Southern Miss vs. FSU Bowl Pick
Will the Southern Miss Golden Eagles give the Florida State Seminoles a game when the two meet in the Walk On’s Independence Bowl today at 1:30 p.m. ET?
ODDSMAKERS LIKE: Florida State. According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Seminoles are 15-point favorites to beat the Golden Eagles, who opened as 14-point underdogs. The total, meanwhile, hit the board at 50.5 but has dropped slightly to 49.
Bet College Football Bowl Games
THE PUBLIC LIKES: Southern Miss. As of Wednesday morning, 58% of betting tickets were on the Golden Eagles to cover the spread and 56% of the money is also on Southern Miss.
INJURY REPORT: For Southern Miss, Picasso Nelson Jr. (ankle) and Chase Whitehead (hand) are both out for the year but those are the only two players listed on the Golden Eagles’ injury report. For Florida State, Derwin James decided to skip today’s game in efforts to stay healthy for the NFL draft. Tarvarus McFadden and Josh Sweat decided to do the same thing, while linebacker Matthew Thomas (undisclosed) is questionable.
WHO WE LIKE: Southern Miss. Motivation is always a concern when it comes to bowl games and I question how much Florida State wants to play today. As previously mentioned, several FSU players will skip today’s game in efforts to prepare for the upcoming NFL draft and coach Jimbo Fisher bailed on the program to join Texas A&M. It’s been a miserable year in Tallahassee and I don’t see the Seminoles ending on a positive note.
The Golden Eagles are 10-4 against the spread in their last 14 games overall, are 4-1 against the number in their last five non-conference games, and have covered the spread in four of their last five games coming off a win.
On the other side, the Seminoles are just 3-7-2 against the spread in their last 12 games overall, are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight neutral site games, and are 0-4-2 at the betting window in their last six games versus an opponent with a winning record.
WALK ON’S INDEPENDENCE BOWL PREDICTION: SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES +15