Temple (6-6) at Florida International (8-4)
When: Thursday, December 21st 2017
Where: Tropicana Field, St Petersburg, FL
Time: 8:00 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Temple -7.5/58
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The Temple Owls used a strong finish to the season to just qualify for a Bowl game and will travel to St. Petersburg, Florida to take on the Florida International Golden Panthers in the Gasparilla Bowl on December 21st. Temple head coach Geoff Collins was the defensive coordinator for the Golden Panthers in 2010, as FIU won the conference title that season and went on to win the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. In his first season with the Owls, Collins led the team to a 3-1 finish down the stretch to secure a fourth straight bowl berth for the team’s seniors, the winningest class in school history. Temple is just 93rd in the nation in scoring offense (24.8), while FIU ranks 74th at 27.5 points a game, but both teams turned up the offense late in the season. Temple scored a season-high 43 points in a regular season-ending win at Tulsa while FIU put up 104 points in its final two wins over Western Kentucky and Massachusetts. The Panthers led the nation in scoring percentage in the red zone with 39 scores in 40 trips while the Owls’ red-zone defense held their opponent scoreless on just 13 percent of trips.
The Owls turned to quarterback Frank Nutile in late October, with the exception of one bad game against the only undefeated team in the country (Central Florida), the junior quarterback finished with nine touchdowns and two interceptions down the stretch. Temple really doesn’t have a No. 1 target for Nutile, but Adonis Jennings and Keith Kirkwood each finished with 39 catches and seven touchdowns, while Isaiah Wright contributed 41 catches and three scores. Wright also averaged 8.4 yards per carry on 23 attempts, but David Hood and Ryquell Armstead are the main backs and combined for almost 1,100 yards and eight scores.
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FIU has three running backs who carried the ball at least 70 times this season and have combined for more than 1,600 yards and 15 scores. Quarterback Alex McGough threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns against UMass in the regular-season finale, helping FIU set a school record for total yards (674) while matching the mark for wins in a season (eight). The Panthers recorded 379 rushing yards and six TDs on the ground against the Minutemen, with Alex Gardner and Napoleon Maxwell each scoring twice and McGough adding 108 yards and a touchdown. Bryce Singleton, who entered the regular-season finale with 10 catches for 112 yards and no touchdowns, exploded for six receptions and 111 yards and three scores in the season finale.
NCAA FOOTBALL ODDS – SCORES – PUBLIC PLAYS
Both teams come in with a little bit of momentum, but this FIU team can do a little more offensively than Temple. The Owls barely made it here, while FIU had a very nice season and won five of their last seven. I believe the Panthers can win this game outright, so I’ll gladly take the points.
Pick: Florida International +7
TRENDS:
- Owls are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. CUSA.
- Owls are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
- Owls are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games on fieldturf.
- Owls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Owls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Owls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Owls are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Owls are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Owls are 9-3 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Owls are 38-13 ATS in their last 51 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
- Owls are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games following a ATS win.
- Owls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
- Owls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
- Owls are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Golden Panthers are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Golden Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Golden Panthers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on fieldturf.
- Golden Panthers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Golden Panthers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Golden Panthers are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
- Golden Panthers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Golden Panthers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
- Golden Panthers are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games in December.
- Golden Panthers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games.
- Golden Panthers are 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
- Over is 5-0 in Owls last 5 games overall.
- Over is 5-0 in Owls last 5 games on fieldturf.
- Under is 5-1 in Owls last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Under is 4-1 in Owls last 5 games in December.
- Over is 4-1 in Owls last 5 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1 in Owls last 5 neutral site games.
- Under is 8-3 in Owls last 11 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 5-2 in Owls last 7 non-conference games.
- Under is 5-2 in Owls last 7 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Under is 9-4 in Owls last 13 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 11-5 in Owls last 16 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 4-0 in Golden Panthers last 4 games overall.
- Over is 4-0 in Golden Panthers last 4 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Golden Panthers last 6 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Golden Panthers last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Golden Panthers last 5 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1 in Golden Panthers last 5 games on fieldturf.
- Over is 4-1 in Golden Panthers last 5 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Golden Panthers last 5 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 5-2 in Golden Panthers last 7 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Under is 5-2-1 in Golden Panthers last 8 games in December.
