Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica’s 2024 College Football Week 5 ‘Bear Bytes’

College football Week 5 is here, and I couldn’t be more pumped. 

This means the next few days will be exciting for fans who love football and for bettors looking for fun ways to wager a few bucks.

I’ve already given you my best bets for Week 5 games, but now it’s time to have a little fun with my “Bear Bytes.”

These little “bytes,” as I call them, are just nuggets that give you some entertaining talking points to pull from as you watch the football festivities with friends and family or banter with your coworkers at the water cooler.

Here are the biggest nuggets that stuck out to me while doing my research.

Saturday, Sept. 28

(All times ET)

Northern Illinois @ NC State (noon, CW Network)

In its last 12 games as an underdog, Northern Illinois is 10-2 against the spread (ATS) with six outright wins, including outright wins in each of the last three games. 

Nebraska @ Purdue (noon, Peacock)

This is only the second time in the last 10 years Nebraska has been a double-digit road favorite. The other instance came in 2019 when the Huskers beat Illinois 42-38 as 13.5-point favorites. 

No. 22 BYU @ Baylor (noon, FS1)

Since 2016, there have been 26 regular-season games involving unranked favorites that did not have a winning record over a team that was ranked. The unranked team won 19 of the 26 games. In the last nine such games, the only ranked team to win such a game was Iowa (twice over Nebraska). So, in the last seven such games not involving Iowa, the unranked team won outright, covering six of them. 

Wisconsin @ No. 13 USC (3: 30 p.m., CBS)

This is the first time since 2018 that Wisconsin is an underdog in consecutive games. Dating back to last year, Wisconsin has been an underdog in four of its last 10 games. The Badgers had been a ‘dog in four of their previous 54 games. 

No. 3 Ohio State @ Michigan State (7 p.m., PEACOCK)

The last three times Ohio State was north of a 20-point favorite in a conference game, the game went Under, and the Buckeyes allowed a total of three field goals. 

No. 19 Illinois @ No. 9 Penn State (7: 30 p.m., NBC)

Since 2000, Penn State is 17-0-1 ATS in games where the Nittany Lions were favored between seven and 24 points. Since 2017, there have been 13 regular-season, top-20 matchups with a spread of greater than 17 points. Favorites have covered nine of the 13. Underdogs like this have lost 19 straight, dating back to Stanford’s upset win at Oregon in 2012. 

No. 2 Georgia @ No. 4 Alabama (7: 30 p.m., ABC/ESPN)

This snaps a streak of 112 home games in which Alabama has been favored. The last time Alabama was a home underdog was 2007 vs. LSU when the Tide lost to the eventual national champs 41-34 as a 7-point dog. Kalen Deboer has been an underdog ten times as a head coach. His teams have won seven of the 10 outright and have gone 8-2 ATS.  That includes outright wins in both instances when he’s been a home ‘dog. Kirby Smart has been a favorite of a field goal or less nine times. His teams have won and covered seven of the nine. 

Air Force @ Wyoming (8 p.m. CBSSN)

Someone’s gotta win. Air Force and Wyoming are a combined 0-5 vs. FBS teams this season, being outscored 174-48.

Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.

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