push the total over.
Iowa moneyline bettors (+400) felt good until there were zeroes left on the clock. Penn State ruined a potentially profitable night on the final play of the game.