The 2025 College Football season rolls on with a full Saturday slate of Week 4 games. Welcome to our CFB Best Bets as we break down CFB picks for this week’s action. Let’s focus on two matchups for our top CFB predictions. Plus, check out more college football bets below.  

Saturday’s Week 4 college football slate lasts all day and all night. That means we have plenty of ways to go for our CFB picks. Note that all bets below are for one unit unless otherwise noted. Without further ado, let’s dive into our CFB Best Bets. 

CFB Picks, Predictions & Best Bets: Week 4 Saturday, 9/20

Let’s kick off Saturday’s Week 4 CFB Best Bets with a Big 12 matchup between Kansas and West Virginia. Plus, we take a shot on an underdog as Northern Illinois takes on Mississippi State. Be sure to check out more CFB picks below for other Week 4 games. Good luck!  

 

 


 

West Virginia vs. Kansas Predictions: Saturday, September 20th

Last week, West Virginia pulled off a dramatic overtime victory at home against Pittsburgh. It was a hard-fought and emotional win in the Backyard Brawl for head coach Rich Rodriguez and his squad. Now the Mountaineers have to turn around and face a dangerous Kansas team on the road. 

As impressive as last week’s win was, it’s time to fade West Virginia. This is a classic letdown spot for the Mountaineers following a thrilling comeback victory at home over a hated rival. They scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a last-second touchdown, to send the game to OT. 

WVU didn’t come into the year with high expectations. So, a win over Pitt at home in that fashion carries a lot more weight. Remember, this Mountaineers team also lost 17-10 to Ohio the week before. They also take on a Top 25 Utah squad at home next week, so a lookahead situation is possible. 

Kansas, meanwhile, is coming off its bye week and looking to get back on track after losing to Missouri two weeks ago. The Jayhawks hold key rest and prep advantages with a nearly fully healthy roster. On the flip side, WVU was just involved in a high-tempo game and enters this week with notable injuries on offense. 

The Jayhawks are also hoping to avenge last season’s tough loss to West Virginia. In that game, almost exactly a year ago, KU led by 11 points with 5 minutes to go before falling apart late on the road. That added motivation should lead to Kansas not taking its foot off the gas late, even with a lead. 

Then there’s the fact that Kansas is just a clear tier above West Virginia right now. The bye week will help QB Jalon Daniels and the Jayhawks’ offense get back into a rhythm after some inefficiencies in the Missouri loss. The WVU defense allowed Pitt to throw for 303 yards on 8.2 yards per completion last week. It’s a matchup that Daniel and the KU attack can exploit. 

On the other side, KU’s defense got exposed by Mizzou two weeks ago. However, West Virginia does not have a consistent offense or even a reliable QB to take advantage. It’ll be tough for the Mountaineers to keep pace scoring-wise in this game on the road with a Kansas offense that can put up 30-40 points. 

Take the Jayhawks to cover as home favorites. Notably, WVU coach Rich Rodriguez holds a 15-27 ATS record (35.7%) as a road underdog. That’s even before baking in the poor situational spot for the Mountaineers compared to KU. 

 

 


 

Northern Illinois vs. Mississippi State Predictions: Saturday, September 20th

Mississippi State is riding high with a 3-0 start to the season. That includes a clutch win over then-No. 12 Arizona State two weeks ago. The Bulldogs could be an under-the-radar team to watch in the SEC before they begin conference play next week. 

Before that, though, is this sneaky trap game against Northern Illinois. It’s a classic spot where a large MAC underdog can keep things close enough on the road. There’s prime lookahead potential here for Mississippi State, which faces Tennessee and Texas A&M in its next two games. 

Could the Bulldogs overlook Northern Illinois this weekend? It’s definitely in the cards. We often see this from power conference teams. Don’t be surprised if we get conservative playcalling from Mississippi State to avoid showing much on tape. The starters may also be pulled early with a big lead in the second half. That opens up a prime backdoor cover situation. 

As for Northern Illinois, it’s coming off a bye week ahead of this game. The extra week of rest and prep this early in the season cannot go overlooked. Plus, in their last game, the Huskies covered as double-digit road underdogs at Maryland. 

That’s been a theme for NIU under head coach Thomas Hammock. Since 2019, the Huskies are 24-11-1 ATS (69%) as underdogs with Hammock at the helm. That includes a 7-3 ATS (70%) record as dogs vs. power conference teams, and 7-2 ATS (78%) when getting more than two touchdowns on the spread. 

Northern Illinois employs a run-heavy offense that can grind out long drives and limit the time of possession for its opponents. The Huskies have a talented running back duo of Telly Johnson and Chavon Wright to lean on and bleed the clock. We just saw it against Maryland, when NIU ran it 48 times and had the ball for 33:35 of game time (compared to 26:25 for the Terps). 

It’s always risky taking a big underdog on the road, especially against an SEC opponent. However, Northern Illinois has the recipe to stay within three touchdowns here. Meanwhile, Mississippi State is bound to regress from a betting standpoint as it’s 3-0 ATS to begin the year. 


 

 

 

Best CFB Prop Bets & Other Picks: Saturday, 9/20

CFB Week 4 Game Picks:

 

 


 

CFB Week 4 Player Props:

  • John Mateer, Oklahoma – Higher Than 50.5 Rushing Yards (Underdog)
  • Josh Hoover, TCU – Higher Than 312.5 Passing Yards (Underdog)
  • J’Koby Williams, Texas Tech – Higher Than 1.5 Receptions (Underdog)

 

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