Maddux Sports
Middle Tennessee State -3
RAS
1 Unit Middle Tenn. St. -3
Teddy Covers
Middle Tennessee St
RAS
1 Unit Middle Tenn. St. -3
Troy/Middle Tenn. St. Over 61.5
Power Play Wins
Troy Trojans +3.5
Brian Edwards
Troy at Middle Tennessee State
Pick: Troy +3.5
Troy has won four in a row over Middle Tennessee and knows how critical this contest is in terms of the Sun Belt race and getting a bowl bid. When these teams have stepped up in class, Troy nearly won outright at unbeaten Oklahoma St. in a 41-38 loss. Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee lost outright at home to Minnesota. Granted, the Blue Raiders do get Dwight Dasher back tonight and he's an explosive QB. However, he's missed all season and has been mistake-prone, as evidenced by his 14 interceptions last year. Toss-up, give me the team catching more than a field goal that has dominated the head-to-head play recently.
Brandon Lang
15 Dime Middle Tennessee State -3.5
Gregg Price
4* Middle Tenn St -3.5
We are going to lay the points here tonight as the Blue Raiders try to avoid losing to Troy for the 4th straight year. But the big news is Dwight Dasher, who returns after a 4 game suspension. He is a very good college player. He accounted for 37 of the teams 51 TD's last year. Both teams are 2-2 and 1-0 in conference play. Both teams will be in the spot light tonight, and I think Dasher will make the most of it. Lay the points here.
Rich Green
3* Middle Tenn State -3
The Duke's Sports
Middle Tenn State (-3) for 1.5 Units *'
The Trojans have gotten the best of this series -- winning 4 straight but should experience some trouble here. The Blue Raiders will have senior record setting QB Dasher tonight. He's coming off a suspension. He led the Blue Raiders to the #7 offense in the nation last year yet struggled vs the Trojans. However, he has a veteran line and good skill supporting players to put a dent in a very young Troy defense hit with graduation losses that is allowing nearly 33 ppg. Offensively, the Trojans are cooking with first year QB starter Robinson, who has a good cast of weapons. However, as talented as the Troy offense is, they are mistake prone. They put the ball on the carpet one too many times over the last 3 games and it should cost them tonight. It is "Blackout" day for MTSU in which the players will be dressed in full black uniforms and the crowd will be in a frenzy. We'll look for mistakes by Troy to be costly and allow MTSU to deliver here. MTSU is 4-0 ATS after allowing less than 20 points in previous game, 14-5 ATS in October, and 5-2 as home chalk. We'll look for the Blue Raiders to finally control the Palladium trophy.
ATS Lock Club
3 Units Middle Tennessee State -3
Jeff Benton
5 DIME TROY
The good news for Middle Tennessee State tonight: They finally get back star quarterback Dwight Dasher (the preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year was suspended for the first four games for accepting a loan in violation of NCAA rules).
The bad news for Middle Tennessee State tonight: They finally get back star quarterback Dwight Dasher.
See, Dasher last year was a force in 12 of the Blue Raiders’ 13 ballgames, becoming just the fourth player in NCAA history to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing and 2,500 yards passing. The only team to figure him out? Troy. In a 31-7 loss, Dasher finished 24-for-44 for 245 yards, one TD and one INT, and added 53 yards rushing, but much of that production came in the second half after the game was decided; in the first half, he went just 6-for-21.
The two previous years, Dasher played sparingly against Troy and went 0-for-5, was sacked twice, lost two fumbles and had minus-23 rushing yards on nine carries. And Troy rolled to wins of 45-7 and 31-17. (In fact, the Trojans are on a 4-0 SU and ATS run in this rivalry.)
All of this proves that Troy has Dasher’s number, and the senior knows it, telling a local publication this week that “I grade myself each game and they (Troy) are the only team that I think I’ve never played good against.” The one bright spot for Dasher is the fact the Trojans’ are struggling defensively, allowing 32 points and 459 yards per game (including 295.5 passing yards per game). However, how long will it take Dasher to shake of the rust (he hasn’t played in a game in 10 months)? And if he struggles early on, how much will that impact his confidence, knowing he hasn’t performed well in his career against this opponent?
For MTSU’s sake, Dasher better shake off the rust quickly, because while Troy has struggled defensively, the Trojans’ offense is clicking, scoring 30, 38, 33 and 35 points in four games while averaging 479 yards per game (including 317.2 through the air and 162 on the ground). And even though Troy split those four games, their two losses came on the road by a combined four points (41-38 at Oklahoma State, which is undefeated; 34-33 at UAB). MTSU is also 2-2, but its two victories were against Louisiana-Lafayette and Division I-AA Austin Peay.
Not only is it on a 4-0 SU and ATS roll in this rivalry, but Troy has cashed four straight times when playing in the Tuesday night spotlight and it is on additional ATS runs of 21-7 in conference, 9-4-1 as an underdog and 5-0 in October. The Blue Raiders, on the other hand, are 2-5 ATS in their last seven when laying 3½ to 10 points at home and 0-4 ATS in their last four on Tuesday.
Lenny Del Genio
20* SBC GOM - Troy +3
KELSO
15 Units Middle Tennessee St. -3
KIKI SPORTS
1 Unit Troy +3