Florida Atlantic vs. UAB Odds
| Florida Atlantic Odds | +4 |
| UAB Odds | -4 |
| Moneyline | +155 / -180 |
| Over/Under | 49.5 |
| Time | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Stadium |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute college football odds here. | |
Everyone in the world will be looking at Georgia going up against Auburn on Saturday during the 3:30 p.m. ET slate.
However, don't overlook the matchup of these two Conference USA front runners in a rematch of the 2019 league championship.
Both teams come into this game with 1-0 conference records so far. Last week, Florida Atlantic cruised to a 58-21 blowout win against Florida International. In contrast, UAB had an embarrassing 36-12 loss to Liberty as a three-point favorite.
We've seen the offenses have success, with transfer quarterback N'Kosi Perry finding a home in Boca Raton, Fla., after struggling at Miami.
UAB quarterback Dylan Hopkins has been good in his own right as well, but the threat of the program's run game has allowed him to make those passes.
This matchup will likely come down to which defense can step up and get stops facing explosive offenses on both sidelines.
Florida Atlantic vs. UAB Betting Preview
Florida Atlantic Owls
FAU Offense
Some schools struggle to find one good head coach who can win, often struggling to replace them if they leave.
That hasn't been the case at FAU, though. Willie Taggert picked up right where Lane Kiffin left off and hasn't looked back.
In his second year, Taggert is 8-6 overall and 5-2 in the conference so far. Right here is where some people would list Florida State's record since firing him or maybe the money they paid two other schools to hire him. Or the money Taggart is owed for his buyout. However, I wouldn't do that.
Perry struggled at Miami, but he's been wildly impressive this season, completing 59.9% of his passes for 1,273 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has done all of this while throwing just one interception in 157 attempts. The Owls rank 31st in Pass Success, as well.
They can also do more than throw, ranking 32nd in the country overall in rushing offense. They're led by running backs Johnny Ford and Malcolm Davidson, who both have more than 200 yards rushing. The program averages 196 rush yards per game and better than five yards per carry.
FAU is also putting up 32.4 points and 469.4 yards per game.
FAU Defense
Florida Atlantic's defense hasn't been able to get much pressure on quarterbacks, recording only five sacks in five games. It also struggles against the run, allowing an average of 216 rush yards per game.
The Owls have found some success in the secondary, limiting opponents to just 173 pass yards per contest.
Safety Teja Young has been a threat to the defenses this season with two of the team's six interceptions. The Owls are allowing 21.4 points and 390.4 yards on average through the first five games.
UAB Blazers
UAB Offense
The Blazers' ground game is more robust than it looks on paper, as the majority of teams prepare to stop the run against UAB and force it win through the air.
The bad news for those teams is they've been able to do that.
Hopkins has completed 63.1% of his passes for 653 yards and seven touchdowns.
And even though most defenses look to stop the rush, running backs Jermaine Brown Jr. and DeWayne McBride have accumulated more than 300 rushing yards this season.
UAB averages 166.5 rush yards per game, as well as 3.9 yards per carry, while rushing on 63% of plays. The team averages 21.8 points and 334 yards per contest as well.
UAB Defense
UAB is ready to put last week behind it after being torched by Liberty. Last week, the Blazers gave up 544 yards for 36 points — 331 of those passing yards — while the Flames averaged 15 yards per attempt.
Unfortunately, this week isn't any easier against an FAU team averaging 454 yards per game. For comparison, Liberty averages 419 yards per game. The Blazers are allowing 8.7 yards per pass, while FAU averages 8.8 offensively.
UAB will need to find a way to change things defensively to keep the Owls at bay, but on a short week, I'm not sure they will be able to do so. The Blazers allow 29.8 points and 424.5 yards per game as well.
Florida Atlantic vs. UAB Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Florida Atlantic and UAB match up statistically:
Florida Atlantic Offense vs. UAB Defense
UAB Offense vs. Florida Atlantic Defense
Pace of Play / Other
Data via College Football Data, FootballOutsiders, SP+, PFF and SportSource Analytics.
- FAU has failed to cover the number in each of its last four games following a win.
- The Owls have also failed to cover following their last five wins in excess of 20 points.
- UAB lost to Liberty last week, but has covered 23 of the last to 34 conference matchups. The total has gone under the number in 10 of the last 14 games for FAU
- The total has gone over the number in the last seven games between these teams.
Florida Atlantic vs. UAB Betting Pick
Both teams always show up when playing each other. If the spread were above six, I would be on Florida Atlantic catching a touchdown in a game I think could be decided by a late touchdown or even less.
However, with the spread currently listed at 4.5 points, I will look at the total instead. FAU can take advantage of this UAB defense that has been struggling at every level. And while the Owls display a solid secondary, UAB can challenge their run defense.
I'm backing the offense in this game, taking the over at 49 as my top pick. I'd feel comfortable taking it up to 51.5 points as well.
Pick: Over 49 (play up to 51.5)
