BYU vs UMass NCAA Football Pick and Parlay 11/23/2019

Game: BYU Cougars vs UMass Minutemen

Date: Saturday, November 23, 2019

Week 13

Location: Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Hadley, MA

TV: CBSSN

Odds/Point Spread: UMass +40

Total/Over-Under: 68.5

Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium is the venue where Randall West and the UMass Minutemen will take on the BYU Cougars on Saturday. BYU opens this contest as 40-point favorites. The Cougars are 4-6-0 ATS and 4-4-1 when betting on the total. The Minutemen are 8-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-9-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the BYU Cougars played the Idaho State Bengals and ended up getting the victory by a score of 42-10. Sione Finau paced the team on the ground in the game. He broke a long run for 16 yards and he notched 1 touchdown for the game. He ran for 102 yards by way of 16 carries which means he ran for an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Micah Simon led the team in receiving yardage by earning 76 yards on 7 receptions. He notched an average of 10.9 yards per reception in the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Cougars was Zach Wilson who went 19/31 with 187 yards passing and tossed 2 touchdowns. He gave away 1 pick on the day. The Cougars ran the ball 44 times and added 204 yards which had them averaging 4.6 yards per rush. On the day, the Cougars earned 27 first downs and they had 12 penalties for 85 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. On the day, they ran 80 plays for a total of 449 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, BYU gave up 11 completions on 23 attempts totaling 114 yards, and a completion percentage of 47.8%. For the game, they allowed a total of 271 yards and earned 2 turnovers. In the running game, the Cougars gave up 157 yards on 32 runs which means they had an average of 4.9 yards per carry allowed.

The Cougars step onto the field holding a record of 6-4 for 2019. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country with an average of 27.7 points per game, putting them 76th in the country. As a team, they have an average of 145.3 rushing yards per contest which is 3rd among FBS Independent teams. For total yards, they currently sit at 3rd among D-1 Independent teams and 59th in the country with 4,234 yards. The Cougars have one of the average defenses in college football, giving up 25.6 points per contest which has them at 3rd among D-1 Independent teams. In discussing rushing yards, BYU is allowing 193.3 yards per game putting them 4th among Independent teams and 98th in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.6 yards per rush which has them at 3rd among FBS Independent teams and 87th in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,933 yards rushing through 10 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Cougars have conceded 2,127 yards. Teams are completing 62.8% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.1 yards per attempt.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

The last time they took the field, the UMass Minutemen played the Northwestern Wildcats and ended up taking the loss by a score of 45-6. Running the show from under center for the Minutemen was Randall West who went 19/36 with 175 yards through the air but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He tossed 1 interception in the game. Bilal Ally paced the team in rushing for that contest. He broke a long run for 31 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He ran for a total of 66 yards by way of 16 carries which meant he averaged 4.1 yards per tote. Brennon Dingle led the team in receiving yardage by earning 66 yards on 4 receptions. He notched an average of 16.5 yards per reception for that contest. The Minutemen ended up running the ball 31 times and added 83 yards earning them an average of 2.7 yards per attempt. For the game, the Minutemen had a total of 16 1st downs and they had a total of 8 penalties for 55 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. In all, they ran 77 plays for a total of 310 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, UMass allowed 7 completions on 13 attempts totaling 76 yards, and a completion percentage of 53.8%. In the running game, the Minutemen allowed 334 yards on 52 carries which is an average of 6.4 yards per rushing attempt allowed. For this contest, they gave up a total of 410 yards and forced 3 turnovers.

Related: Parlay Calculator

The Minutemen head into this game 1-10. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Minutemen have one of the most lackluster offenses in Division 1. UMass needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 122.6 rushing yards per game, putting them 116th in the nation. As a unit, they have a total of 1,349 rushing yards through 11 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Minutemen average 293.2 yards per game overall ranking them 124th in Division 1 and 6th among FBS Independent teams. The Minutemen are allowing 52.4 points per game which puts them at 6th among D-1 Independent teams and 131st in the country. In discussing points allowed, they have allowed 576 total points. In discussing rushing yards, they are allowing 295.6 yards per game which puts them at 131st in Division 1 and 6th among Independent teams. For the 2019 season, they have conceded 3,252 yards rushing and 46.2 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre groups in Division 1. They are allowing 257.9 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Minutemen are currently ranked 6th among Independent teams.

So what is Tonights Parlay prediction?

Parlays Pundit's Pick: Take the Cougars -40 and under the total points

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here