Conference play is now in full swing across the country, and I’ll be betting on some of the most storied programs in the history of college football as I make my Week 4 parlay picks.
The USC Trojans and the California Golden Bears are both out of the Pac-12 and in new conferences, and I’m interested in seeing how they play against new competition. The Clemson Tigers aren’t what they once were, but are still capable of overwhelming lesser foes. The Ohio State Buckeyes aren’t playing a conference foe this week and should be looking to score at will as a result.
I’ll take a look at how all four of these teams will fare this week as a part of my free college football picks for Week 4.
Best college football parlays for Week 4
| 🏈 Parlay 🏈 |  SGP  |
|---|---|
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California moneyline |
Marshall/Ohio State 
Over 52.5
Clemson -20
USC -5Best Week 4 parlay
Marshall/Ohio State Over 52.5
Clemson -20
USC -5
The matchup between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Ohio State Buckeyes isn’t a particularly interesting one, as Marshall is in a bit of a down period and Ohio State is, well, a national powerhouse. But the total is surprisingly low given what we’ve seen out of the Buckeyes this year.
Ohio State has scored at least 52 points in each of its first two games this year, and isn’t facing a real step up in competition on Saturday. Marshall allowed 31 points last weekend to the Virginia Tech Hokies, who don’t have nearly as much firepower as the Buckeyes. I like Ohio State to cover the Over on their own, and if Marshall can contribute even 7-10 points – perhaps late in the game against a reserve defense – then the total won’t even be in question.
The Clemson Tigers were written off by many after what was undoubtedly an embarrassing 34-3 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, a team that Clemson considered a peer not too long ago. But while that showed Clemson isn’t really a national title contender, I wouldn’t write off the Tigers entirely. They waxed the Appalachian State Mountaineers 66-20 last weekend, showing they still have plenty of talent when compared to typical FBS opposition.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina State Wolfpack have already shown they aren’t up to the task of playing top tier – or second tier – competition, losing by 41 to the Tennessee Volunteers and winning by surprisingly narrow margins in their other two contests. North Carolina State hasn’t covered yet this year, and I don’t expect them to do so against Clemson.
Finally, I like the USC Trojans in their first Big Ten conference game against the Michigan Wolverines. USC is 3-0 with impressive wins over the LSU Tigers and Louisville Cardinals, while Michigan looked lost against the Texas Longhorns, and only beat the Arkansas State Red Wolves by 10. USC is 3-0 ATS this season, while Michigan is 0-3 ATS; I’m taking the Trojans and laying the points.
Best Week 4 SGP
California moneyline
Under 44.5
DJ Uiagalelei Under 1.5 passing touchdowns
No team in the country has been more disappointing than the Florida State Seminoles, and honestly, there’s not even much of a debate to be had with another FBS program for that title. Coming into the season after nearly making the four-team College Football Playoff last year, the Seminoles were expected to be the class of the ACC.
Instead, Florida State is 0-3 and may well need to win out to get a shot at winning the ACC Championship, which is now its only path to the 12-team playoff. The Seminoles were marginally in their game against the Memphis Tigers last week, but honestly never looked like the better team, and have now lost three times while favored by a touchdown or more.
As a result, the bookmakers…have made Florida State a favorite yet again, this time at home against the California Golden Bears. Cal is 3-0 on the year, with a road win over the Auburn Tigers and a three-touchdown victory over the San Diego State Aztecs. There is absolutely nothing about what we’ve seen from these teams to suggest the Seminoles should be favored at all, so I’m taking the Golden Bears to win outright.
Florida State hasn’t played a game with a total of over 45 points yet this season and hasn’t scored more than 21 points in a game. California has also kept all three of its games Under 45 points, though it has been a little more effective on offense. Neither team has hit the Over this year; the Under is the play.
Why have the Seminoles struggled to score points? There are multiple reasons, but the disappointing play of senior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is undoubtedly a major factor. Uiagalelei is on the hot seat, having completed just 56.6% of his passes this year and throwing for only one touchdown against two picks. I can’t see the former Clemson starter suddenly breaking out against a strong Cal defense, so I’m taking the Under on his touchdowns prop.
Not intended for use in MA.
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