Old Dominion vs UAB NCAA Football Picks & Predictions

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Legion Field

Stone Smartt and the Old Dominion Monarchs are headed to Legion Field on Saturday where they'll take on the UAB Blazers. Old Dominion opens this game as 14-point dogs. The Monarchs are 3-3-0 ATS and 1-5-0 when betting on the total. The Blazers are 2-3-1 when wagering on the over/under and 4-2-0 against the spread.

In their last contest, the Old Dominion Monarchs went up against the Marshall Thundering Herd and lost 31-17. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Monarchs was Messiah deWeaver who went 8/14 with 100 yards passing and added 1 TD. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Kesean Strong led the team in rushing during the game. He had a long run of 24 yards and he added 1 TD for the game. He scurried for 35 yards via 3 carries which had him averaging 11.7 yards per tote. Aaron Moore led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 44 yards on 2 catches. He averaged 22.0 yards per catch during the game. The Monarchs ended up rushing 36 times and racked up 83 yards earning them an average of 2.3 yards per rush. For the game, the Monarchs racked up 11 first downs and they had 5 penalties for 60 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. Overall, they totaled 52 plays for 206 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Old Dominion allowed 20 completions on 32 tries for a total of 208 yards, and a completion percentage of 62.5%. On the day, they conceded a total of 444 yards but didn't force any takeaways. Against the run, the Monarchs allowed 236 yards on 46 runs which is an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Monarchs head into this game 1-5 for the 2019 season. In terms of scoring, they are one of the worst in the country with an average of 16.5 points per game, which has them at 126th in the country. As a team, they are averaging 104.8 rushing yards per game which is 14th in Conference USA. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 13th in Conference USA and 128th in the country with 1,546 yards. The Monarchs have one of the middle tier defenses in the country, allowing 25.8 points per game which has them at 6th in C-USA. When talking about yards on the ground, Old Dominion is allowing 123.2 yards per contest putting them 4th in the conference and 41st in Division 1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.4 yards per rush ranking them 3rd in C-USA and 32nd in D-1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 739 rushing yards through 6 contests. When it comes to passing yards, the Monarchs have conceded 917 yards. Opponents are completing 60.7% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.7 yards per try.

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In their last contest, the UAB Blazers played the UTSA Roadrunners and earned the victory by a score of 33-14. Lucious Stanley led the team in rushing for that game. He tore off a long run of 17 yards and he added 1 TD for the game. He rushed for 92 yards by way of 13 carries which means he ran for an average of 7.1 yards per carry. Austin Watkins was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 167 yards on 6 catches. He averaged 27.8 yards per catch for that game. Running the show from under center for the Blazers was Tyler Johnston III who went 17/26 with 294 yards through the air and completed 2 TD's. He threw 1 pick during the game. The Blazers ended up running the ball 39 times and earned a total of 202 yards which gave them an average of 5.2 yards per rush. For the game, the Blazers totaled 26 1st downs and they totaled 6 penalties for 68 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. On the day, they totaled 65 plays for 496 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, UAB allowed 8 completions on 20 attempts totaling 94 yards, and a completion percentage of 40.0%. Overall, they allowed 224 yards and forced 2 takeaways. In the running game, the Blazers allowed 130 yards on 34 tries which gave them an average of 3.8 yards per carry allowed.

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The Blazers step onto the field holding a record of 5-1. UAB is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 151.3 yards on the ground per game, ranking them 81st in the nation. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 908 rushing yards through 6 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Blazers average 401.8 yards per game overall putting them 74th in D-1 and 8th in C-USA. The Blazers are conceding 16 points per game which puts them at 1st in the conference and 12th in D-1. In discussing points allowed, they have allowed 96 total points. In regard to yards rushing, they are conceding 97.2 yards per contest ranking them 16th in college football and 1st in Conference USA. For 2019, they have allowed 583 rushing yards and 4.8 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the best groups in Division 1. They are giving up 168.5 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Blazers sit in 1st in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Monarchs/Blazers college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Monarchs +14

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