College Football Week 4 Betting Report: Bettors Anticipating Big 12, Big Ten Clashes

College Football Playoff conversation tends to center on the SEC and Ohio State — but keep in mind, there’s a 12-team field to fill out.

That adds a little more juice to a couple of Saturday games on the college football Week 4 oddsboard: No. 9 Illinois vs. No. 19 Indiana; and No. 17 Texas Tech vs. No. 16 Utah, in FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.

"Texas Tech-Utah is the game I’m most looking forward to," Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. "The big strength of Utah is its defense, and the big strength of Texas Tech is its offense."

Bookmakers and sharp bettors offer their insights on those Big Ten and Big 12 clashes, along with other key games, as we dive into college football Week 4 betting nuggets.

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College Football Rocks On FOX

So far, Utah is perfect on the field and at the betting window, going 3-0 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS), all in blowout fashion. Texas Tech is 3-0 SU/2-1 ATS, and also has routed weaker foes.

Saturday’s noon ET kickoff on FOX marks a big step-up in competition for both teams. Caesars Sports opened the Utes as 4-point home favorites and went to -3.5 late Sunday night.

Monday afternoon, Utah dipped another half-point to -3, where the spread remained Wednesday night.

"We’re seeing mostly Texas Tech action, which has been the case every week so far with the Red Raiders," Feazel said. "And they’re betting on the Over, as well."

Which is understandable. Texas Tech cleared 60 points in two of its three games, putting up 174 points overall, and Utah has 137 points through three games.

SEC Showdown

The SEC is so deep that seemingly every weekend has a marquee matchup. In Week 4, that matchup is No. 22 Auburn vs. No. 11 Oklahoma.

This line was on the move early in the week at Caesars. Oklahoma opened as a 4.5-point home favorite, and within a couple of hours Sunday moved out to -6. The Sooners briefly touched -7 on Tuesday and stood at -6.5 (-115) on Wednesday night.

Two more intriguing elements: Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold returns to Norman to face his former team, and Oklahoma QB John Mateer is now the Heisman Trophy favorite.

Both teams are 3-0 SU, with Oklahoma 2-1 ATS and Auburn 1-2 ATS.

"The preseason hype has rung true for Oklahoma," Feazel said. "The Sooners really have a chance to get a playoff spot and maybe compete for the SEC championship."

Early bettors, particularly the sharp bettors, are leaning into the Sooners for Saturday’s game.

"They were hitting Oklahoma early at -4.5 and -6, and they’ve continued to hit Oklahoma at -6.5," Feazel said.

On Campus Sharp Side

College football betting expert Paul Stone is among those intrigued by the Auburn-Oklahoma game. He’s banking on the Sooners to beat the 6.5-point spread, expecting Mateer to be the difference maker.

"Mateer is playing like a man on a mission," Stone said. "Obviously, he's a talented guy who puts up numbers with his arm and his legs. But more than that, Mateer plays with an infectious spirit that his teammates have bought into.

"Oklahoma is the real deal. I think the Sooners have more than a puncher's chance to make the College Football Playoff."

Big Ten Battle

Illinois and Indiana are two more teams hoping to eventually be in the CFP conversation. No. 19 Indiana already knows what that’s like, having made the first 12-team field last season.

If No. 9 Illinois plays up to its ranking, perhaps it will start getting more attention this season. But the Hoosiers are favorites in this 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff, and in fact, the line continues to grow.

Indiana opened -3.5 at Caesars and quickly went to -4.5. On Tuesday, the line got to -5, and the number advanced to -5.5/-6 Wednesday afternoon.

"We’re seeing that movement reflected in the action. Sharps aren’t believing that Illinois should be ranked this high," Feazel said, noting pro bettors took Indiana -3.5 and -4.5. "I think we’re gonna need that Super Bowl middle, where Indiana wins but doesn’t cover."

I Like Big Bets and I Cannot Lie

With three weeks in the books, let’s check in on a trio of massive national championship bets made over the summer.

In late June, a BetMGM customer went in large on three perceived College Football Playoff contenders:

• $300,000 Texas +500 to win the CFP
• $200,000 Penn State +750 to win the CFP
• $115,000 Clemson to win the CFP

Texas, behind much-heralded starting QB Arch Manning, hasn’t exactly looked great so far while going 2-1. Preseason, BetMGM had the Longhorns as +500 favorites to win the national title.

Now, Texas is the +700 co-fourth choice with Oregon, trailing +550 favorite Ohio State and Georgia/Penn State, both at +600.

Penn State (3-0) might be the best of those bets at the moment. We’ll know better after the second-ranked Nittany Lions host No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 27. Perhaps more daunting down the road, Penn State travels to top-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 1.

Clemson appears to be the most precarious of those three big wagers. The Tigers are 1-2, losing at home to LSU and on the road vs. Georgia Tech.

And BetMGM’s risk room is no longer buying what Dabo Swinney is selling. Back in January, when CFP championship odds first went up, Clemson was +2000. The Tigers were a popular offseason play, getting as short as +900 pre-Week 1.

Now, Clemson is +5000, the 14th choice at BetMGM. The Tigers have work to do just to make the Playoff, let alone win the whole tourney.

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.

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