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The Troy Trojans (1-5, 0-2 Sun Belt) take on the South Alabama Jaguars (2-4, 1-1 Sun Belt) for some Tuesday night Sun Belt action! It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Troy-South Alabama prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Here are the Troy-South Alabama College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Troy-South Alabama Odds
Troy: +13.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +390
South Alabama: -13.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -530
Over: 56.5 (-110)
Under: 56.5 (-110)
How to Watch Troy-South Alabama
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Article Continues Below
Why Troy Could Cover The Spread/Win
South Alabama has a real duel-threat attack on offense. Taking away the pass or the run game is going to be very important for Troy. Troy does have a better chance shutting the down the passing attack, though. They allow 198.8 yards per game, which is the fourth-lowest in the Sun Belt. Their seven passing touchdowns allowed is tied for fourth-lowest in the Sun Belt, as well. If they can contain Gio Lopez, the Trojans will win this game.
On the other side of the ball, Troy has a fantastic chance to put up yards through the air. South Alabama really struggles with their pass defense. They allow the most pass yards per game at 310.3 yards, and quarterbacks have the fourth-highest passer rating against them. Along with that, South Alabama rarely gets in the backfield and sacks the QB. Whoever Troy has at quarterback should be able to do some damage.
A couple more things give the Trojans a good chance to at least cover the spread. First, South Alabama kills themselves with penalties. They lead the Sun Belt with 48 penalties on the season. Second, Troy is second in the Sun Belt on third downs. Converting on third down is extremely important, and Troy does it just under 50 percent of the time. In fact, they are 25th in the nation in third down conversions. If they can take advantage of South Alabama's penalties, and convert their third downs, they will win.
Why South Alabama Could Cover The Spread/Win
South Alabama is led by Gio Lopez, and he is a star player for them. Despite the record, Gio Lopez is having a very good season. He throws for 261.6 yards per game, and he has thrown just one interception. Lopez has also ran for six yards per carry, so he can use his legs as good as any other player. Troy does do a decent job with their pass defense, but Lopez is a tough quarterback to stop.
What Troy really struggles with is their rush defense. The Trojans have allowed 181.8 yards per game, which is the sixth-most in the Sun Belt. Troy has also allowed 12 touchdowns on the ground, and they do not do a good job punching the ball loose. South Alabama rushes for over 200 yards per game, so they have a chance to put up some real numbers on Tuesday.
South Alabama has two running backs they use to get things going. Fluff Bothwell and Kentrel Bullock have combined for 6.83 yards per carry, and nine touchdowns. Add in Lopez and this Jaguars run game is one of the best in college football. If they can get their run game going against Troy, they will control the time of possession, and dominate the game.
Final Troy-South Alabama Prediction & Pick
South Alabama has the better offense, there is no denying that. But Troy seems to find a way to keep games close. However, I do think South Alabama will dominate this game as long as they minimize the penalties. I will take South Alabama to cover the spread.
Final Troy-South Alabama Prediction & Pick: South Alabama -13.5 (-110)
