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College football betting: Best moneyline parlay for a big return in Week 4

Ahead of Week 4’s action, BetMGM has four college football moneyline parlays available to bet. No point spreads are involved. The teams involved must simply win, but they are all aligned at the hip. If just one loses, the bet is lost. But if all of the teams in a parlay win, you win your bet — often with a substantial return.

Below we’ve listed the the four parlays available, along with what we like about the bet and what is risky about the bet.

LSU, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and Texas all to win (+105)

What we like: It’s four teams that are favored on Saturday, including LSU and Texas as more than two-touchdown favorites against Mississippi State and Texas Tech, respectively. Cincinnati is favored by 13.5 points at home against Army. Oklahoma State is -6.5 at home against West Virginia.

What we dislike: The status of Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders makes this a hard bet to make — especially at just +105 odds. Sanders left Oklahoma State’s opener against Tulsa with an injury after just two offensive series, and the Cowboys’ quarterback play was very underwhelming from that point forward. There are a few other concerns, too. Army has been very strong in recent years as an underdog and LSU is opening its season with so many new players after winning the national title last year. LSU’s opponent, Mississippi State, is playing its first game with Mike Leach as head coach. Leach’s Air Raid offense could be tricky for a team with so many inexperienced players.

Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida and Charlotte all to win (+185)

What we like: Oklahoma, a 27.5-point favorite, should smoke Kansas State, especially after KSU’s upset win over the Sooners last fall. Florida has a tricky opener against Ole Miss, but we like the Gators to win even though it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s closer than the 14-point spread might suggest. Charlotte, a 3-point underdog against Georgia State, is 6-3 in its last nine games as a home underdog.

What we dislike: Louisiana is an 11.5-point favorite at home against Georgia Southern, but is also dealing with an array of COVID-19 issues. The Lafayette Daily Advertiser reported Wednesday night that five UL starters, including star running back Elijah Mitchell, are out this week either due to a “positive test or quarantine due to contact tracing.” Also out are starters at right tackle, nose guard, outside linebacker and cornerback.

Liberty, Iowa State and Tulane all to win (+310)

What we like: Liberty, 6.5-point favorites at home against Florida International, rushed for 354 yards in last week’s win over Western Kentucky. FIU, playing its first game, ranked No. 105 in the country in rush defense in 2019. Iowa State, a 2.5-point road favorite against TCU, is among my best bets for the weekend.

What we dislike: Tulane is a tough team to get a read on. The Green Wave fell behind big in their opener, but stormed back to beat South Alabama in the fourth quarter. Last week, the opposite happened. Tulane led Navy 24-0 at halftime, but ended up losing 27-24 on a field goal as time expired. This week, Tulane is -3.5 on the road against an 0-2 Southern Miss team that lost in the final seconds to Louisiana Tech last week. It’s a tough game to get a read on.

Auburn, Georgia State, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh all to win (+475)

What we like: Auburn (-7.5) drew a tough SEC opener against Kentucky, but the Tigers are 35-4 in games where they were a home favorite under Gus Malzahn. Georgia Tech shouldn’t have much of an issue on the road against Syracuse.

What we dislike: The other two games needed to complete this parlay should be very close. Pittsburgh is favored by 2.5 at home against a Louisville team coming off a home loss to Miami. UL gave up a few long touchdowns on busted plays against Miami, but has a chance to bounce back against a Pitt team that is less explosive than the Hurricanes. Georgia State, on the heels of a near-upset over Louisiana, is -3 on the road against Charlotte.

Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) plays against Syracuse during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Best bet

Auburn, Georgia State, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh all to win (+475)

The bet with the longest odds makes the most sense — especially from a risk-reward perspective. You’ve got four teams favored on your side, including two — Auburn and Georgia Tech — that are favored by more than a touchdown. Georgia State was impressive last week when it pushed Louisiana to overtime and should be able to beat a Charlotte team that had to call off its game against North Carolina due to a player shortage along the offensive line caused by COVID-19 issues.

The game you will really have to sweat out is Louisville vs. Pittsburgh. Louisville has some very explosive talent on offense and should present a much tougher challenge than what the Panthers have faced so far this season against Austin Peay and Syracuse. Under Pat Narduzzi, Pitt is just 7-15 against the spread as a home favorite. But we don’t need Pitt to cover the spread. We just need a win. During Narduzzi’s tenure, which dates back to 2015, the Panthers have won 18 of the 22 games in which they were a home favorite.

That trend should make you far more comfortable to make this bet. And at a return of +475, it’s worth the risk.

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