Florida Atlantic/Middle Tennessee State Predictions, Spread, Lines & Odds
September 29, 2008
Larry Cook gives his Florida Atlantic/Middle Tennessee State predictions in Week 6 NCAA football betting. The Florida Atlantic Owls beat the Blue Raiders 27-14 as 2.5-point home favorites last year. But Middle Tennessee had the upper hand at home in ‘06, beating FAU by a final of 35-14. Strangely, the previous three years saw the road team cruising to victory dating back to 2003. How will this game play out in ‘08? Larry Cook has the answer within his Week 6 college football picks. You can buy Larry’s NCAA Football Season Package for just $249.95 right here! You will get his opinion on the winner of this Sun Belt Conference showdown upon purchase, along with the rest of his NCAA football winners through the bowl season.
The Owls (1-3) will find out just how much their tough road games at Texas, Michigan State and Minnesota prepared them for Sun Belt Conference play this week. Middle Tennessee State is no slouch, though. The Blue Raiders (1-3) pulled off an early-season upset against Maryland and nearly beat Kentucky before a last-second Hail Mary pass came up one yard short of the end zone. This looks to be a competitive conference battle between two up-and-coming football programs Tuesday, September 30th.
QB Rusty Smith will need to bounce back from back-to-back sub-par performances. The reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year will need to make big throws and cut down on mistakes if the Owls are to repeat as conference champs. Smith has four touchdowns to five interceptions thus far, but it has come against much stiffer competition. RB Charles Pierce has been a bright spot for the Owls, and he’ll need to step up big to take some pressure off of Smith’s shoulders. Pierce has 268 yards on only 41 carries with two scores. On defense, MLB Frantz Joseph is the heart and soul for the Owls’ stoppers. Frantz is FAU’s leading tackler and this unit will need to improve against the run Tuesday. The Owls are giving up 211 yards/game on the ground.
Middle Tennessee is averaging just 68.5 rushing yards/game, so that bodes well for improvement by FAU against the run this week. The Blue Raiders put the ball in the air a ton, throwing for better than 277 yards/game. FAU is giving up 230.2 passing yards/game so that is another are the Owls need to work on this week. Once again, you have to remember that FAU has played a tougher schedule to this point than Middle Tennessee. Bet Florida Atlantic +3 at BetUs and get a 50% Sign-Up bonus on your initial deposit!
The Blue Raiders’ passing game has been nothing short of outstanding, led by senior quarterback Joe Craddock. Newcomers at receiver in Eldred King, Malcom Beyah and Sancho McDonald have been the key reason the passing game has flourished. Defensively, senior LB Ivon Hickmon and junior LB Dann Carmichael have been the leaders. They’ve combined for 51 tackles, 4.5 coming for a loss, to go along with a sack and an interception. When stopped, junior punter David DeFatta has been a valuable weapon. He is pinning opponents deep with a 42.5 yards/kick average, including landing four inside the 20-yard line.
The Blue Raiders’ pass defense struggled against Arkansas State, and their secondary will be a key to their success against Florida Atlantic. Freshman kicker Alan Gendreau is not playing up to par, converting on just 2-of-5 field goal attempts. This could be a big factor in Tuesday’s game as well. The blue Raiders’ running game has been non-existent, largely due to the amount of times MTSU’s offensive coordinator likes to put the ball in the air. The offensive line has done a good job pass protecting but hasn’t been able to effectively run block consistently. With FAU’s defense susceptible to the run, look for the Blue Raiders to try to establish their running game a big more this week. Bet Middle Tennessee State -3 at Sportsbook.com.