Week 4 of the 2014 college football season is upon us. Here are some of the marquee matchups and the lines for the upcoming weekend of action, courtesy of JustBet. All NCAA football bettors and sports fans will get their fill of quality action this weekend as there are quite a few interesting matchups on tap.

#5 Auburn (-9) at #20 Kansas State 7:30 PM ESPN

The #20 ranked Kansas State wildcats will need to be at the top of their game when they host the #5 ranked Auburn Tigers. Kansas State has had 2 weeks to prepare, and they’ll need it as Auburn is averaging 330 yards per game on the ground.

Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech  (-8) 12:00 PM ESPN

Virginia Tech was riding high after their upset win at Ohio State. They came back down to earth last weekend after a 28-21 upset loss to East Carolina. The Virginia Tech defense will now have to focus as they have the triple option attack of Georgia Tech to deal with.

Florida at #3 Alabama (-14) 3:30 PM CBS

The Florida Gators head to Tuscaloosa to take on the #3 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Florida escaped with a 36-30 win in triple overtime. The Crimson Tide has taken care of business since being tested by West Virginia in week 1, winning their last 2 games by a combined score of 93-10.

Virginia at #21 BYU (-15) 3:30 PM ESPN

The Virginia Cavaliers, fresh off their upset win of Louisville, will head to Provo, Utah to take on Taysom Hill and the #20 ranked BYU Cougars. This game will feature two of the better defensive units in the nation.

Jameis Winston passed for 444 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 51-14 win at Clemson last season

Mississippi State at #8 LSU 7:00 PM ESPN

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will have upset on their mind when they take on LSU from Baton Rouge, LA. LSU’s defense has not given up a score since their win against Wisconsin, and will look to replicate the 59-26 drubbing that they dealt the Bulldogs last year.

#4 Oklahoma (-7) at West Virginia 7:30 PM FOX

In what should be one of the better games of the weekend, the #4 ranked Oklahoma Sooners head to Morgantown to take on the improved West Virginia Mountaineers. It should be a stiff road test for the Sooners, as they will be in a hostile environment. Oklahoma won last year’s meeting 16-7, in Norman.

#22 Clemson at #1 Florida State  (-20) 8:00 PM ABC

Last year the Florida State Seminoles put the rest of college football on notice as they dominated Clemson on the Tigers’ home turf 51-14. The Tigers will need a better effort than what they showed in week 1, or it could result in the same outcome in Tallahassee.

Miami (FL) at #24 Nebraska (-7) 8:00 PM ESPN

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been somewhat inconsistent this season. They had an impressive 55-7 win in week 1, and then needed a miracle play in week 2 to defeat McNeese State. The Miami Hurricanes should provide a stiff test, as they’ve looked a lot better in the past two weeks compared to their road opener loss to Louisville.

Week 3 of the 2014 college football season is upon us. Here are some of the marquee matchups and the lines for the upcoming weekend of action, courtesy of JustBet Sportsbook. All NCAA football bettors and sports fans will get their fill of quality action this weekend as there are quite a few interesting matchups on tap.

Thursday, September 11th

Houston at #25 BYU (-18.5, 58) 9:00 PM EST ESPN

BYU has certainly impressed thus far, and fresh off a second straight thumping of Texas will look to go 3-0 when they host the Houston Cougars out of the AAC. Houston got in the win column last week with a 47-0 win over Grambling St.

Friday, September 12th

#8 Baylor (-34, 67.5) at Buffalo 8:00 PM EST ESPN

The #8 Baylor Bears have been installed as 34 point favorites against Buffalo out of the MAC. It was made official that Bryce Petty will play, yet last week it didn’t matter as they rolled to a 70-6 victory over Northwestern St with backup Seth Russell. Buffalo is coming off a 47-38 loss to Army last weekend.

Saturday, September 13

West Virginia at Maryland (-3.5, 57) 12:00 PM EST Big Ten Network

West Virginia and Maryland meet up in a somewhat intense rivalry on Saturday. Randy Edsall has given the Mountaineers trouble in years past, yet this year’s WVU squad is talented, and could only add to the Big Ten’s recent struggles.

