FIU vs MTSU Expert College Football Picks 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium

Asher O'Hara and the MTSU Blue Raiders host the FIU Golden Panthers at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium on Saturday, October 26, 2019. The spread on this game has FIU as 2-point favorites. The Golden Panthers are 2-5-0 ATS and 3-4-0 when betting on the total. The Blue Raiders are 4-2-1 when wagering on the over/under and 3-4-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the FIU Golden Panthers went up against the UTEP Miners and won 32-17. Anthony Jones paced the team on the ground in the game. He broke a long run for 65 yards and he ran for 1 TD for the contest. He rushed for a total of 102 yards on 15 carries which meant he averaged 6.8 yards per run. Anthony Jones led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 61 yards on 2 catches. He earned an average of 30.5 yards per reception in the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Golden Panthers was James Morgan who went 9/17 with 150 yards through the air and added 1 touchdown. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Golden Panthers ended up rushing 32 times and racked up a total of 185 yards which earned them an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Overall, the Golden Panthers racked up 15 1st downs and they totaled 4 penalties for 39 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In the game, they ran 49 plays for 335 yards. When discussing the defense, FIU gave up 12 catches on 21 throws for a total of 151 yards, and a completion percentage of 57.1%. For this contest, they conceded 316 yards and earned 1 turnover. On the ground, the Golden Panthers gave up 165 yards on 43 carries which gave them an average of 3.8 yards per carry allowed.

The Golden Panthers head into this game 4-3 this season. For total yards, they rank 7th in the conference and 65th in college football with 2,833 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 30.4 points per game, putting them 56th in college football. As a unit, they have an average of 209.3 rushing yards per contest which is 2nd in Conference USA. The Golden Panthers have one of the average defenses in college football, allowing 23.1 points per game ranking them 3rd in C-USA. In terms of yards rushing, FIU is allowing 184.1 yards per contest putting them 10th in Conference USA and 92nd in the nation. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.9 yards per carry ranking them 9th in Conference USA and 103rd in Division 1 overall. In total, they have allowed 1,289 yards rushing through 7 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Golden Panthers have allowed 1,368 yards. Opponents are completing 56.1% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.8 yards per attempt.

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

In their last game, the MTSU Blue Raiders played the North Texas Mean Green and took the loss by a score of 33-30. Leading the way at QB for the Blue Raiders was Asher O'Hara who went 16/32 with 136 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Asher O'Hara led the team on the ground during the game. He broke a long run for 25 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown in the game. He ran for a total of 82 yards via 14 carries which means he ran for an average of 5.9 yards per carry. Zack Dobson led the team in receiving yardage by earning 56 yards on 6 catches. He earned an average of 9.3 yards per reception during the game. The Blue Raiders ran the ball 30 times and racked up 178 yards giving them an average of 5.9 yards per carry. In all, they totaled 78 plays which added up to 433 yards. On the day, the Blue Raiders had a total of 23 1st downs and they totaled 4 penalties for 17 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. When it comes to their defensive performance, MTSU gave up 33 catches on 45 attempts totaling 375 yards, and a completion percentage of 73.3%. Against the run, the Blue Raiders gave up 132 yards on 33 attempts which gave them an average of 4.0 yards per rushing attempt allowed. In the game, they gave up 507 yards and forced 3 takeaways.

Related: Get college football predictions on all of today's games

The Blue Raiders head into this game 2-5. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Blue Raiders have one of the worst offenses in the country. MTSU needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 137.7 yards on the ground per game, putting them 94th in Division 1. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 964 rushing yards 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 Blue Raiders average 393.3 yards per game overall ranking them 77th in the country and 8th in C-USA. The Blue Raiders are giving up 32.7 points per game ranking them 12th in C-USA and 107th in D-1. In terms of points given up, they have given up 229 total points. When it comes to rushing yards, they are conceding 222 yards per contest ranking them 122nd in Division 1 and 14th in the conference. This season, they have conceded 1,554 yards on the ground and 11.9 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the middling groups in the country. They are conceding 274.4 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Blue Raiders sit in 14th in C-USA.

Who will win tonight's Golden Panthers/Blue Raiders NCAA football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Blue Raiders +2

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

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn