UAB vs. Jacksonville State odds, line: 2021 college football picks, Week 1 predictions from proven expert

UAB vs. Jacksonville State odds, line: 2021 college football picks, Week 1 predictions from proven expert

The UAB Blazers look to open defense of their Conference USA title when they take on the in-state rival Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Wednesday night. Jacksonville State also won its conference last season and reached the FCS playoffs this past spring. The Blazers finished 6-3 in 2020 to capture their second C-USA title in the last three years. The Gamecocks were 10-3 over the course of the fall and spring. They lost to Delaware 20-14 in an FCS quarterfinal on May 2.

The game from the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., is slated to start at 7:30 p.m. ET. UAB’s defense allowed 311.1 yards per game last season, while Jacksonville State’s allowed 282.7. The Blazers are favored by 16.5-points in the latest UAB vs. Jacksonville State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 52. Before making any Jacksonville State vs. UAB picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine’s Emory Hunt.

Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player’s perspective.

Hunt went 178-149 on his college football picks over the past two seasons, returning $1,477 to $100 players. Anybody who has been following him is way up.

Now, he has set his sights on UAB vs. Jacksonville State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Jacksonville State vs. UAB:

  • UAB vs. Jacksonville State spread: UAB -16.5
  • UAB vs. Jacksonville State over-under: 52 points
  • UAB vs. Jacksonville State money line: UAB -800, Jacksonville State +550
  • UAB: The Blazers return 17 starters, including nine on defense and eight on offense
  • JSU: The Gamecocks have had 18 consecutive seasons at .500 or better, tied with James Madison for the longest active streak in the FCS.

 

Why UAB can cover

The Blazers return a boatload of talent, and much of it is on the defensive side of the ball. For a third consecutive year, UAB finished in the top 10 nationally in total defense. The Blazers were seventh in 2020, eighth in 2019 and ninth in 2018. Senior Noah Wilder returns at linebacker after finishing second on the team with 50 tackles, including 31 solo. He also registered two sacks, one pass breakup and one interception.

Also back is senior nose tackle Tyree Turner, who was a beast inside. Turner piled up 23 tackles, including 10 solo, as well as two sacks and one fumble recovery in 2020. One of his best games was in a 21-16 win at Rice on Dec. 12, when he made four solo tackles and registered a sack. For his career, Turner has 148 tackles, including 71 solo, with 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Why Jacksonville State can cover

Despite that, the Blazers are not a lock to cover the UAB vs. Jacksonville State spread. That’s because the Gamecocks are also coming off a conference championship, winning the Ohio Valley Conference with a 6-1 mark this spring. It was their 24th conference crown in the school’s football history. Jacksonville State advanced to the FCS spring playoffs, where they lost to fifth-ranked Delaware 20-14 on May 2. They join the Atlantic Sun Conference this season.

Redshirt senior quarterback Zerrick Cooper enters the game needing just 161 yards to pass Eli Jenkins as the Gamecocks’ all-time leading passer. Jenkins threw for 7,652 yards from 2013-16. Cooper started all four games in the fall, completing 54 of 81 passes (66.7 percent) for 671 yards and a touchdown, before being sidelined with a season-ending injury against Florida International. Cooper was named to the Phil Steele FCS All-American second team as well as the All-OVC team in his third season at quarterback for the Gamecocks.

How to make Jacksonville State vs. UAB picks

Hunt is leaning under on the point total. He has also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.

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