NCAA Football: Our Two Favorite Matchups for Week 4 of the College Football Season

Conference play kicks off for college football this weekend, and it is bringing us a ton of fantastic matchups. The lineup is highlighted by an upstart program squaring off against a traditional power and a matchup between two top ten teams. Both promise to be thrilling games and should draw plenty of wagers this weekend.

Below we will share our three favorites matchups from this weekend’s packed slates of games. We will share odds and insights to help you pick winners in each, helping you gain the upper hand against your favorite NCAAF betting sites.

• When: Saturday, September 23 @ 3:30 PM EST
• Moneyline: Colorado +700 | Oregon -1100
• Spread: Colorado +21 (-110) |Oregon -21 (-110)
• Total: Over 71.5 (-110) | Under 71.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook

Our first matchup comes from the red-hot Pac-12 and what could be the most watched game of the weekend. We have an upstart Colorado team that has been rebuilt by new head coach Deion Sanders against the conference’s perennial power, Oregon. It will be the first conference matchup for both teams, and could have a huge impact on both division races.

Nobody really knew what Colorado would look like in their first season under Sanders. They replaced almost the entire Buffs roster, which went 1-11 in 2022. Many of those questions were answered when they went on the road to beat a ranked TCU team in week 1. However, the team showed some cracks last week against Colorado State, who they needed double overtime to beat at home.

Now the Buffs will head to take on one of the country’s top teams at one of the toughest places to play, Autzen Stadium.

While Oregon has not been tested this season, they have looked sharp. Quarterback Bo Nix has already thrown for 893 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception. The Buffs defense has some issues, which will be made worse while cornerback Travis Hunter is out. That will be a big problem this weekend against Nix and an explosive Oregon offense.

• When: Saturday, September 23 @ 7:30 PM EST
• Moneyline: Ohio State 180 | Notre Dame +150
• Spread:  Ohio State -3.5 (-108) | Notre Dame +3.5 (-112)
• Total: Over 54.5 (-110) | Under 54.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

The best matchup of the weekend will take place in South Bend this weekend as we have a top ten showdown between the Buckeyes and Irish. While both schools have been traditional powers in college football for decades, this will be just their eighth time meeting since 1935. The limited series has been dominated by Ohio State who has won the last five matchups by at least 11 points.

Ohio State lost quarterback CJ Stroud to the NFL draft, but they have not skipped a beat early in 2023.  They opened the season with a conference win at Indiana before going on to blow out Youngstown State and Western Kentucky. A big reason for their continued offensive success is wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, who already has 304 yards and three touchdowns through the air this season.

The Buckeyes offense will need to stay hot this week as they face a Notre Dame team that has scored at least 41 points in all four of their games this season. They are led by quarterback Sam Hartman, who has 1,061 passing yards and 15 total touchdowns in 2023. He is paired with an elite running back in Audric Estime, who has 521 and five touchdowns on the ground this season.

The Irish will have a big homefield advantage on Saturday, which is something bettors will need to account for. While two of their four losses came at home last season, you can expect a packed house and a rowdy crowd ready to cheer their team to victory over a great Buckeyes team.