Connecticut vs UMass NCAA Football Picks Against the Spread 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium

Jack Zergiotis and the Connecticut Huskies go to Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday where they'll take on the UMass Minutemen. The odds on this game have Connecticut as 9.5-point favorites. The Huskies are 3-4-0 ATS and 2-5-0 when betting on the total. The Minutemen are 5-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-6-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Connecticut Huskies played the Houston Cougars and were beaten 24-17. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Huskies was Jack Zergiotis who went 27/44 with 270 yards passing and tossed 2 TD's. He tossed 1 pick in the game. Kevin Mensah paced the team in rushing for the game. He tore off a long run of 58 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He scurried for 93 yards by way of 12 carries which meant he averaged 7.8 yards per run. Cameron Ross led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 75 yards on 9 catches. He earned an average of 8.3 yards per reception for the game. The Huskies ended up rushing 31 times and earned 168 yards giving them an average of 5.4 yards per rush. On the day, the Huskies had a total of 23 first downs and they had a total of 6 infractions for 52 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In the game, they ran 75 plays which added up to 438 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Connecticut gave up 9 completions on 18 tries totaling 178 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. In the running game, the Huskies gave up 108 yards on 34 carries which means they had an average of 3.2 yards per rushing attempt allowed. Overall, they allowed a total of 286 yards but didn't get any takeaways.

The Huskies step onto the field holding a record of 1-6 this season. For total yards, they rank 12th in the conference and 117th in Division 1 with 2,213 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the worst in the country with an average of 16.7 points per contest, which has them at 125th in Division 1. As a unit, they are averaging 113.1 rushing yards per game which is 11th in the American Athletic Conference. The Huskies have one of the worst defenses in the nation, allowing 38.1 points per contest putting them 12th in the AAC. When talking about yards rushing, Connecticut is allowing 196.6 yards per contest putting them 11th in the AAC and 105th in D-1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 5.4 yards per carry ranking them 12th in the AAC and 120th in Division 1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 1,376 yards rushing through 7 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Huskies have conceded 1,421 yards. Opponents are completing 67.4% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.6 yards per try.

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The last time they took the field, the UMass Minutemen played the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and lost 69-21. Running the show from under center for the Minutemen was Randall West who went 17/29 with 172 yards through the air and added 1 TD. He gave away 1 pick during the game. Bilal Ally paced the team on the ground in the game. He had a long run of 51 yards and he ran for 1 TD for the game. He ran for a total of 92 yards on 10 carries which meant he averaged 9.2 yards per carry. Zak Simon was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 43 yards on 4 catches. He earned an average of 10.8 yards per reception in the game. The Minutemen ran the football 41 times and earned a total of 126 yards giving them an average of 3.1 yards per carry. In all, they ran 84 plays for 347 yards. Overall, the Minutemen earned a total of 19 1st downs and they had a total of 5 penalties for 46 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. When discussing the defense, UMass gave up 19 completions on 35 attempts totaling 304 yards, and a completion percentage of 54.3%. On the ground, the Minutemen gave up 385 yards on 38 runs which is an average of 10.1 yards per attempt allowed. For this contest, they conceded 689 yards and forced 3 takeaways.

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The Minutemen come into this matchup with a record of 1-6. In discussing the offensive production, the Minutemen have one of the most lackluster offenses in Division 1. UMass is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 133.4 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 98th in college football. As a unit, they have a total of 934 yards rushing through 7 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 301.6 yards per game overall which has them at 123rd in D-1 and 6th among Independent teams. The Minutemen are giving up 49.9 points per contest ranking them 6th among Independent teams and 131st in the country. Their pass defense is one of the middling units in college football. They are conceding 287.4 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Minutemen are ranked 6th among Independent teams. In terms of points allowed, they have allowed 349 total points. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are giving up 264.1 yards per game which puts them at 131st in D-1 and 6th among Independent teams. This year, they have given up 1,849 rushing yards and 21.7 rushing TDs.

Who will win tonight's Huskies/Minutemen college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Minutemen +9.5

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