It is the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida as Miami (OH) faces Appalachian State. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Cure Bowl Miami (OH)- Appalachian State prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Cure Bowl began in 2015 and normally hosted a Sun Belt leam facing one from the American, but this year, it is a MAC foe for the Sun Belt. Miami (OH) comes in from the MAC after winning the MAC title game. They are 11-2 on the year. They lost the season opener to Miami (FL) but would come back winning the next six straight games. The only loss was a close game to Toledo before finishing the season on a winning streak. They would then get another chance at Toledo in the conference title game. Miami (OH) led most of the game but did lose the lead in the third quarter. they would take it back in the fourth on a field goal and end up winning the game to become MAC Champions.

Meanwhile, Appalachian State also played in the conference title game. They were 8-5 this year after starting 3-4. App State was the only team to knock off JMU this year, as they went 6-2 in conference play. Although they were second in the Sun Belt East, they would get to play in the Sun Belt title game due to James Madison not being eligible to play in the game per NCAA rules. That means they would face Troy. Troy dominated the game though, winning 49-23.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

Cure Bowl Odds: Miami (OH) – Appalachian State Odds

Miami (OH): +6.5 (-105)

Appalachian State: -6.5 (-115)

Over: 42.5 (-110)

Under: 42.5 (-110)

How to Watch Miami (OH) vs. Appalachian State

Time: 3:30 PM ET/ 12:30 PM PT

TV: ABC

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Miami (OH) Will Cover The Spread

Miami (OH) comes into the game sitting 81st in the nation in points per game while sitting 118th in yards per game this year. They are 95th in rushing this year while sitting 115th in passing yards per game. There is one major issue for Miami (OH) coming into this game though. The question is who will play quarterback? Brett Gabbert had been the starter most of the year, and been solid for Miami (OH), but he is out for the rest of the year with an injury. That led to Aveon Smith taking over for the RedHawks, but he has now entered the transfer portal and will most likely not play in this game.

Regardless of who is in at quarterback this game, they will not have thrown a pass this year. Only Henry Hesson has thrown a pass for the team, doing so last year. He completed two of five passes for 37 yards.

This means Miami (OH) will need to focus on the run game in this one. Rashad Amos will be the primary back in this game. On the year he ran for 895 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was solid after contact this year, with 656 yards after contact on the season. Further, he had 26 runs over 10 yards on the year. He will be spelled by Kenny Tracy. Tracy comes into the game with 258 yards on the ground and two scores.

There is hope for this offense though. Miami (OH) has an amazing kicker in Graham Nicholson. He made 35 of 26 extra points this year, while also hitting 26 of 27 field goals. He has a long of 52 yards this year and hit all 16 attempts he made up 40 yards. With the trouble this offense could have, there could be a lot of field goals. Considering Nicholson was named an All-American by CBS, this is a good fallback option.

On defense, Miami (OH) has been solid. They rank fifth in the nation in points allowed per game, while also sitting 21st in yards per game. They were 37th against the rush this year while sitting 20th against the pass. Miami (OH is led by Matt Salopek. He led the team with 134 tackles this year and 72 solo ones. He has two passes defended and an interception while allowing just one passing touchdown. Salopek also had three sacks and 63 stops for offensive failures in the running game.

Why Appalachian State Will Cover The Spread

The Appalachian State offense sits 20th in points per game this year while sitting 15th in yards per game on the season. They were 48th in the rush while sitting 21st in passing yards per game this year. Joey Aguilar has led the way for them. He has completed 275 of his 428 passes this year for 3,546 yards and 33 scored. He also was great at the end of the regular season, with 17 touchdowns and 12 big-time throws according to PFF in his last five games. Still, he struggled against the quality defense of Troy. He did not have a touchdown and had four turnover-worthy passes in the game.

Aguilar also was solid on the ground this year, with 235 yards and a touchdown. The leading rusher for this team has entered the transfer portal. Nate Noel led the team in carries and yards this year, with 833 yards and five scores this year. most likely this will lead to more rushes for Kanye Roberts and Maquel Haywood. Roberts has 649 yards during the season with seven scores, while Haywood had 318 yards and two scores.

In the reviving game, it is Kaedin Robinson and Chrisitan Horn who lead the way. Robinson enters the game with 797 yards on 59 receptions, while Horn has 34 receptions for 544 yards. Both of them were big-time scorers as well. Robinson scored ten times, while Horn scored six this year.

The App State defense was not great. they were 79th in points allowed per game this year while sitting 73rd in yards allowed per game. App State was 119th against the rush while sitting 37th against the pass. While Miami (OH) may not pass much in this game, they need to watch out for Tyrek Funderburk, He is a solid tackler, with 13 stops for offensive failures in the run game. Meanwhile, in the passing game, he had four interceptions and a forced fumble.

Final Miami (OH)-Appalachian State Prediction & Pick

Miami (OH) has a great defense, which will be an issue for Appalachian State in this one. Still, the major concern here is how Miami (OH) is going to score. They were not a great scoring offense with Aveon Smith in, and now with a third-string quarterback under center, they may have more issues. Still, they could keep this game tight. Appalachian State does not have a solid run defense and Miami (OH) will look to capitalize on that. Overall, the difference will be Joey Aguilar. He is going to be the best offensive player on the field in this one. Even if he does not lead a scoring drive, as long as he can help App State win the field position game, they will win with ease.

Final Miami (OH)-Appalachian State Prediction & Pick: Appalachian State -6.5 (-115)