Miami Beach Bowl Pick
Will Tulsa be able to handle a big point spread when it faces Central Michigan in today’s Miami Beach Bowl?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Tulsa is the clear favorite in this bowl game, as the Golden Hurricanes are getting odds of -13.5 points against Central Michigan. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 69.5 points. These two teams haven’t met since back in 1987. Today they will face off at 2:30PM ET from Marlins Park in Miami.
Tulsa capped its season with a 40-37 OT win over Cincinnati and comes into this bowl game 9-3 on the season and 8-4 against the spread. They are also 8-4 with the over. Tulsa has covered in seven of its last eight games heading into this bowl game. The Golden Hurricanes have a tremendous offense that puts up 41.4 points and 523.2 yards per game behind a balanced attack. Dane Evans has thrown for 3,044 yards and 27 touchdowns this year, but the real threat is the run game. James Flanders has rushed for 1,529 yards and 17 touchdowns while D’Angelo Brewer has 1,320 yards with seven scores. Tulsa also has a 1,000-yard receiver in Keevan Lucas, who has 74 catches for 1,108 yards and 12 touchdowns. Defensively, Tulsa struggles somewhat, giving up 31.5 points and 432.4 yards per game.
Central Michigan has backed into this bowl game, as the Chippewas went 1-4 in their last five games to finish at 6-6. They are also 5-7 against the spread and 6-6 with the over/under total. CMU has a respectable defense, giving up just 376.2 yards per game this season. On offense though, CMU has not been too consistent. The Chippewas are putting up only 27.7 points and 395.1 yards per game. Cooper Rush is looking to cap his CMU career with a win. He has thrown for 3,299 yards and 23 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. His top target has been Corey Willis, who has caught 68 passes for 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns. Devon Spalding is the leading rusher with 737 yards, but he is questionable to play today due to a shoulder injury.
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Central Michigan hasn’t played good football for some time. While they started fast, their offensive line got exposed in the second half of the season. While their defense is respectable, it’s not respectable enough to make up for its offensive woes. The Tulsa offense is just too talented for CMU to make enough stops to keep pace with the Golden Hurricanes.
MIAMI BEACH BOWL PREDICTION: TULSA -13.5