East Carolina at #17 Virginia Tech (-11.5, 53.5) 12:00 PM EST ESPN

The Virginia Tech Hokies, fresh off their upset of Ohio State, will look to go 3-0 against the talented East Carolina Pirates. East Carolina may have lost last week, but were competitive against South Carolina. Virginia Tech should be on upset alert as East Carolina can most certainly put some points on the board.

UCF at #20 Missouri (-10, 54.5) 12:00 PM EST SEC Network

Central Florida Knights have had some time to think about their loss to Penn State, and will now take on the Missouri Tigers. Missouri was not looked at to do much this year, but they have taken care of business at 2-0 behind quarterback Maty Mauck.

#21 Louisville (-6.5, 48.5) at Virginia 12:30 PM EST ESPN3

Virginia might be the surprise of the ACC this year, and their defense will look to give Louisville an unfriendly welcome into the conference. Bobby Petrino is off to a good start in Louisville, as they beat Miami in week 1, and thumped Murray State 66-21 last weekend.

#6 Georgia (-5.5, 60) at #24 South Carolina 3:30 PM EST CBS

Georgia is a team that has a lot of people talking as one of the top teams in the country led by Heisman candidate Todd Gurley. The Bulldogs will travel to Columbia to take on the 1-1 South Carolina Gamecocks, who had high expectations before they lost their home opener to Texas A&M.

Tennessee at #4 Oklahoma (-20.5, 54.5) 8:00 PM EST ABC

Oklahoma has rolled over the competition thus far, and they will get to show the nation how good they are when they host Tennessee on Saturday night. QB Trevor Knight leads an offense that averages 50 ppg against a Tennessee defense that has yielded only 13 ppg.

#12 UCLA (-7, 49.5) vs. Texas 8:00 PM EST FOX from AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

It’s no secret that Texas is struggling, and now there is news that quarterback David Ash is out for indefinitely. They’ll have their work cut out for them when they take on the UCLA Bruins, who are loaded with talent, yet have failed to impress thus far in the season.

The 2012 Pinstripe Bowl picks are going to be difficult to make, as the West Virginia Mountaineers and Syracuse Orange are set to do battle with one another in a Big XII vs. Big East battle. Check out our Pinstripe Bowl predictions and the keys to the game for West Virginia vs. Syracuse.

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012-13 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews

2012 Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange
2012 Pinstripe Bowl Location: New Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
2012 Pinstripe Bowl Date/Time: Saturday, December 29th, 3:15 p.m. (ET)
2012 Pinstripe Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN, Watch ESPN

Key #1: These two teams have to weather the weather
We’ve always wondered if this was going to turn out to be the case in a bowl game here at Yankee Stadium, and we’re going to be getting some awfully fun weather as a result. It’s going to be snowy and cold in the Bronx, and the team that is going to win this game is going to be the one that adapts better to the conditions. Even though Syracuse is a team that plays its ball further north than this, it does take to games in the Carrier Dome, where it is always 72 degrees. West Virginia has already had a few games in which it has had to bare the elements, namely in a 59-10 win over the Kansas Jayhawks in Morgantown. Receivers have to make sure that they are wearing the right cleats and have the proper gloves on, and both quarterbacks are going to have to make sure that they keep a good grasp on the football, and whichever team executes that facet of the game better is going to be the one that ultimately goes on to win the Pinstripe Bowl in all likelihood.

Pinstripe Bowl Odds at Diamond Sportsbook
West Virginia Mountaineers -3.5
Syracuse Orange +3.5
Over/Under 72.5
Click Here to Bet Your Pinstripe Bowl Picks!

