Charlotte vs. FIU Odds
| Charlotte Odds | -3.5 |
| FIU Odds | +3.5 |
| Moneyline | -185 / +150 |
| Over/Under | 61.5 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS Sports Network |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute college football odds here. | |
The Charlotte 49ers travel down to Miami to take on the Florida International Panthers in a Conference USA showdown Friday night.
Charlotte has had a sneaky good season, hoisting a 3-2 record. It defeated Duke to open the season and hung tough with Illinois last time out. The Niners also beat Gardner Webb and Middle Tennessee, thanks to the heroic efforts of quarterback Chris Reynolds.
Florida International played in three consecutive bowl games before last year's 0-5 debacle. It started this season with a dominant 48-10 win over Long Island University. Since then, it's lost four in a row by an average margin of 17.5 points. The Panthers will attempt to stop the bleeding and find their first conference victory at home.
Both offenses hold a significant edge against in Havoc rating over the opposing defenses, and there is value to be had in this matchup.
Charlotte vs. FIU Betting Preview
Charlotte 49ers
Charlotte Offense
Charlotte’s offense is reliant on the arm of Reynolds. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns to three interceptions while averaging 8.4 yards per passing attempt.
Grant DuBose is the top receiving target for Reynolds. DuBose has two separate games in which he accumulated over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
A 56-yard TD is how @CharlotteFTBL gets the scoring going in 2021! pic.twitter.com/xlsjznBuh5
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) September 3, 2021
The offense owns a rush rate of 57% and has continued to feed its trio of running backs. Calvin Camp has emerged as the most effective of the three, averaging 6.0 yards per carry and contributing two touchdowns this season.
The 49ers should find plenty of success against an FIU defense that ranks outside the top 100 in Rushing Success, explosive plays, and Havoc rating.
Charlotte Defense
The Charlotte defense has allowed 7.2 yards per play against FBS opponents this year, which ranks 125th in the nation.
The 49ers rank 13th in Passing Success Rate. But they've yet to face a team with a competent air attack like the one they'll see in this game.
Charlotte has been awful against the run, where it sits near the bottom in the nation in Success Rate. It's allowed a horrid 6.2 yards per rushing attempt and over 250 yards per game.
Senior defensive end Markees Watts has been a force on the outside and leads the team in sacks for the second straight season.
The 49ers haven’t been able to keep teams out of the end zone, ranking 126th in Finishing Drives.
Florida International Panthers
FIU Offense
The slow start to this season is to no fault of the offense. The Panthers have averaged 27 points and over 400 yards per game.
Redshirt senior quarterback Max Bortenschlager has been one of the few bright points for this team. The Maryland transfer has thrown for two touchdowns in all five games this season while averaging 9.5 yards per pass attempt and throwing for 274 yards per game.
He has a pair of explosive go-to receivers in Tyrese Chambers and Bryce Singleton. Chambers has accounted for four touchdowns and leads the team averaging 28 yards per reception. Singleton is averaging four receptions and 80 receiving yards per game.
D’vonte Price leads the team in carries and has averaged 5.4 yards per carry. He’s put up over 80 rushing yards per game and punched in six touchdowns this season.
FIU Defense
Florida International's defense has been nonexistent the first half of the season. The Panthers have allowed 35 points per game and over 500 yards of offense per game.
FIU was embarrassed, 58-21, last time out against rival Florida Atlantic. The Panthers were outgained, 704-388, in total yards.
They’ve allowed 8.9 yards per passing attempt and have shown no ability to provide a pass rush. When facing Charlotte, giving Reynolds time in the pocket is a recipe for disaster.
The unit sits at 111th in Rushing Success Rate and allowed 5.0 yards per rush against FBS opponents.
The Panthers' 119th ranking in Havoc and 111th ranking in allowing explosive plays will prove to be detrimental for slowing down Charlotte’s offense.
Charlotte vs. FIU Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Charlotte and FIU match up statistically:
Charlotte Offense vs. FIU Defense
FIU Offense vs. Charlotte Defense
Pace of Play / Other
Data via College Football Data, FootballOutsiders, SP+, PFF and SportSource Analytics.
Charlotte vs. FIU Betting Pick
Florida International is just 1-9 straight up in its last 10 games dating back to last season. Its defense has allowed over 500 yards of offense and has shown little ability to stop anyone.
Charlotte is going to find success rushing the ball and create explosive plays through the air.
The best passing attack that Charlotte has faced was Middle Tennessee State, when it allowed 39 points. Bortenschlager is going to expose this defense that ranks 111th in big plays allowed.
Both offenses will hold a huge advantage over the opposing defenses in terms of Havoc, explosive plays, and Finishing Drives.
I'm playing the over of 59 in a game where defensive stops will be few and far between.
