The Birmingham Bowl and Dollar General Bowl are involved in Metro Bet’s Saturday college football selections.
Memphis Tigers (-3.5) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Moneyline: Tigers -160, Demon Deacons +140
Betting Total: 73 points
Time (Eastern), TV: Noon, ESPN
Memphis will be without lead running back Darnell Henderson as they face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field, but they still hold the upper hand in this matchup.
The Tigers have the luxury of an excellent backup tailback in Patrick Taylor Jr., who can step right in and fill Henderson’s shoes. Taylor rushed for over 1,000 yards this season and 15 TDs, supplementing what was the nation’s fourth-best rushing attack during the regular season. Memphis also has an excellent quarterback in Brady White, who amassed over 3,000 passing yards this season and had a 25-8 TD-INT ratio. Damonte Coxie, who has reeled in 66 passes for over 1,000 yards, is his favorite target. Wake Forest’s 101st-ranked defense will have a hard time preventing scores against this unit, which was seventh in the country in points per game this year.
Memphis’s defense isn’t much better than the Demon Deacons’ (93rd), but Wake Forest unfortunately lost starting quarterback Sam Hartman to a leg injury with just three games to go in the season. Results have been mixed since Jamie Newman stepped in, but they exit a 59-7 thrashing of Duke. However, the Tigers’ ability to control this game on the ground and their healthier overall roster give them a decided advantage.
Prediction: Memphis wins, 38-27
The play: Memphis -3.5
Buffalo Bulls (-1.5) vs. Troy Trojans
Moneyline: Bulls -125, Trojans +105
Betting Total: 49.5 points
Time (Eastern), TV: 7 p.m., ESPN
The Dollar General Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL should be an old-school struggle between the Buffalo Bulls and Troy Trojans. Both schools feature solid stoppers and run-heavy offenses. However, recent trends suggest Troy has an edge here.
Ironically, the Trojans have Buffalo right where they want them as they just lost to Appalachian State. Per oddsshark.com, Troy has won each of their last eight games (6-2 against the spread) following a loss. And six of those eight bounce-back wins were by 21 or more points.
Troy’s rush defense is better than Buffalo’s based on yards per game allowed (130.9 to 164.9), so 1,000-yards rusher B.J. Smith should have an easier time establishing his presence in this one than the Bulls’ Jaret Patterson.
Buffalo’s lack of a kicking game is also a concern in a tilt that could be close from start to finish. Adam Mitcheson has attempted just 12 field goals all year, making nine.
Prediction: Troy wins, 24-21
The play: Troy +1.5
