Best NCAAF Week 4 Picks & Bets: Should Clemson be a 3-TD Favorite Against NC State?

• Clemson is a 20.5-point favorite against NC State on bet365. 

• UConn looks to earn their first home win of the season against FAU

Clemson is still in a position to make the College Football Playoff and contend for a National Championship, but they need to make some statements against ACC opponents. 

Georgia dominated the Tigers to open the season, so they need to repent for this loss. However, bet365 listing the Tigers as a 20.5-point favorite seems lofty. 

We’re also locking in UConn to cover the spread against FAU on Saturday. Connecticut played Duke very tough in Week 3, and they should build on this momentum as they head home to face the Owls.

We’re placing these wagers on bet365 Sportsbook. As a special offer, bet365 gives new users a $1,000 safety net bet or $200 in bonus bets. Use our promo code WSN365 and claim this offer.

NC State vs. Clemson on bet365

• Date: Saturday, September 21

• Time: 12:00 PM EST

• Moneyline: NC State (+750) | Clemson (-1200)

• Spread: NC State +20.5 (-110) | Clemson -20.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 46.5 (-110) | Under 46.5 (-110)

Pick: NC State +20.5 (-110) at bet365

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We don’t believe Clemson should be a 20.5-point home favorite against NC State. While the Tigers are better, bookmakers are dealing with recency bias for this contest.

Clemson is coming off a 46-point win against Appalachian State. The Mountaineers are a solid mid-major, so it was an impressive win for the Tigers. They’re also coming off a bye week, so they should be more prepared with the extra time to prepare. 

This isn’t the case for NC State, who is 2-1 on the season. The Wolfpack are 2-1 on the season, and their one loss was to Tennessee by 41 points. The Volunteers are the one comparable team to Clemson on the Wolfpack’s schedule so far. 

NC State was never competitive in this game, but Tennessee is an outstanding team. The Volunteers are contending for a National Championship. 

Clemson may make the College Football Playoff, but they’re not on the same level as Tennessee. The Tigers are a great defensive team, but they have struggled to score, and this opens up the door for the Wolfpack to have a strong outing.

NC State senior quarterback Grayson McCall has the talent to keep this game close. If Clemson’s offense remains quiet, it will help McCall because he won’t have to force the ball down the field. 

McCall is best when NC State can run a balanced offensive attack. Everything Clemson does suggests this will be the case on Saturday. NC State will have a challenge shutting down Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, but he isn’t an elite playmaker as the team saw with Nico Iamaleva, one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. 

Klubnik is usually one-dimensional, which should lead to success and a cover for the Wolfpack. We should see a low-scoring game if NC State neutralizes the Tigers’ offense.

FAU vs. Connecticut Odds on bet365

• Date: Saturday, September 21

• Time: 7:00 PM EST

• Moneyline: FAU (+120) | Connecticut (-140)

• Spread: FAU +2.5 (-110) | Connecticut -2.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 46 (-110) | Under 46 (-110)

Pick: UConn Moneyline (-110) at bet365

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The UConn Huskies should build off their effort last week against Duke. UConn fell behind 17-0 to the Blue Devils on the road but fought back into the game. They had a lead in the fourth quarter after 14 unanswered points coming out of the locker room. 

Unfortunately for the Huskies, Duke scored nine unanswered points in the final 15 minutes to win 26-21. UConn still doesn’t know how to win, which takes time with a new regime. 

Jim Mora is in his third year, and although UConn struggled last season, they showed much improvement against Duke. They have more NIL money this season, and it’s clear by the talent on the field. 

Even though FAU has talent, its roster isn’t nearly as deep as Connecticut's. The Huskies have a solid quarterback in Nick Evers and a deep backfield with Cam Edwards and Victor Rosa. This doesn’t mean things will be easy against FAU, which is also 1-2.

The Owls nearly beat Michigan State in Week 1 by a score of 16-10. However, they followed this game up with a dud of a performance against Army. 

FAU doesn’t have a quarterback we can trust, so we’re leaning toward Connecticut in this game. Cam Fancher has thrown for 470 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions through three games. 

He has a 22 QBR, which is 121st in the country. If Fancher can’t execute against an underrated Huskies defense, we could see UConn winning by a touchdown on Sunday.