Key #2: The Syracuse secondary has to be ready for a war
It’s not so much that the West Virginia wide receivers have to be stopped, because there is just no way to actually stop both WR Tavon Austin and WR Stedman Bailey. The trick is figuring out how to contain them and to try to make someone else beat you if you’re the Orange. Syracuse’s secondary isn’t all that bad, as this unit ranked a modest 65th in the country against the pass this year, allowing 236.9 yards per game. The problem that we see though, is the fact that some of the best receivers in the nation have blown this secondary up. WR Robert Woods and WR Marqise Lee combined for 21 catches, 159 yards, and five TDs when the USC Trojans came to town earlier this year in the most comparable game. Stopping Bailey and Austin is just impossible, knowing that the two men combined this year to average the following stat line: 17.9 receptions, 230.6 receiving yards, 49.8 rushing yards, 85.9 return yards, and a total of 3.3 touchdowns per game. Those are numbers that are just out of this world for sure, and these two make up the best tandem of receivers this side of Woods and Lee in the nation.

Key #3: Ryan Nassib has to be prepared to throw for four bills
QB Ryan Nassib threw for 3,607 yards this year to go with 24 TDs, but he has to be prepared to really slug it out with QB Geno Smith and the West Virginia offense. This defense has shown its ability to give up points in bunches this year, and the team did allow just slews of points to teams with significantly less talented offenses. Nassib is going to have a lot on his shoulders in this one, as he is not only carrying the weight of his team, but he is also trying to impress the NFL scouts that think that he could be a first round NFL Draft pick this year. Nassib threw for 470 yards in the opening game of the season against the Northwestern Wildcats, and he had five other games this year in which he threw for at least 325 yards. He’s going to have to do that once again in this one in all likelihood if the Orange really have a chance of keeping up, and doing so in the snow is going to be all the more difficult to do.

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Big XII football always has and always will revolve around the state of Texas. The biggest school in the biggest state in football is the Texas Longhorns, regardless of how good they are or aren’t. It is going to be very interesting to see how the West Virginia Mountaineers do in their very first trip to Austin, a trip that is going to very potentially make or break the season for either of these teams. Both squads have upper echelon talent, and both have gotten through the first month and change of the season with great records intact. Join us for our Texas vs. West Virginia picks for the very first game in this newly born rivalry.

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Picks & Info
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Date: Saturday, October 6th
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Location: Royal Texas Stadium, Austin, TX
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns Spread: Texas Longhorns -7

There is no doubt that what makes the West Virginia offense move is its passing attack. The team really has a knack for getting up and down the field this way, and why not? QB Geno Smith is clearly one of the top quarterbacks in the country and a legitimate pro prospect, while WRs Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin might both also be future NFLers. Ivan McCartney is the underappreciated receiver of the bunch, and the work of RB Dustin Garrison will likely end up going overlooked as well. Defensively, Head Coach Dana Holgorsen knows that he has his work cut out for him. His 3-3-5 unit does return seven starters, but there is going to be a real question as to how the ‘Neers are going to be able to contend with the Texas running game with just three returning starters up front.

Thus far this year, Smith has had himself a heck of a year, and he is coming off of one of the best passing games that a quarterback has ever had in college football, throwing for over 600 yards and eight TDs against the Baylor Bears. The defense though, is predictably not all that great, knowing that this unit just allowed 63 last week as well.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Texas Longhorns Past Games (Since 1995)
None

This is going to be a great make or break type of a game for the Longhorns. They clearly haven’t hit the hardest part of their schedule, and losing this one clearly will separate the idea of a BCS type of a team and one that is going to be mired in the middle of the field with seven or eight wins that can only hope for a bid in the Alamo Bowl (or one of the sorts). The defense will have its work cut out for it going against Smith and the gang, but the offense might finally really have a chance to shine against a sometimes very weak unit. QB David Ash have had a few confidence boosting games in front of him to start off the campaign, and he has numbers that stack up against most of the Big XII quarterbacks right now. The good news is that this defense isn’t going to be all that good that he sees on the other side of the ball, but the bad news is that he is going to have to score a ton of points to get the win. Watch out for RBs Malcolm Brown, Joe Bergeron, and DJ Monroe to try to control the clock by keeping the ball on the ground, which could make for some room for Ash to get the ball up the field as he has done over the course of the first few games of the campaign.

