Liberty vs BYU NCAA Football Betting Tips 11/9/2019

Saturday, November 9, 2019

LaVell Edwards Stadium

Stephen Calvert and the Liberty Flames are headed to LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the BYU Cougars. The odds on this contest have BYU as 20-point favorites. The Flames are 4-5-0 ATS and 2-5-0 when betting on the total. The Cougars are 4-3-1 when wagering on the over/under and 4-4-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Liberty Flames played the UMass Minutemen and earned the victory by a score of 63-21. Frankie Hickson led the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 32 yards and he notched 3 TD's for the game. He rushed for 99 yards via 14 carries which means he ran for an average of 7.1 yards per tote. Antonio Gandy-Golden was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 137 yards on 6 receptions. He earned an average of 22.8 yards per reception for the game. Leading the way at QB for the Flames was Stephen Calvert who went 20/27 with 474 yards through the air and tossed 4 touchdowns. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Flames ran the ball 45 times and generated 242 yards which earned them an average of 5.4 yards per run. Overall, they totaled 77 plays for a total of 730 yards. On the day, the Flames had a total of 31 first downs and they had a total of 6 infractions for 38 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In terms of defense, Liberty gave up 16 completions on 27 tries for a total of 134 yards, and a completion percentage of 59.3%. In the game, they conceded a total of 240 yards but weren't able to foce a turnover. On the ground, the Flames gave up 106 yards on 37 tries which is an average of 2.9 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Flames head into this game 6-3 for this season. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 33.8 points per game, ranking them 39th in college football. As a team, they have an average of 145.4 rushing yards per contest which is 3rd among Independent teams. For total yardage, they rank 1st among Independent teams and 23rd in college football with 4,010 yards. The Flames have one of the average defenses in college football, giving up 26.1 points per game ranking them 3rd among Independent teams. When talking about rushing yards, Liberty is allowing 196.4 yards per contest which has them at 4th among D-1 Independent teams and 100th in Division 1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.7 yards per carry ranking them 3rd among FBS Independent teams and 91st in D-1 overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,768 rushing yards through 9 contests. When it comes to passing yards, the Flames have conceded 2,007 yards. Opponents are completing 59.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.6 yards per attempt.

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

In their last outing, the BYU Cougars played the Utah State Aggies and won by a score of 42-14. Sione Finau paced the team on the ground for the game. He broke a long run for 28 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He scurried for 72 yards by way of 15 carries which meant he averaged 4.8 yards per run. Lopini Katoa led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 129 yards on 4 receptions. He averaged 32.3 yards per catch for the game. Running the show from under center for the Cougars was Jaren Hall who went 12/16 with 214 yards through the air but wasn't able to throw a ball for a TD. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Cougars ran the ball 40 times and totaled 225 yards which earned them an average of 5.6 yards per carry. Overall, they ran 73 plays which gave them a total of 643 yards. For the game, the Cougars had a total of 31 first downs and they totaled 5 penalties for 37 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In terms of defense, BYU conceded 29 catches on 49 attempts totaling 394 yards, and a completion percentage of 59.2%. Overall, they allowed a total of 521 yards and earned 5 takeaways. Against the run, the Cougars conceded 127 yards on 33 carries which means they had an average of 3.8 yards per carry allowed.

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

The Cougars head into this game 4-4. BYU hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 107.4 rushing yards per game, putting them 123rd in Division 1. As a team, they have a total of 859 rushing yards through 8 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Cougars average 333.9 yards per contest overall putting them 111th in the country and 5th among D-1 Independent teams. The Cougars are allowing 27.8 points per game ranking them 4th among FBS Independent teams and 66th in the country. Their pass defense is one of the top units in the nation. They are allowing 164.5 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Cougars are currently ranked 1st among FBS Independent teams. In discussing points given up, they have allowed 222 points in total. In terms of yards rushing, they are conceding 190.1 yards per game which puts them at 98th in D-1 and 3rd among FBS Independent teams. For the 2019 season, they have conceded 1,521 rushing yards and 10.4 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Flames/Cougars college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Flames +20

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