Miami Win-Total Prediction
Will the Miami Hurricanes be able to improve on their 2016 season results once the 2017 year is all wrapped up?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Miami is listed with 55/1 odds to win the College Football Playoffs this season. The Hurricanes are also listed with 5/1 odds to win the ACC. When it comes to the over/under for regular-season wins, Miami is listed at 9. The over carries a line of -130, while the under has a money line of +100.
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Mark Richt is coming into his second season as head coach of Miami. His first season was quite successful, as he led the Hurricanes to a 9-4 record and a win in the TaxSlayer Bowl. It was their first 9-win season since 2009.
Richt was able to get wins out of his team despite a rather average offense. The Hurricanes averaged just 34.3 points and 426 yards per game in 2016, which ranked near the middle of the nation. Miami had a solid quarterback behind Brad Kaaya, who threw for 3,532 yards and 27 touchdowns. However, Kaaya is now in the NFL. Miami is currently having a battle for the new starter with four men competing. The new QB will have a great backfield. Mark Walton returns after rushing for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2016. They will also have two of their top receivers back. Ahmmon Richards led the team with 934 receiving yards in 2016. He is back for this season.
Defensively, Miami ranked near the top in the nation. The Hurricanes allowed just 18.9 points and 355 yards per contest. Miami had a great pass rush, tallying 38 sacks as a team last season. As a freshman, Joe Jackson had 11.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He will lead the defense this year. Chad Thomas is also back up front. He had 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2016. Miami has some key players to replace in the secondary, but those new faces should be aided by the continued pass rush Miami should still have.
The Canes aren’t reaching too much in non-conference play, taking on Bethune-Cookman, Arkansas State and Toledo. They also face Notre Dame at home late in the season. ACC home games include George Tech, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Virginia. Road games include Florida State, Duke, North Carolina and Pitt. Richt may have been considered an “underachiever” at Georgia, but he brings a level of respect to Miami. Some would say he “overachieved” in his first season with the Canes. I think he is bringing an atmosphere to the program where winning 9-10 games is going to be an expectation. I like Miami’s defense and the Canes should have a steady run game. The key will be finding that quarterback that won’t cost them games and perhaps even help them steal one or two. I think the ACC schedule is pretty favorable for them. As long as they avoid a letdown at home, look for Miami to pick up some road wins and get to 9 wins.
2017 WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: MIAMIA OVER 9 (-130)