From the archive
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It’s Week 4 of the 2020 college football season and the games just keep getting better. We have no doubt that trend will continue as teams across the country continue to improve from week to week.
On the slate for us come Saturday are a slew of outstanding games. We’ve picked out our top six favorites to take a look at with you and give our thoughts on how the teams will do overall and against the spread.
No. 23 Kentucky at No. 8-T Auburn
Odds: Auburn -8
SEC football fans only get one game that pits two ranked conference teams against one another in Week 4, and this one could definitely get interesting. Auburn wants to maintain its AP Poll ranking, while Kentucky has to prove they actually belong in the top 25. Neither team has a crushing ground game, but both can throw the football around pretty well, so expect this game to come down to which defensive secondary is able to shut down the opposing quarterback. There will still be plenty of touchdowns, and we see it as Auburn coming away with the win, but at 34-27, we say they’re going to fail to cover the spread.
No. 2 Alabama at Missouri
Odds: Alabama -28.5
It’s one heck of a spread for players to consider before placing their college football bets, but we feel like it’s not going to be one that the Crimson Tide misses. These two teams have plenty of history, and when the Tide’s defense is having a particularly good season (like this year and the past several), then it’s typically a one-sided game. Missouri isn’t going to get shut out, but they are going to have difficulty finding the end zone this week. Alabama, on the other hand, isn’t going to miss the opportunity to score often. We see this ending up a blowout at 45-10 with the Tide covering the spread in the victory.
No. 8-T Texas at Texas Tech
Odds: Texas -17
This isn’t going to be much of a matchup for a Texas team that has looked solid throughout the beginning of the 2020 football season. Their foes, however, have looked disconnected on the defensive side of the ball, and the offense hasn’t quite hit stride yet either. Texas Tech is struggling, and Texas isn’t. This isn’t going to be pretty and unless the Red Raiders can find some consistent play on both sides of the ball, it’s also going to be an absolute blowout. Despite it being a rivalry game, we see Texas running away with this one, 40-21 and covering the spread.
Florida State at No. 12 Miami
Odds: Miami -10
The Miami Hurricanes have beat the spread twice now in the past two games, so we are kind of in a position where we don’t think you can really bet against them. Florida State has struggled in a year that was expected to be a decent one for them. The Seminoles are going to be without their head coach, Mike Norvell, due to a positive coronavirus test that is forcing him to isolate. A rough start to the season and no head coach? This doesn’t look good for FSU, and we see them losing this game, 28-17, which means the Hurricanes will cover the spread.
Mississippi State at No. 6 LSU
Odds: LSU -17
The LSU Tigers aren’t the team that brought home the national championship last year, and no one expects them to be. They’re still capable of putting plenty of points on the board, though it is possible their offense may still be trying to find some consistency with all the new starters in 2020. Mississippi State will come in pretty energized under the leadership of coach Mike Leach. They’ll be ready to give it their best shot. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they aren’t going to have the weapons they need to get a win here, though they’ll keep it closer than some might expect, 28-17. LSU will fail to cover the spread on this one, but they’ll get the victory.
Other games of interest
Kansas State at No. 3 Oklahoma (-27)
No. 4 Georgia (-24.5) at Arkansas
No. 5 Florida (-14.5) at Ole Miss
No. 7 Notre Dame (-18) at Wake Forest
Vanderbilt at No. 10 Texas A&M (-29.5)
No. 13 UCF (-25.5) at East Carolina
No. 22 Army at No. 14 Cincinnati (-12)
West Virginia at No. 15 Oklahoma State (-8.5)
No. 16 Tennessee (-3) at South Carolina
Troy at No. 18 BYU (-13.5)
Georgia Southern at No. 19 Louisiana (-13.5)
NC State at No. 20 Virginia Tech (-10)
No. 24 Louisville at No. 21 Pitt (-3.5)