College Football Week 4 Picks: Top Betting Odds for Saturday's Late Games

The Penn State Nittany Lions have been one of the early darlings of spread bettors in the 2023 college football season.

James Franklin's side is 3-0 against the spread in 2023. It will put that perfect mark on the line in what is expected to be a defensive struggle against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday.

The perceived gap between the Big Ten elites and the rest of the conference is shown in the 14.5-point spread.

Penn State is expected to compete with the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes for a College Football Playoff spot, while Iowa is in the running to be the best of the rest.

The 14.5-point spread may scare some bettors away because of Iowa's defense, but Penn State's defensive unit may be better and that could open up the contest in Happy Valley.

The three Top 25 showdowns will receive most of the primetime spotlight on Saturday, but there are a few other sneaky good games that deserve your attention on a side television.

For the latest lines on these games, go to DraftKings.

7:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Penn State has the look of a College Football Playoff contender.

The Nittany Lions improved at quarterback with Drew Allar taking over for Sean Clifford, they have an impressive running back tandem in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and a dynamic wide receiver in Keandre Lambert-Smith.

Their defense has not gotten talked about as much as the offensive stars, but it has been equally as impressive.

Penn State is allowing 267.3 total yards per game and it held each of its three opponents to 15 points or fewer.

A dynamic set of offensive playmakers, a tough defense and a raucous home crowd under the lights at Beaver Stadium give the Nittany Lions a few advantages over Iowa.

Iowa's offense comes into Saturday averaging 165 fewer total yards per game than Penn State.

The Hawkeyes do not have the offensive firepower to keep up with Penn State, and their offensive progress could be stunted multiple times by the Nittany Lions defense.

The big spread in a Top 25 game may scare some people away from it, but Penn State proved in its first three wins that it is one of the most complete teams in the country, and that should continue to show on Saturday.

8 p.m. ET, FS1

It is going to take a bit for us to get used to the UCF Knights and Kansas State Wildcats playing in a conference game.

The new Big 12 rivals face off in a fascinating showdown in Manhattan, Kansas. UCF is trying to earn its first big road win in its new league, while Kansas State is in search of a bounce-back performance after a loss to old Big 12 foe the Missouri Tigers in Week 3.

UCF enters Manhattan averaging a staggering 617.7 total yards per game. Kansas State's offense is averaging a respectable 464.3 total yards per contest.

Both teams can move the ball down the field, which is a vital component to any over bet in college football.

Kansas State's defense has been formidable in the past, but its 30-point concession to Missouri displayed some warning signs.

UCF can poke holes in the K-State defense and force the contest into the high 20s or low 30s, where the over would cash with ease.

K-State eclipsed the 40-point mark in its first two home games, and if its offense gets back to that level against a better opponent, the over will be in terrific shape.

8 p.m. ET

The James Madison Dukes might be the best Group of Five team in the FBS.

JMU is off to a 3-0 start and it could be on the verge of the AP Top 25 if it beats the Utah State Aggies on Saturday night.

The Dukes are coming off an impressive road win in Sun Belt play over the Troy Trojans, a win that occurred one week after they defeated the Virginia Cavaliers on the road.

JMU earned each of its last two wins in close fashion, but there is reason to believe it will have a larger margin of victory in Logan, Utah.

Utah State conceded 39 points in a loss to the Air Force Falcons last week. The Aggies lost to Iowa by 10 in their other clash with a FBS foe.

The Mountain West side concedes 378.7 total yards per game, and even if its lone win over the FCS Idaho State Bengals, it let up 28 points.

JMU can run rampant against the Utah State defense behind quarterback Jordan McCloud, who has yet to turn the ball over and has only been sacked five times in 2023.

The Dukes have had the more consistent team through three weeks, and look for that to continue before they finally get to back home to play a few Sun Belt games.

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