MTSU vs North Texas NCAA Football Point Spread Picks

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Apogee Stadium

Mason Fine and the North Texas Mean Green host the MTSU Blue Raiders at Apogee Stadium on Saturday, October 19, 2019. North Texas opens this matchup as 9.5-point favorites. The Blue Raiders are 2-4-0 ATS and 3-2-1 when betting on the total. The Mean Green are 4-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the MTSU Blue Raiders faced the Florida Atlantic Owls and took the defeat by a score of 28-13. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Blue Raiders was Asher O'Hara who went 24/42 with 335 yards through the air and tossed 1 TD. He gave away 3 interceptions on the day. Asher O'Hara led the team in rushing for the game. He tore off a long run of 18 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown for the contest. He ran for 57 yards by way of 17 carries which gave him an average of 3.4 yards per run. Jarrin Pierce led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 82 yards on 3 receptions. He notched an average of 27.3 yards per catch for the game. The Blue Raiders rushed the ball a total of 29 times and racked up a total of 124 yards which earned them an average of 4.3 yards per rushing attempt. Overall, they ran 71 plays for a total of 459 yards. For the game, the Blue Raiders earned a total of 24 1st downs and they totaled 8 penalties for 69 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, MTSU allowed 16 completions on 31 throws totaling 161 yards, and a completion percentage of 51.6%. On the ground, the Blue Raiders allowed 203 yards on 40 attempts which is an average of 5.1 yards per run allowed. On the day, they allowed a total of 364 yards but weren't able to foce a turnover.

The Blue Raiders come into this matchup with a record of 2-4 for this season. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation averaging 20.7 points per contest, which has them at 113th in the nation. As a unit, they are averaging 131 rushing yards per contest which is 10th in the conference. For total yards, they rank 9th in C-USA and 84th in the nation with 2,320 yards. The Blue Raiders have one of the most lackluster defenses in D-1, allowing 32.7 points per contest putting them 11th in Conference USA. In terms of yards rushing, MTSU is giving up 237 yards per game ranking them 14th in the conference and 126th in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5.4 yards per rush which has them at 12th in C-USA and 120th in college football overall. Overall, they have conceded 1,422 rushing yards through 6 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Blue Raiders have conceded 1,534 yards. Teams are completing 64.3% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.9 yards per attempt.

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The last time they took the field, the North Texas Mean Green played the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and were defeated 45-27. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Mean Green was Mason Fine who went 11/25 with 217 yards through the air and added 3 TD's. He gave away 1 interception during the game. DeAndre Torrey paced the team on the ground for the game. He had a long run of 20 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He racked up a total of 61 yards by way of 13 carries which had him averaging 4.7 yards per tote. Jaelon Darden was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 87 yards on 5 catches. He averaged 17.4 yards per catch for the game. The Mean Green ended up running the ball 32 times and racked up 122 yards which gave them an average of 3.8 yards per run. For the contest, the Mean Green earned a total of 18 first downs and they had a total of 4 penalties for 29 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. Overall, they totaled 63 plays which added up to 378 yards. In terms of defense, North Texas allowed 29 completions on 36 tries totaling 421 yards, and a completion percentage of 80.6%. Overall, they gave up a total of 563 yards but finished the game without a turnover. Against the run, the Mean Green allowed 142 yards on 37 runs which is an average of 3.8 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Mean Green head into this game 2-4. In discussing the offensive production, the Mean Green have one of the most prolific offenses in the country. North Texas is making teams consider moving more up into the box by averaging 171.7 rushing yards per game, putting them 58th in the nation. As a team, they have compiled a total of 1,030 rushing yards through 6 contests, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Mean Green average 439.2 yards per contest overall which has them at 41st in the nation and 3rd in Conference USA. The Mean Green are allowing 32.8 points per game ranking them 12th in Conference USA and 108th in the nation. In discussing points allowed, they have allowed 197 total points. In terms of yards on the ground, they are allowing 183 yards per contest which puts them at 93rd in D-1 and 9th in C-USA. For the 2019 season, they have given up a total of 1,098 yards rushing and 13.8 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road units in D-1. They are allowing 227.8 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Mean Green sit in 7th in Conference USA.

Who will win tonight's Blue Raiders/Mean Green college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Blue Raiders +9.5

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