USATSIThe Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will attempt to spark a season turnaround Wednesday night as they host the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a key Conference USA football showdown to launch the Week 6 college football schedule. Kickoff from Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET. Coming off a bowl-winning season, the Blue Raiders (1-4, 0-1) are already in jeopardy of falling from bowl eligibility this year. Two of their four losses, however, have come to SEC programs, bringing experience that should sharpen them for conference play. The Gamecocks (4-1, 1-0) seek their second consecutive conference road win following a thrilling 35-28 comeback overtime victory against Sam Houston last week.
The Blue Raiders are 3-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 52 in the latest Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee odds from the SportsLine consensus. Before locking in any MTSU vs. Jacksonville State picks, make sure you see the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of nearly $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has locked in on Jacksonville State vs. MTSU and just released its top picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for MTSU vs. Jacksonville State:
- Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee spread: Middle Tennessee -3
- Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee over/under total: 52 points
- Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee money line: Middle Tennessee -157, Jacksonville State +133
- JAX: The Gamecocks are 3-1-1 against the spread this season
- MTSU: Seeks its first conference home victory since November of 2022
- Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Middle Tennessee can cover
The Blue Raiders hope to use Thursday's game to spark a turnaround that could potentially save their season. They won eight games last year, including a Hawaii Bowl victory, and will have to win five of their final seven to qualify for a bowl this season. In addition to the stakes at hand, the program is attempting to generate additional energy from its supporters for the nationally televised contest with its annual "Blackout Night." The players will be clad in all-black uniforms with matching metallic helmets, and spectators will be encouraged to wear all black as well.
Coach Rick Stockstill told the media Monday that he hopes the promotion generates some additional energy but warned that his players need to make execution on the field their primary focus. "I think every team in the country does a Blackout now," Stockstill said. "They all love it. Like I'll tell them today, you're not getting any extra points or any extra stops because you're in black. It's just a uniform color. Have fun wearing it, but the most important thing is how you're going to play in it."See which team to pick here.
Why Jacksonville State can cover
Despite the short turnaround, Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez said his players are looking forward to another game in the national spotlight. His club already has seen a featured stage numerous times this season and answered the call. For instance, in Week 0 against UTEP, a large national television audience tuned in to watch the Gamecocks make their FBS debut against a UTEP club that defeated bowl-bound opponents such as Boise State and New Mexico State last year. Despite some lapses, particularly in the second half, the Gamecocks held on with a defensive stop near the red zone as the Miners were unable to pick up a yard on third and fourth downs.
Last week against Sam Houston, Rodriguez noted the Bearkats were given a 99.9% probability to win before Jacksonville State drove the length of the field in the final minute for the tying touchdown and 2-point conversion before winning in overtime.
"I always think we entertain one way or another. It's like people go to watch a NASCAR race. A lot of them just want to go and see a wreck or something," Rodriguez told the media. "We could be a train wreck at times, but our guys are playing hard. I think that's the one thing I'm most proud of is that we're playing hard all the time, and that's obviously the expectation and one of the tendencies that we build our program on." See which team to pick here.
How to make Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee picks
The model has simulated Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee 10,000 times and the results are in. It is leaning Under on the point total, and has generated a strong against-the-spread pick that hits 60% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Jacksonville State vs. Middle Tennessee spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up more than $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
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