Tulane vs. Southern Miss Odds, Pick
- Odds: Tulane -7.5
- Total: 56.5
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Location: Fort Worth, Texas
This year, the Armed Forces Bowl will feature two programs that are familiar with one another.
The Battle for the Bell has been played between Southern Miss and Tulane since 1979, though it halted in 2010 for good when Tulane moved to the AAC.
It will renew on Saturday before a four-game set between 2022 and 2027.
But who has the edge in the Armed Forces Bowl? Let's dive in.
Odds as of Friday night and via FanDuel, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.
Armed Forces Bowl Line Movement
There's been little line movement in this game, with the total dropping a point from 57.5 to 56.5 and the spread remaining at -7.
Less than 50% of the bets are on Southern Miss, but almost 75% of the money has hit the Golden Eagles as an underdog.
Collin Wilson: Defenses Match Up Well
These two teams are evenly matched with explosive offensive units. Southern Miss is led by quarterback Jack Abraham, who has 18 touchdowns on the season, but can be a bit inaccurate with 15 interceptions on the year.
Tulane is led by dual threat quarterback Justin McMillan, who has over 2,200 yards passing and is the team's leading rusher with 704 yards and total touchdown mark of 26.
The good news for the Golden Eagles is a rush defense that is 23rd against explosive runs and 36th in success rate. Southern Miss should be able to neutralize a Tulane ground attack that is top 20 in rushing success rate.
Abraham may have his own struggles throwing the ball. Tulane is 15th in defensive passing success rate after playing a strength of schedule in the top 35.
Southern Miss has been lackadaisical in finishing drives offensively with a rank outside the top 100. These two teams should each try to dictate a different pace of play, as the Golden Eagles prefer a slower pace to the Green Wave's rank of 38th in seconds per play.
The game will kick at 10:30 a.m. ET in each team's respective time zone.
With the inefficiencies in converting field position to points, I will look to take a first half under.
Each defense has a higher success rate in the offensive speciality of their opponent, which may take a few quarters for each coach to implement adjustments.
Pick: First Half Under 28
