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

College football Week 4 is here, and I couldn’t be more pumped. 

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

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

These little “bytes,” as I call them, are just nuggets that give you some entertaining talking points to pull from as you watch the football festivities with friends and family or banter with your coworkers at the water cooler.

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

There are three ranked matchups Saturday — Utah at Oklahoma State, USC at Michigan and Tennessee at Oklahoma. 

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

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

Over the last 10 years, Mike Gundy is 17-6 in games where the spread is within +3/-3. In the 10 home games, Oklahoma State is 8-2, winning each of the last six — three coming as an underdog. Utah is 2-7 in its last nine games away from home against ranked teams. The only two wins came against USC.
 
USC @ Michigan (3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS)

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

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

This week snaps a 49-game streak in which Oklahoma was favored at home. The last time OU was a home underdog was 2016 when the Sooners were a slight 1-point ‘dog to Ohio State and lost 45-24. This will be just the second time in the last 146 home games — dating back to the 2000 season — that the Sooners are a home underdog. The last time Oklahoma was this big of a home ’dog? That was the final game of the John Blake era when the Sooners upset Texas Tech as an 8-point underdog. 

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

Two weeks ago, Bowling Green lost by a TD as a 34.5-point dog at Penn State. Saturday, the Falcons are 23-point ‘dogs at Texas A&M, which is coming off a road win at Florida, has Arkansas next week and has struggled in games like this in recent years, losing to Appalachian State in 2022 as a 17-point favorite and beating UMass 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 lost outright to a MAC team (Northern Illinois) as a 28-point favorite. 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 have 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 final 36 games Kelly was head coach. This season, Notre Dame is 1-0 vs. the SEC, 1-0 vs. the Big Ten and 0-1 vs. MAC. 

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

Arizona State is 3-0, despite being favored by less than a touchdown in two games and a road underdog against a Group of Five team. The Sun Devils are again road underdogs (+3) this week at Texas Tech.

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

Under Alex Golesh, USF has been an underdog nine times. The Bulls have covered in seven of those instances (3-2 as a double-digit ‘dog). 

East Carolina @ Liberty (6 p.m. 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 an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

---

---