68 Ventures Bowl Pick: South Alabama Jaguars vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles

South Alabama Jaguars (6-6 SU, ATS 4-7) vs Eastern Michigan Eagles (6-6 SU, ATS 6-3)

Date: 7:00 EST Saturday, December 23rd

Location: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: USA -15/EMU +15

Money Line: S. Bama -800/E. Mich +545

Over/Under: 47.5

The South Alabama Jaguars and Eastern Michigan Eagles battle in the 68 Ventures Bowl on 12/23/23 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, AL. The over/under for this matchup is currently 47.5, while South Alabama is favored by -15.

Did you know that you could be betting on sports at discounted odds?

Head-to-Head Matchup:

There wasn’t a head-to-head matchup between South Alabama and Eastern Michigan last season. But looking back across their previous three head-to-head games, South Alabama is 2-1. Against the spread, each team went 1-2 and finished with an over/under mark of 2-1. These games averaged a combined 56 points per contest.

South Alabama Jaguars Recent Form:

The Jaguars dropped back to .500 after their most recent loss to Texas State. They are now preparing for this week’s game with a record of 6-6.

Going into the game, South Alabama was favored by 6, giving them an ATS loss. On the over/under, the teams combined for 96, which surpassed the betting line of 58 points.

In the loss against Texas State, quarterback Desmond Trotter wrapped up the game with a QB rating of 129.27 after completing 18 of 21 passes for 216 yards. He also added four touchdowns to his performance.

Despite carrying the ball 19 times against Texas State, Braylon McReynolds was unable to score a rushing touchdown and finished with 79 yards in the game for South Alabama. Caullin Lacy was the go-to receiver for the team, finding the endzone once and securing 11 balls for 94 yards.

The Jaguars’ defense finished the game by giving up 490 total yards to Texas State. The team’s run defense allowed 122 yards rushing compared to 368 in the passing game. As we head into this week’s game, the South Alabama defense ranks 77th for points allowed, with an average of 21.9 points per game. Teams have been gaining 209.7 passing yards per game against them (65th nationally). Against the run, they’ve given up 117.8 rushing yards, placing them 39th in college football.

Away Injury Report

Eastern Michigan Eagles Recent Form:

Eastern Michigan returned to a .500 record after their recent victory against Buffalo. The Eagles now enter this week’s matchup with a record of 6-6.

Eastern Michigan was the underdog at +6, giving them an ATS and straight-up win. The under hit in the game with the over/under line set at 37 points.

In Eastern Michigan’s recent win, quarterback Austin Smith not only tossed one touchdown but also rushed for one touchdown. Throughout the game, he threw for a total of 141 yards while achieving a completion rate of 70.4%.

Samson Evans led the ground attack for Eastern Michigan against Buffalo. He accumulated 127 rushing yards and reached the endzone one time in 22 attempts. Eastern Michigan’s most productive receiver in the game was JB Mitchell III, who finished with 75 yards on seven receptions.

On defense, Eastern Michigan finished their game against Buffalo by giving up a total of 338 yards. Buffalo threw the ball 28 times for 174 vs. Eastern Michigan. While on the ground, the Eagles gave up 164 rushing yards. The Eastern Michigan defense holds the 88th position in points allowed, allowing 24 points per game. Teams have an average of 205.2 passing yards per game against them (57th nationally). In terms of rushing, they’ve given up 178.9 rushing yards, placing them 138th in college football.

Home Injury Report

No Injuries Reported

Betting Trends

• Looking at South Alabama’s five most recent road games, they have put together a record vs. the spread of 2-3.
• Looking across Eastern Michigan’s three most recent home games, they are 2-1 against the spread.
• Eastern Michigan’s ATS record in their ten most recent games as the underdog is 7-3.
• South Alabama’s record vs. the spread in their three most recent games as the favorite is 1-2.

Free Pick

Typically, Bowl Week features teams that are more evenly matchup than this, as South Alabama is favored by 15 vs. Eastern Michigan. Even though Eastern Michigan has a decent defense, they have been bad all season on offense. This year, they averaged just 5.8 yards per pass and struggled to protect the QB. I like the Jaguars at -15.