Another excellent week of college football action is almost behind us.
That said, there’s still a full slate of games ahead of us this evening, including Florida-Miami, West Virginia-Kansas, and Indiana-Illinois.
Check out our college football best bets and NCAAF picks for Week 4's evening slate on Saturday, Sept. 20.
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College Football Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
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7:30 p.m. | ||
6 p.m. | ||
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7 p.m. | ||
Midnight | ||
7:30 p.m. | ||
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. |
Collin's Card: Evening Best Bet
Florida head coach Billy Napier confirmed quarterback DJ Lagway will still be the starter for the Gators heading into another hostile environment.
Backing the Florida offense all rides on its quarterback resolving footwork and decision-making issues.
Notably, Lagway's worst outing in 2024 came against LSU, where he committed nearly half of his season-long turnover-worthy plays in a single game.
Action Network's betting power ratings indicate this game should sit at Florida +3.5, but considering the Gators were outgained in yards per play against USF and LSU, there may be a better angle in this game.
The Florida defense struggled against LSU and South Florida's passing offenses, currently ranking 99th nationally in PFF's Pass Rush grades. The Gators also rank among the bottom-15 teams in Passing Downs Explosiveness allowed, an area where quarterback Carson Beck has multiple high-octane weapons.
USF's most significant target share went to slot receivers Christian Neptune and Mudia Reuben. LSU used a similar methodology, targeting the slot combo of Aaron Anderson and Bauer Sharp on 15 passing attempts.
Based on Florida's previous struggles against offensive coordinators who utilize the slot, Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney should be in line for a big game.
Check out Collin's full Auburn-Oklahoma breakdown and the rest of his Week 4 card below:
Pick: Malachi Toney Over 7.15 Receiving Yards (-115, bet365)
Stuckey's Spots: Evening Best Bet
By Stuckey
This is probably the most obvious situational spot on the board and one I had circled before the season.
I'm sure Kansas has had this circled all offseason as well, after it started Big 12 play in 2024 with a loss in Morgantown in a game it led by 11 with four minutes to go in regulation before a monumental collapse.
Following a thrilling comeback victory over rival Pitt in overtime, West Virginia now must travel to Lawrence to take on a Kansas team fresh off a bye.
Not only should the Jayhawks come in fresher (the high-tempo 'Eers ran a ton of plays last week to boot) with additional time to prep for this matchup with an elite head coach in Lance Leipold, but they will also boast a much better injury situation.
While West Virginia has lost three key offensive contributors in recent weeks, Kansas should arrive at the stadium almost entirely healthy — even at linebacker, which bodes well in this particular matchup against the run-first Mountaineers.
The West Virginia offense is struggling due to a poor offensive line and some key injuries.
I don't see the Mountaineers having much success on the ground against a much more athletic Jayhawk front that ranks in the top-20 nationally in Rush Success Rate allowed and EPA per Rush allowed. Until a late broken run, they really held an extremely dynamic Missouri rushing attack in check.
The way to attack the Jayhawks' defense is through the air after the departure of two All-American cornerbacks. Still, I don't think West Virginia has the personnel to exploit those deficiencies on the back end consistently.
And if it's failing quickly with its tempo, it may wear down late.
Regarding Kansas, that extra prep time should really help quarterback Jalon Daniels and his new receivers build more chemistry and work on timing, as he missed the spring with an injury.
And looking under the hood, the underlying, more predictive early-down metrics are pretty encouraging for the Jayhawks on both sides of the ball. The late-down success should begin to follow suit.
The West Virginia defense, which seems to have hit on several lower-level transfers, has been a very pleasant surprise under new defensive coordinator Zac Alley. However, the dam should eventually break here, especially with the threat of Daniels' legs.
Keep in mind that West Virginia lost, 17-10, on the road at Ohio in a game where it recorded three interceptions. The Bobcats finished with nearly 200 more net yards.
The West Virginia offense is just not where it needs to be at the moment, with Rich Rod even benching starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol last week and bringing in two others before going back to Nicco in the end to lead the crazy comeback in the final minutes in a game where Pitt helped them out with 14 penalties.
Lastly, expect Kansas to win the field-position battle throughout the night with a much better overall special teams unit at the moment.
Check out the rest of Stuckey's Week 4 situational spots here:
Pick: Kansas -13 (-110, bet365)
Ianniello's G5 Card: Evening Best Bet
I was high on the Southern Miss rebuild coming into the season and am not all that surprised at the 2-1 start, as I expected a quick turnaround under Charles Huff.
However, I am more impressed with Louisiana Tech’s start to the season.
The Bulldogs held their own against LSU in Baton Rouge, losing 23-7. They blew the doors off of New Mexico State last week, winning 49-14 as 10-point favorites.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 against the spread, and I don’t think the market has fully caught up yet.
After finishing with the best defense in Conference USA last season, Louisiana Tech once again looks elite on that side of the ball. They lead the conference in total defense and are allowing just 4.7 yards per play. The Bulldogs rank 32nd nationally in Success Rate allowed and are top 25 in the country at defending the run.
Sonny Cumbie has continued to juggle quarterbacks Trey Kukuk and Blake Baker through the first three weeks, but the offense has leaned on the ground game. Five different players are averaging at least 24 yards per game on the ground, including both quarterbacks. Clay Thevenin has led the way in the backfield and is averaging over six yards per carry.
Louisiana Tech will continue to lean on the running game and read option attack against a Southern Miss offense that ranks 128th nationally in Rush Success Rate allowed.
The Bulldogs were the beneficiaries of Charles Huff leaving for Southern Miss after they received a bowl bid when Marshall dropped out because all of its players left. I don’t think they will be looking to say thank you here, and I like them to cover at home against the Eagles.
Check out the rest of Ianniello's Week 4 Group of 5 card here:
Pick: Louisiana Tech -3.5 (-110, bet365)
Ziefel's Top Player Prop
By Doug Ziefel
It took until late Thursday afternoon to get clarity on his status, but South Carolina star quarterback LaNorris Sellers will take the field against Missouri after leaving last week's game with a head injury.
If Sellers is on the field, we should expect him to run, as it's what makes this South Carolina offense dynamic. Perhaps this total reflects more caution due to the injury that Sellers sustained, but to me, it's a great value.
Sellers surpassed this total in nine of 12 games last season and continued that through the first two games of this season.
If Sellers has the green light, then this over has to be on your card this Saturday.
Pick: LaNorris Sellers Over 20.5 Rush Yards (-115, bet365)
Our Featured Bet Labs System
This game triggered one of our Action Network PRO Betting Systems, powered by Evan Abrams.
Hawaii’s unique home-field setting often presents challenges for visiting teams, but extended home stands can work against them.
When Hawaii plays consecutive home games, the edge of travel fatigue and time zone adjustment for opponents is reduced.
At the same time, the Warriors themselves can suffer from complacency or overestimation by the market.
Inflated lines in this spot create value on the visiting side, as Hawaii’s performance has historically failed to match expectations when hosting back-to-back games.
Pick: Fresno State -3 (-105, bet365)
Action App Picks for Illinois-Indiana
We don't have any content to highlight for the massive Illinois-Indiana Big Ten battle on Saturday.
But we always have experts tracking picks in the Action Network App, including for this game.
Additionally, if you haven't already, make sure you download the free award-winning Action Network App to track all your bets and tail all of your favorite experts: