The chalk returned to form in college football Week 3 with all the ranked teams winning outright, including the lower-ranked team winning in both ranked vs. ranked showdowns.
Let's look at Week 4 college football action and go over the betting trends, stats and notes you need to know.
Here's the Action Network's weekly college football betting primer.
College Football Betting Trends, Stats, Notes
Sooner 'Dogs
The role of the home underdog doesn't happen often in Norman. The Sooners were last underdogs at home back in 2016 against Ohio State, when J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes beat Baker Mayfield and the Sooners 45-24 as 1.5-pt underdogs.
Here are Oklahoma's biggest lines as a home underdog since 1998:
+7 – 1998 vs. Texas Tech (W, 20-17)
+4 – 1998 vs. Colorado (L, 27-25)
+3.5 – 1999 vs. Texas A&M (W, 51-6)
+2.5 – 2000 vs. Nebraska (W, 31-14)
+1.5 – 2016 vs. Ohio State (L, 45-24)
Fantastic Four
-6.5 vs. Memphis
-16.5 vs. BC
-10 vs. GT
Florida State is the first team since 2008 to lose its first three games of the season outright all as a favorite.
The Seminoles have Cal this week as a 2.5-point favorite. A loss and they would join 2000 Utah as the only team since 1990 to start the season 0-4 SU and losing all four games as a favorite.
L Is For Loss
Wisconsin in the bowl game.
USC in its opener.
Nicholls State two weeks ago.
South Carolina last week
LSU has lost four consecutive games ATS entering this week's game vs. South Carolina. The Tigers haven't lost four consecutive games ATS going all the way back to 2016.
The last time they lost 5 straight ATS? 2008, when the Tigers lost six consecutive games ATS.
UCLA will play in the CST or EST time zone for the first time since 2019. Overall, UCLA has lost four straight road games in either CST or EST dating back to 2015 and is 3-6 ATS in 9 such games since 2011.
UCLA hasn't closed as a 20+ pt favorite since 2019 and last closed +24 or higher in 2018 against Oklahoma.
Trojan Flight
Speaking of traveling across the country, USC is in Michigan this week and the Trojans have a history of east coast bias.
USC hasn't won a game in EST or CST since September 2012 against Syracuse — that's 8 straight losses SU in lined games having to travel across the country for USC.
USC hasn't won and covered a game in EST or CST since 2011 against Notre Dame.
All The Juice
It's James Franklin season — early year, big line, lower-tier teams. Penn State is above a 40-pt favorite vs. Kent State.
In his career with Vanderbilt and Penn State, Franklin is 95-66-5 ATS (59%) in lined games. He is 42-24-2 ATS (63.6%) when he is favored by 10 pts or more, with a $100 bettor being up $1,623 in those games under Franklin — best of 402 head coaches in the Bet Labs database last 20 years.
Sour Corn
Nebraska has lost two consecutive games SU at home vs. Illinois — with its last win coming back in 2018. Nebraska lost both games by 14+ points to the Illini.
Nebraska is already 3-0 SU/ATS as a home favorite this season, but historically, this hasn't been a great spot for the Cornhuskers. They are 20-10 SU, but just 12-18 ATS with those 30 games going under the total 20 times.
Days Of Columbus
The Buckeyes have won 87 consecutive games SU as a favorite of 20+ pts. Since 2016, they are 35-0 SU and 20-13-2 ATS as that big of a favorite.
Rest has also been a good thing for Ohio State, which was off in Week 3. The Buckeyes are 21-0 SU and 14-7 ATS at home on 10+ days rest over the past 30 years, winning and covering their past two games in that spot since 2021 by 20+ pts.
No Rest
After getting back on track against App State, Clemson got a week off before the meat of its schedule starts.
Clemson is just 3-8 ATS in its past 11 games on 10+ days rest, dating back to its bowl game against LSU in 2020. Under Dabo Swinney, the Tigers are 27-13 SU in that spot, but just 20-20 ATS.
Irish Exit
Since 2017, Notre Dame is 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS in September when playing with one loss or more already in the season.
Last week against Purdue, the Irish demolished the Boilermakers continuing their trend in this spot.
