Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica’s 2024 College Football Week 4 ‘Bear Bytes’

College football Week 4 is here, and I can’t pump anymore.

This means that the next few days will be exciting for football fans and bettors looking for fun ways to bet a few bucks.

I’ve already given you my best bets for the Week 4 games, but now it’s time to have a little fun with “Bear Bytes.”

These little “bytes,” as I call them, are just the guys that give you fun talking points to dish out as you watch football celebrations with friends and family or banter with your co-workers at the water cooler.

Here are the biggest nuggets that stuck out to me while doing my research.

There are three matchups lined up for Saturday – Utah at Oklahoma State, USC at Michigan and Tennessee at Oklahoma.

Outside of those three games, the 14th ranked teams played unranked teams that were favored by an average of 25.4 PPG. Ten are favored by at least 20 points, and the only team favored by less than ten points is Kansas State -7 at BYU.

Utah @ Oklahoma State (4 p.m. ET, Saturday, FOX and The FOX Sports app)

Over the last 10 years, Mike Gundy is 17-6 in games where the spread is within +3/-3. In 10 home games, Oklahoma State is 8-2, winning each of the past six – three coming as an underdog. Utah is 2-7 in its last nine road games against ranked teams. Only two wins came against USC.

USC @ In Michigan (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS)

Since 2021, Lincoln Riley has been the favorite away from home 13 times. His team has won 10 of 13 games but is just 3-10 against the spread (ATS) and 2-7 at USC.

Tennessee @ In Oklahoma (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, ABC)

This week we capture the 49 games in which Oklahoma was picked at home. The last time OU was a home underdog was in 2016 when the Sooners were a 1-point underdog to Ohio State and lost 45-24. This will be the second time in the last 146 home games – dating back to the 2000 season – that the Sooners are the home team. When was the last time an Oklahoma was such a big domestic dog? That was the last game of the John Blake era when the Sooners upset Texas Tech as an 8-point underdog.

Bowling Green @ Texas A&M (7:30 pm ET, Saturday, SECN+)

Two weeks ago, Bowling Green lost a TD as a dog with 34.5 points to Penn State. On Saturday, the Falcons’ dogs with 23 points in Texas A&M, which will be the best in Florida, Arkansas next week and have struggled in games like this in recent years, lost to Appalachian State in 2022 as 17 points. favorite and beat Mass that same season by 17 as a 32-point favorite.

Miami (OH) @ Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, NBC)

Two weeks ago, Notre Dame completely lost to a MAC team (Northern Illinois) as a 28-point favorite. On Saturday, the Irish are again a 28-point favorite over a MAC team (Miami OH). Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has been a double-digit favorite 13 times. The Irish lost three of them outright. In 70 games, as a double-digit favorite under Brian Kelly, the Irish went 67-3, including wins in each of the last 36 games Kelly was head coach. This season, Notre Dame is 1-0 against the SEC, 1-0 against the Big Ten and 0-1 against the MAC.

Arizona State @ Texas Tech (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, FS1)

Arizona State is 3-0, despite being favored by a touchdown in two games and a road underdog against a five-team team. The Sun Devils are also underdogs on the road (+3) this week at Texas Tech.

Miami @ South Florida (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN)

Under Alex Golesh, USF has been the underdog nine times. The Bulls did in seven of those situations (3-2 as a double-digit dog).

East Carolina @ Freedom (6pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+)

Last year, Liberty led the nation with 21 interceptions. ECU quarterback Jake Garcia leads the nation this year with eight.

Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with “occasional” bets on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He is a multiple qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.

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