UMass vs Louisiana Tech Odds and Picks Against the Spread

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Joe Aillet Stadium

J'Mar Smith and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs play the UMass Minutemen at Joe Aillet Stadium on Saturday, October 12, 2019. UMass opens this contest as 31-point dogs. The Minutemen are 1-5-0 ATS and 4-2-0 when betting on the total. The Bulldogs are 2-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-3-0 against the spread.

Key UMass Minutemen Injuries

10/06/19 QB Andrew Brito Concussion is questionable Saturday vs Louisiana Tech

Key Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Injuries

No key injuries to report

In the last game they played, the UMass Minutemen played the FIU Golden Panthers and lost 44-0. Bilal Ally led the team on the ground for the game. His longest run of the day went for 8 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He rushed for a total of 24 yards on 9 carries which gave him an average of 2.7 yards per tote. Jermaine Johnson Jr. led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 33 yards on 3 receptions. He averaged 11.0 yards per catch for the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Minutemen was Michael Curtis who went 5/19 with 66 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He walked away with 2 interceptions on the day. The Minutemen ended up rushing 24 times and earned a total of 38 yards giving them an average of 1.6 yards per run. For the contest, the Minutemen earned a total of 5 first downs and they totaled 6 penalties for 100 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In the game, they ran 48 plays which gave them a total of 115 yards. In terms of defense, UMass conceded 19 completions on 33 tries totaling 263 yards, and a completion percentage of 57.6%. On the ground, the Minutemen conceded 278 yards on 55 runs allowing their opponent an average of 5.1 yards per attempt allowed. Overall, they conceded 541 yards and forced 1 turnover.

The Minutemen come into this game with a record of 1-5 for 2019. For total yardage, they currently sit at 5th among D-1 Independent teams and 108th in Division 1 with 1,764 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the worst in the country with an average of 20.5 points per game, which has them at 112th in Division 1. As a team, they have an average of 134.7 rushing yards per contest which is 3rd among Independent teams. The Minutemen have one of the worst defenses in the nation, giving up 46.7 points per game putting them 6th among FBS Independent teams. In terms of rushing yards, UMass is giving up 244 yards per game putting them 6th among Independent teams and 128th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 5.7 yards per carry ranking them 5th among FBS Independent teams and 124th in the country overall. Overall, they have conceded 1,464 rushing yards through 6 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Minutemen have allowed 1,708 yards. Teams are completing 71% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 9.7 yards per attempt.

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The last time they took the field, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs faced the Rice Owls and won 23-20. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Bulldogs was J'Mar Smith who went 21/39 with 210 yards passing and completed 1 TD. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Justin Henderson paced the team in rushing during the game. He broke a long run for 26 yards and he added 1 TD in the game. He rushed for a total of 64 yards via 12 carries which meant he was running for 5.3 yards per run. Adrian Hardy led the team in receiving yardage by earning 78 yards on 6 catches. He notched an average of 13.0 yards per reception during the game. The Bulldogs ran the ball 22 times and earned 110 yards which gave them an average of 5.0 yards per attempt. For the game, they ran 61 plays for a total of 320 yards. Overall, the Bulldogs totaled 19 first downs and they had a total of 3 penalties for 11 yards which tells us that they had a disciplined week in practice. When discussing the defense, Louisiana Tech gave up 16 completions on 26 throws totaling 148 yards, and a completion percentage of 61.5%. In the running game, the Bulldogs gave up 204 yards on 47 attempts which means they allowed 4.3 yards per run allowed. In the game, they gave up a total of 352 yards and earned 1 turnover.

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The Bulldogs head into this matchup 4-1. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Bulldogs have one of the average offenses in college football. Louisiana Tech is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 151.4 yards on the ground per contest, which has them at 79th in D-1. As a team, they have a total of 757 rushing yards through 5 games, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Bulldogs average 428.2 yards per game overall ranking them 56th in the nation and 2nd in C-USA. The Bulldogs are allowing 23.4 points per game ranking them 3rd in the conference and 48th in Division 1. Their passing defense is one of the middling units in college football. They are allowing 250.6 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Bulldogs currently sit at 10th in C-USA. In regard to points given up, they have given up 117 points in total. When it comes to rushing yards, they are conceding 164.8 yards per game ranking them 79th in college football and 8th in Conference USA. For 2019, they have given up a total of 824 yards on the ground and 8 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Minutemen/Bulldogs college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Minutemen +31

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