Since 2017, Notre Dame is also 30-8 SU and 23-14-1 ATS after a win by 20+ points.
Sunshine Battle
Miami is traveling to South Florida this week in another in-state showdown for the Hurricanes this season.
Over the past 20 years, Miami is 24-22-1 ATS against schools in the state of Florida and 15-4 ATS when playing that school either in a neutral site or on the road, and 9-18-1 ATS when facing that school at home.
Out Of My Lane
Lane Kiffin has avoided the big upset for the most part in his career. As a double-digit favorite, he is 55-3 SU, with his last loss coming at the hands of Charlotte when he was at Florida Atlantic in 2018. In those 58 games, he's just 30-26-3 ATS, including 8-3-1 ATS with Ole Miss as a big favorite vs. non-conference opponents.
Hawk Over
Week 1 of college football featured an Iowa over.
Week 2 of college football featured an Iowa over.
Week 3 of college football featured an Iowa over.
Entering 2024, Iowa unders were 21-6 over the past three years, the best mark in college football. Now, for the first time in at least the past 20 years, Iowa overs started the season 2-0 and are now 3-0. Iowa hadn't gone over in three straight games since 2021 (4 straight).
Iowa's last six road games have gone under the total and their last 5 neutral games have gone under as well.
Playing A Role
The Buffaloes are short home favorites vs. Baylor this week.
Deion Sanders and Colorado have been together for 15 games. In six of those games, they've been favorites, and in nine, they've been underdogs.
As a favorite, they're 5-1 SU and as underdogs, they're 1-8 SU, with their lone win coming against TCU as 21-point underdogs in their first game together.
Dig Deep
Oregon State gets another shot to improve its home ATS record after a loss vs. Oregon last week. The Beavers are under a TD favorite at home vs. Purdue.
Since 2021, they are 17-3 SU and 16-4 ATS in lined home games — the best mark in the country.
Since that 2021 mark, the Beavers are 5-0 SU/ATS at home off a SU loss.
Big Favorite
Missouri is 3-0 and No. 7 in the country. They are a huge favorite against Vanderbilt this week.
As a favorite of 17 pts or more, Missouri is 53-0 SU since 1990. They are 30-22-1 ATS in those games.
'Dog Jacket
Since 2022, Georgia Tech is 10-9 SU and 14-5 ATS when listed as an underdog, including winning their last two games outright as 'dogs.
The Yellow Jackets have covered the spread in 7 of their last 8 games as underdogs vs. ranked opponents.
The Volunteer Half
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel has coached college football for six years — three at Tennessee and three at UCF.
In that span, his teams are 43-17-2 against the first-half spread — the most profitable ATS of 305 head coaches. That includes a mark of 22-7-1 1H ATS away from home.
In Week 1, Tennessee covered the -24.5 first-half spread, leading 45-0 against Chattanooga.
In Week 2, Tennessee covered the -4.5 first-half spread, leading 20-3 against NC State.
In Week 3, Tennessee covered the -33.5 first-half spread, leading 65-0 against Kent State.
Billy Oh Billy
Florida has lost 4 consecutive games ATS and is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games.
Since 2021, Florida is 14-27 ATS, including 3-11 SU and 5-9 ATS on the road, with those games going 10-4 to the over.
Lay It
We are now in ranked vs. ranked matchup season. Recently, favorites have been good bets. Since 2020, they are over 57% ATS.
No Upsets
Here's your weekly college football wind report. In CFB, we're looking for a bit more drastic wind strength than in the NFL. At 13 mph or stronger, unders are cashing at over a 57% rate since 2005. Unders in high wind games have been above .500 in the games selected for 10 consecutive seasons entering this year. In 2024, unders are 4-4-1 in these games.
Through The Trenches
When facing non-Service Academy teams, Air Force, Navy and Army been a good ATS bet as underdogs against the first-half spread.
In the past decade, Army, Navy and Air Force are 91-59 ATS (61%) for a +16% ROI as underdogs against the first half spread — being .500 ATS or better in 10 consecutive seasons.
This week, Navy is listed as an underdog against Memphis.
