Wunderdog
Rice @ Pittsburgh
Pick: Under 157
The Pitt Panthers have long established themselves as a defensive force, and physically intimidating team. That is impressively noticeable at home where they have allowed their last 229 opponents to average just 61.9 points per game. That number declines further when the opponent is not a conference team, as out-of-conference teams average fewer than 60 ppg. These teams are both off to an 8-2 start on the season, but Rice has yet to play in an arena and vs. a team that is going to test their mettle. Rice has an elongated history of troubled scoring against winning teams where they own a 110-77 mark to the UNDER in their last 187 games.
Nelly
So Mississippi vs UL Lafayette
Play: UL Lafayette +6.5
The Golden Eagles fell from 9-5 to just 6-6 in the first season under Jay Hopson as it was a disappointing season with injuries taking a toll. Nick Mullens returned at quarterback for the finale at the Golden Eagles beat Louisiana Tech. The production was strong but Southern Miss lost five games in which they were out-gained this season with a -14 turnover margin a big factor as the Golden Eagles only won the turnover battle twice all season. Wins the final two weeks earned a bowl bid for Louisiana-Lafayette, back in the postseason at 6-6 after missing out last season. The Ragin’ Cajuns won the New Orleans Bowl four straight seasons 2011-2014 with good attendance including nearly 55,000 in the Superdome in 2013’s win over Tulane. Former LSU quarterback Anthony Jennings led UL-L with marginal passing numbers as the improved last season results were mainly spearheaded by the defense. These teams are only about 200 miles apart, roughly equidistant to New Orleans as support should be strong on both sides in the first meeting since 2008 in a matchup of teams that used to meet annually. UL-L was a +16 underdog against a fairly similar Conference USA Louisiana Tech squad last season but with Southern Miss 3-8-1 ATS this season including 1-7 the last eight this number is a bit depressed. Mullens played fantastic in the finale and the indoor track should suit this offense well. The track record for the Ragin’ Cajuns in this game is noteworthy and Southern Miss has underachieved all season long and the team isn’t likely to put it together in a bowl game that means more to the underdog that will have more local support.