Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs Tulane Green Wave Picks, Odds, Armed Forces Bowl Prediction 1/4/2020

Game: Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs Tulane Green Wave

Date: Saturday, January 4, 2020

Armed Forces Bowl

Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Tulane -7

Total/Over-Under: 57.5

Justin McMillan and the Tulane Green Wave play the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday, January 4, 2020 in the Armed Forces Bowl. Southern Miss opens this contest as 7-point underdogs. The Golden Eagles are 6-6-0 ATS and 4-8-0 when betting on the total. The Green Wave are 6-6-0 when wagering on the over/under and 8-4-0 against the spread.

In their last contest, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles took on the Florida Atlantic Owls and took the defeat by a score of 34-17. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Golden Eagles was Jack Abraham who went 25/39 with 182 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He tossed 4 picks in the game. Steven Anderson led the team on the ground for the game. His longest run of the day went for 11 yards and he added 1 touchdown in the game. He ran for a total of 54 yards on 11 carries which meant he averaged 4.9 yards per tote. Tim Jones was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 66 yards on 7 receptions. He earned an average of 9.4 yards per catch for the game. The Golden Eagles ran the ball a total of 35 times and earned a total of 60 yards earning them an average of 1.7 yards per run. Overall, they ran 76 plays for a total of 258 yards. On the day, the Golden Eagles racked up a total of 17 first downs and they totaled 6 penalties for 50 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In terms of defense, Southern Miss allowed 8 completions on 20 tries totaling 156 yards, and a completion percentage of 40.0%. Against the run, the Golden Eagles allowed 144 yards on 31 runs which is an average of 4.6 yards per attempt allowed. On the day, they allowed a total of 300 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

The Golden Eagles come into this matchup with a record of 7-5 this year. For total yards, they currently sit at 5th in the conference and 62nd in the nation with 4,936 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country averaging 27.8 points per game, putting them 74th in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 122.8 yards on the ground per game which is 13th in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles have one of the middle tier defenses in the country, giving up 25.9 points per game ranking them 7th in the conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Golden Eagles have allowed 3,463 yards. Opponents are completing 58.6% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.2 yards per attempt. When it comes to rushing yards, Southern Miss is giving up 111.8 yards per contest ranking them 2nd in Conference USA and 18th in the nation. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.4 yards per carry ranking them 2nd in Conference USA and 18th in the nation overall. In total, they have conceded 1,342 yards rushing through 12 contests.

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In their last game, the Tulane Green Wave went up against the SMU Mustangs and were defeated 37-20. Running the show from under center for the Green Wave was Justin McMillan who went 22/37 with 242 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with no picks. Corey Dauphine led the team on the ground for that contest. He had a long run of 35 yards and he tallied 1 touchdown for the game. He scurried for 52 yards via 10 carries which meant he was running for 5.2 yards per tote. Tyrick James was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 62 yards on 5 catches. He notched an average of 12.4 yards per catch for that contest. The Green Wave ended up running the ball 53 times and racked up 223 yards earning them an average of 4.2 yards per carry. Overall, the Green Wave totaled 26 first downs and they had 5 infractions for 40 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. For the game, they ran 90 plays for 465 yards. When discussing the defense, Tulane gave up 15 catches on 27 throws for a total of 180 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.6%. In the game, they conceded 377 yards and forced 1 turnover. In the running game, the Green Wave gave up 197 yards on 38 runs which gave them an average of 5.2 yards per attempt allowed.

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The Green Wave come into this game with a record of 6-6. Tulane has shown the nation they have a formidable rushing attack by averaging 249.8 yards on the ground per game, ranking them 13th in D-1. As a unit, they have a total of 2,998 rushing yards through 12 contests, and if they want to continue their dominance, they'll want to keep running the ball. The Green Wave average 455.2 yards per game overall ranking them 24th in D-1 and 5th in the AAC. The Green Wave are conceding 27.4 points per game ranking them 6th in the AAC and 65th in college football. In discussing points allowed, they have allowed 329 total points. When talking about rushing yards, they are conceding 164.9 yards per game ranking them 75th in the nation and 6th in the conference. In 2019, they have conceded a total of 1,979 yards on the ground and 16.8 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road groups in the country. They are allowing 214 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Green Wave are currently ranked 6th in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Golden Eagles/Green Wave college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Golden Eagles +7

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