College Football Bets: What You Need To Know Before Week 4, 2023

Well, that was… something. In many ways Week 3 seems to be an encapsulation of the college football season as a whole so far (which, admittedly, isn’t much). The more we watch and the more results come in, the less we seem to know. No game encapsulated that idea better than my own BC Eagles battling it out to the death with No. 4 FSU after losing to NIU and barely surviving FCS Holy Cross, with a missed extra point being the difference in a game that should never have been close in a million years. And even I, who had watched more BC football this season than most, didn't see it coming for a second - I had FSU -27.5 on my card.

But, in a season where Colorado is 3-0 and nobody can seem to produce consistent football for four quarters let alone a few weeks, I guess the reality is that we’re just going to have to wait and let the cards fall. Anyone making big claims with certainty is either foolish, drunk, or both.

Before diving into Dimers' college football predictions or this week's best college football bets, it’s time to talk about three things to know for Week 4.

Now, it definitely pays to have more than one funded US Sportsbook account when betting on sports.

For example, did you know that new users at bet365 can get $365 in bonus bets after betting just $1? That's easily one of the best promos to take advantage of when betting on football this season.

1. Is Anyone Dominant?

At this point, it’s a legitimate question to ask if any team is actually going to be dominant. In recent years we’ve watched teams like Georgia and Alabama run through their schedule in a way that made it seem impossible that anyone could really challenge them, but this season it seems hard to point to anyone being all that impressive.

UGA went into half down 11 to South Carolina, FSU barely survived BC, Alabama cant even figure out what QB to use, and anyone who has watched CFB knows not to trust the Pac-12 (RIP). You could genuinely make a legitimate case for at least 10 teams to be contenders for the title at this point, and I’m not sure I’m willing to tie myself to any of them.

2. No More Hiding

Conference play is finally here, for the most part. As I’ve droned on about for the last few weeks, early season college football is littered with horrendous tune up games where we get to (or, more appropriately, are forced to) watch matchups like Notre Dame-Central Michigan or OSU-Western Kentucky to name just a couple from last weekend’s slate. Fortunately, it’s time for that to come to an end.

Not every conference game presents a true test - just ask teams who get to play Vanderbilt or Rutgers on a consistent basis - but the overall quality of these teams is going to be higher and it’s much more likely for big programs to get a real scare. And, with the carousel of teams moving in and out of the rankings, a big win or two might be enough to catapult a surprise team into a conference title conversation early on. We’ll see a lot of things shake out quickly and the wheat will be separated from the chaff, so to speak.

Our preseason look at College Football Futures: Who will be crowned National Champion?

3. Top 25 Showdowns

Do you want big time matchups? Boy, do I have some good fucking news for you. There are six games between teams in the Top 25 this week, highlighted by a Notre Dame-OSU matchup that has MASSIVE playoff implications, along with some other very interesting battles like Alabama vs. Ole Miss and Colorado vs. Oregon. UGA is taking on UAB, though, because apparently nobody thought it would be a good idea for the Bulldogs to play anyone good this season.

It’s hard to say whether we’ll know more or less after some of these games. There is just as much potential for clarity as there is for the CFB world to get thrown into utter chaos (say, for example if Colorado somehow wins this football game against all odds). But, for the first time all season, you can certainly say that the slate is must watch TV. Strap in early and get ready for a long day.

Make sure you check for value in Dimers' College Football Player Prop Bets section before locking in any picks for your parlays.

Enjoy gambling responsibly. Treat it as entertainment, not a way to make money and only gamble with funds you can afford to lose. Know when to stop and seek support if needed. Remember, gambling should be a fun and enjoyable experience. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.