West Virginia @ Texas Free Picks^^: We really want the points on our side in this game. West Virginia is a team that is built just like your average Big XII team, and in fact, it almost might have seemed displaced in the Big East in the past. Texas is starting to creep back towards the somewhat dominating team that it had over the course of the middle and end of last decade, but there is still quite some ways to go. Will the Longhorns get there? Sure they will… eventually. This probably isn’t the time for them to be laying 6.5 in a game like this one quite yet, though.

^^Notice: The NCAA football picks & predictions listed on the sports betting blog are made by our staff writers early in the season and do not represent the Bankroll Sports expert handicapping team’s actual premium service releases. Click Here to receive our expert handicappers premium college football picks for the 2012 football season.

You can purchase our premium West Virginia vs. Texas picks from our experts on 10/6/12

The Mountaineers and the Tigers make for strange bedmates with one another. We tend to find it odd that a team with so many tough games like LSU is going to add another insanely difficult trip to Morgantown, but we know that West Virginia and the rest of the Big East badly need to secure some out of conference victories like this one to prove that they are a conference that is worthy of a spot in the BCS every year.

LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Picks & Info
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Date: Saturday, September 24th, 2011
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Spread: West Virginia Mountaineers +3

If there was ever a game on this schedule that the LSU defense really needed to excel, this would be the game. The Bayou Bengals know that this early in the season, it’s going to be hard for QB Jordon Jefferson and company to really have things together, and we know that going against this West Virginia defense is going to make the challenge even more difficult, especially on the road. Last season, the offense only accounted for 236 yards for the Tigers, and seven of their 20 points came via a 60 yard punt return for a TD by the departed Patrick Peterson.

LSU Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: LSU 20 – West Virginia 14

If QB Geno Smith and company don’t figure out how to get more than 178 yards of offense, this could be an ugly, ugly game in Morgantown. The ‘Neers were just awful last season against LSU on the road, going just 2-of-13 on 3rd downs. The good news is that the offense really should be better with Smith out there for a second season, and we know that the defense, as always, should be tough. Remember that this was a unit that did hold LSU to those aforementioned 236 yards, and if it wasn’t for a breakdown on special teams, perhaps the Mountaineers would have been able to pull off the upset to keep LSU out of any discussions for a National Championship. If West Virginia doesn’t win this game, the best that it is going to be able to do this year is go to the Orange Bowl as the winners of the Big East. This is the chance to make the big time statement.

LSU Tigers @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/21/11):
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LSU Tigers (-3) @ West Virginia Mountaineers

The “Backyard Brawl” is always one of the biggest games of the season, and this year, it really could be the difference between which one of these teams ends up moving on to the Orange Bowl to play in the BCS. There is a lot of different flavor in this game this year though, as both teams have new head coaches to break in that will be playing in this rivalry for the very first time.

Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Picks & Info
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Date: Friday, November 25th, 2011
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Spread: West Virginia Mountaineers -4.5

The biggest question for the Panthers is the style of offense that they are going to be running under Head Coach Todd Graham. Graham brought over the majority of his staff from Tulsa in the offseason, but it is clear that QB Tino Sunseri isn’t running the same offense that any of these Tulsa QBs have run in years past. That being said, the pace could be picked up quite a bit, and a team that averaged just 367.1 yards per game could be significantly improved. Watch out for RB Dion Lewis, who could be poised for a huge junior season after a year full of injuries and setbacks as a sophomore.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: West Virginia 35 – Pittsburgh 10
2009: West Virginia 19 – Pittsburgh 16
2008: Pittsburgh 19 – West Virginia 15
2007: Pittsburgh 13 – West Virginia 9
2006: West Virginia 45 – Pittsburgh 27
2005: West Virginia 45 – Pittsburgh 13
2004: Pittsburgh 16 – West Virginia 13
2003: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 31
2002: West Virginia 24 – Pittsburgh 17
2001: Pittsburgh 23 – West Virginia 13
2000: Pittsburgh 38 – West Virginia 28
1999: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 21
1998: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 14
1997: Pittsburgh 41 – West Virginia 38
1996: West Virginia 34 – Pittsburgh 0
1995: West Virginia 21 – Pittsburgh 0

