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The Southern Alabama Jaguars will look to keep roaring as they head into the 2023 season. We are here to share our college football odds series by making a Southern Alabama over-under win total prediction and pick.
Southern Alabama is ready to rock and roll after going 10-3, including 7-1 in the Sun Belt, in 2022. Now, the Jaguars look to keep the success going in the coming year. Things started well for the Jaguars as they won their first two showdowns. Then, they lost a 32-31 nailbiter to the UCLA Bruins. But then they reeled off three consecutive wins. First, they routed Louisiana Tech 38-14. The Jaguars then went into Cajun Field and defeated Louisiana 20-17. Finally, they destroyed Lousiana Monroe 41-13.
But they suffered a hiccup against Troy, falling 10-6. Regardless, they went on a five-game tear to end the regular season. They took down Arkansas State 31-3. Next, they won 38-31 on the road against Georgia Southern. They followed this with a 38-21 win over Texas State. Furthermore, they continued the roll with a 27-20 victory over Southern Miss before defeating Old Dominion 27-20. The Jaguars ended their season with a disappointing 44-23 loss to Western Kentucky in the New Orleans Bowl.
The Jaguars saw one of their players get the call in the NFL Draft, as the San Francisco 49ers drafted Darrell Luter Jr. with the 155th pick in the fifth round. Therefore, they must replace his production.
Here are the College Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Over/Under Win Total Odds
Over 7.5 wins: -150
Under 7.5 wins: +122
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Why Southern Alabama Can Win 7.5 Games
The Jaguars have plenty of good things going for them that may help them replicate their success from 2022. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how they respond to increased expectations.
Quarterback Carter Bradley was amazing, with 3,334 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Thus, there will be more eyes on him as he attempts to lead the Jaguars back to a bowl game. The ground game produced excellent results last season. Significantly, La'Damian Webb rushed for 1,065 yards and 13 touchdowns. Webb will have some great backups in the rotation as Braylon McReynolds and Marco Lee expect to make an impact. Moreover, they will all have their turns moving the chains and helping the team score.
The defensive line is a strength on this team, with some firepower. Ultimately, Wy'Kevious Thomas can make some noise. Thomas had 35 tackles and three sacks in 2022. Now, he hopes to improve on that mark from last season.
Linebackers Troy Kiser and James Miller will expect to create some waves in the new season. Likewise, look to see them all over the field as they attempt to stop opposing teams from running the ball.
Southern Alabama will win eight games because they have a borderline elite quarterback and a spectacular ground game that can create damage on the field. Additionally, they have a solid pass rush that can create havoc against opposing quarterbacks.
Why Southern Alabama Can Not Win 7.5 Games
There are still some issues that may arise for this team, and it has a lot to do with the players they lost. Substantially, these issues can present a problem as they attempt to get used to the new players.
Southern Alabama lost their top receiver from the 2022 season. Significantly, Jalen Wayne is gone. Wayne had nine touchdowns in 2022. Therefore, the Jaguars must account for his production.
The Jaguars also lost all-star center James Jackson. Ultimately, he was a significant reason why the Jaguars exceeded in the running game. Can they replace his production? There is concern that the Jags might struggle to block with their center gone.
The Jaguars were the third-best team in the country in run defense. However, they struggled against powerful teams. It brings the question as to whether their defense is legit or merely capitalizes on bad teams. Their run defense played efficiently against most of their opponents. Yet, they struggled mightily against UCLA, ULM, and WKU. They must account for good teams. Also, the loss of Luter might hinder them down the stretch.
Southern Alabama will not win eight games because they will struggle against the good teams. Likewise, they lost two of their best players.
Final Southern Alabama Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick
It is very possible for Southern Alabama to falter a little. Regardless, they still have plenty of talent. The Jaguars might win eight games this season, rather than 10. Therefore, it may be a decline in production but it will still be enough to cover the over-under win total prediction.
Final Southern Alabama Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick: Over 7.5 wins: -150
