Friday Locks: Week 4’s Heavy Favorites and Road Dogs

It’s safe to say Week 3 wasn’t kind to us despite our high hopes that it would be. As a group we limped to a 5-7 record, with only Zack managing to post a winning slate, and our overall mark now sits at 21-25-2 on the season. The good news? We’re still having fun with it — these picks are for bragging rights, not bankrolls — and there’s still plenty of time to turn things around. With conference races heating up and some intriguing non-conference matchups on tap, Week 4 feels like a chance to reset, recalibrate, and (hopefully) claw back into the win column.

This week’s board has some fascinating angles. Caleb’s leaning on Oklahoma and Michigan to assert themselves while believing Tulane can hang tough at Ole Miss without the Rebels’ starting quarterback. Craig is betting on a Texas Tech shootout in Utah while expecting Ole Miss to finally flash its full potential and South Carolina to rebound after a rough outing. Matt is rolling with two monster favorites — Tennessee and Oregon — banking on their explosive offenses to overwhelm weaker opponents, while Zack continues to eye value on underdogs like Illinois but sees Michigan as steady enough to handle Nebraska. After last week’s stumble, the crew’s mix of bold favorites and live dogs should make for one of our most compelling Fridays yet.

2025 Season Results

NameLast WeekOverall
Zack2-16-5-1
Craig1-25-6-1
Caleb1-25-7
Matt1-25-7

Caleb 

Oklahoma (-7.5) vs AuburnAuburn has looked a lot better than I expected, but I still think the Sooners are the better team and should be able to win this game by double digits.

Michigan (-2.5) vs NebraskaMichigan isn’t getting enough credit for how good they are. Nebraska barley beat a bad Cincinnati team, The Wolverines should be able to win this game pretty comfortably.

Tulane (+13.5) vs Ole MissTulane is looking really good this season, and with Ole Miss most likely being without starting QB Austin Simmons, I think the Green Wave should be able to keep it close.

Craig 

Texas Tech (+3.5) at Utah I think the Red Raiders are the most talented team in the Big 12. They’ve got an opportunity to put that on display this week against the Utes. I expect this one to be a shootout. That gives the edge to the Texas Tech offense and will be the reason they win this game. 

Ole Miss (-11.5) vs Tulane – The Rebels still haven’t played to their potential this season. After back-to-back conference opponents, I expect them to come out swinging against Tulane. The Rebels win big at home. 

South Carolina (+12) at Missouri – Despite the blowout loss to Vanderbilt last week I like where Shane Beamer has the Gamecocks. I don’t know if they’ll be able to get the win on the road, but I think they’ll keep it close. 

Matt

Tennessee (-38.5) vs. UAB – Tennessee’s high-powered, balanced offense combined with UAB’s struggling defense gives the Vols a real chance to build a huge lead early and control the game from start to finish. Add in the advantage of playing at home — where Tennessee has historically dominated this matchup — and the Vols have the pieces in place to extend the margin past 38.5 despite their injury concerns.

Oregon (-34.5) vs. Oregon State – I think Oregon is poised to cover the -34.5 spread because Oregon State not only winless but overmatched on both sides of the ball, while the Ducks have rolled to a 3-0 start with a deep roster and an explosive offense led by Dante Moore. With Oregon State’s defense struggling to stop big plays and Oregon’s depth allowing them to keep fresh legs on the field, the Ducks have both the firepower and stamina to build — and maintain — a lopsided lead.

Utah (-3.5) vs. Texas Tech | Utah’s defense has been one of the stingiest units in the country, and combined with the elevation and crowd noise at Rice-Eccles, the Utes are well positioned to slow Texas Tech’s tempo and control the game. If they neutralize the Red Raiders’ explosive plays and win the line-of-scrimmage battle, Utah has the edge to build a multi-score cushion and cover the -3.5 spread.

Zack

Michigan (-1.5) at Nebraska – The Cornhuskers have improved since last year, but this is their toughest test yet. MIchigan bounced back in a big way last week after the Oklahoma loss, and I think the Wolverines keep rolling against Nebraska.

Illinois (+6.5) at Indiana – I can understand the Hoosiers being favored at home, but by a whole touchdown? That’s too much for me. Illinois should at least cover if not outright win the game.

Temple at Georgia Tech (-22.5) – The Yellow Jackets have a knack for knocking off ranked teams, and after doing just that against Clemson last week, I think they use that momentum to roll over a much weaker Temple squad. 

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