For WVU, it’s all about the defense. This squad knows that it has the goods to shut down any offense that comes its way; after all, this unit did rank No. 4 in the country last year in scoring (13.5 PPG) and total defense (263.5 YPG). Offensively, the big issue is whether QB Geno Smith is really going to be able to pick up the slack or not. He threw for 2,763 yards last season, which really isn’t good enough for a QB that isn’t all that mobile. However, he only threw seven picks against 24 TDs, three of those scores of which came against U-Pitt last year.

Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/11/11):
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Pittsburgh Panthers (+4.5) @ West Virginia Mountaineers

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The Sunshine State is the home to a number of bowl games, but this one at the Florida Citrus Bowl between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the NC State Wolfpack is one that you certainly aren’t going to want to miss! These two teams play vastly differing styles of play, and they are expecting to put on a great show. But before you make your Champs Sports Bowl picks, be sure to take a peek at the three keys to the game that will determine the winner of this one on December 28th.

Key #1: Noel Devine finally needs to shine
2010 was supposed to be a season in which Devine really shined as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. However, he never even emerged as one of the top players on the Mountaineers, let alone one of the best in the Big East or the best in the country. Devine did carry the ball 201 times this year, and in Morgantown, they had to figure that that would have been good enough for the senior to rush for at least 1,200 yards based on his history. However, an average of just 4.4 yards per carry was easily the lowest in his career. Devine only had 886 yards, and he didn’t even lead the team in rushing TDs, let alone total TDs. Over the course of the last two games against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Pitt Panthers, Devine only has 17 carries for 58 yards, and he hasn’t found the end zone. There is no doubt that the Fort Myers product can leave school with a bang, as he has rushed for 4,267 yards in his illustrious career, but we really haven’t seen anything of late that has suggested that. More importantly for Devine, he is going against the No. 10 rush defense in the land at 106.9 yards per game. NC State did a great job against some of the better backs that the ACC has to offer this year, and if this is any indicator, Devine very well could struggle again.

Key #2: Russell Wilson must take care of the football
There really isn’t a more fierce defense that you’re going to find outside of the BCS games than that of the Mountaineers. WVU ranks No. 2 in the land in total ‘D’ at 248.8 yards per game, and as a result, there was no team that scored more than 21 points against this team all season long. The defensive line has been absolutely dominating at times, and there is a real chance for this unit to get into the face of QB Russell Wilson all day long. Wilson has put together an offense that has averaged over 400 yards and 32 points per game, but he has the ability to really turn the ball over as well. Wilson has been picked off 14 times this year, and he has had a few outings with multiple INTs. This is a man that, as a freshman, broke the record for most passes by a freshman without a pick, and Wilson has only gone backwards from there. If the junior can’t take care of the football against this defense, there’s going to be absolutely no chance to beat the Champs Sports Bowl odds.

Key #3: Someone for the Wolfpack has to emerge as a leader on the ground
Remember that Wilson has the ability to do this as well. Against the Florida State Seminoles, Wilson was all over the field as both a runner and a thrower, and though he only had 394 yards on the season, he can run for 100 yards against a napping opponent that doesn’t keep him inside the pocket. Aside from Wilson though, the backs for the Wolfpack are nothing to write home about because they are both freshman that have a lot of growing to do. RB Mustafa Greene rushed for 584 yards and four scores on the campaign, while RB Dean Haynes had 320 yards and three visits to the end zone. Again, we have to stress just how good the Mountaineers are in their front four, but if there aren’t at least a few holes that are opened up for the NC State offensive line, there’s just no hope. The Wolfpack ranked No. 95 in the land in the rushing game at 125.8 yards per game this year, but they would love to be able to reach this point on Tuesday against a rush defense that ranked No. 2 in the country at 82.6 yards per game.