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College football betting: Who is burning your money?

Pete Truszkowski
·4-min read

College football is awesome, but let's be honest, it's a grind. Unless you have access to 15 screens on a Saturday and then unlimited hours during the week to comb through the data from 50-60 games, you're going to miss some things. Some teams will slip through the cracks and some trends will go under the radar.

Through four weeks, most teams have played four games. There are nine teams who have failed to cover a spread. Let's take a look at these teams and what's on tap for this upcoming weekend. All odds are courtesy of BetMGM.

TCU Horned Frogs

The Big 12 school sits with a respectable 2-1 record, but it has yet to cover a spread this year. This past week, they lost straight up as 8-point favorites against SMU. Earlier in the season, they won by just 2 points against California in a game where they were 11.5-point favorites. In Week 5, TCU is a 5-point home underdog against Texas.

Missouri Tigers

Missouri is 0-4 against the spread, but their ATS margin is just -3.9 points, which is the lowest of any team on the fade list. Missouri was a 1-point underdog this past weekend. The game went to overtime, but they failed to cover in the extra session. Earlier in the season, they lost by 7 points as a 5.5 underdog and won by 10 as a 13-point favorite. This weekend, Missouri is a 3-point favorite at home against Tennessee.

New Mexico Lobos

New Mexico is failing to cover the spread by nearly 10 points per game. This past weekend, they were 2.5-point favorites against UTEP but ended up losing the game by a touchdown. Up next for the Lobos is Air Force. New Mexico is a 10.5-point underdog at home as it tries to avoid going 0-5 against the spread.

Clemson Tigers

It's been an ugly start to the season for Clemson, and their ATS record reflects that. They've lost twice as a favorite already. They needed a goal-line stand against Georgia Tech, a game in which the Tigers were 27.5-point favorites. Clemson is a big favorite again this weekend, laying 15.5 points against Boston College.

RALEIGH, NC - SEPTEMBER 25: Clemson Tigers quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (5) is hit on a keeper during the game between the Clemson Tigers and the NC State Wolfpack on September 25, 2021 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Clemson Tigers quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is hit during a game against NC State. (William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Ball State Cardinals

It's been a challenging early season schedule for Ball State, but they still haven't met expectations. In losses against Wyoming, Penn State and Toledo, the Cardinals were underdogs but failed to cover each time. Ball State will be an underdog again this weekend, as it's getting 7.5 points from Army at home.

Utah Utes

Utah has been a favorite of at least a touchdown in each of its first four games. Despite that, the Utes lost two of the games outright. Week 4 saw Utah enter the fourth quarter trailing as a 15-point favorite. The Utes ended up winning the game, but failed to cover against Washington State. They have a bye week this upcoming weekend.

Rice Owls

Rice is failing to cover the spread by an average of 21.4 points per game, the largest margin of any of the teams on this list. This past weekend, the Owls were 36.5-point favorites against Texas Southern but won the game by just 14 points. Previously, Rice was beaten 58-0 by Texas and 44-7 by Houston. Rice is currently a 2.5-point favorite in Week 5 against Southern Mississippi.

Kansas Jayhawks

Ah, Kansas. Twice this season, the Jayhawks were within 2.5 points of a cover but just couldn't get it done. Last week, the Jayhawks lost by 19 as a 16.5-point underdog against the powerhouse Duke Blue Devils. In their one game as a favorite, Kansas beat South Dakota by just three points as an 11-point favorite. This upcoming weekend, Kansas is a 34.5-point underdog in Ames against Iowa State.

Ohio Bobcats

Ohio has been a competitive MAC team over the past few years, but it seems like those days are gone. The Bobcats are 0-4 against the spread, and there have been some real doozies. Ohio lost straight up as a 28.5-point favorite against Duquesne. They lost by 20 to Syracuse as a 2-point favorite. The past two weeks, they've transitioned to the heavy underdog role. They lost by 35 as a 19-point underdog against Louisiana and 29 as a 13.5-point dog against Northwestern. Somehow, the Bobcats are 9.5-point road favorites against Akron this upcoming weekend.