College football bowl season continues Saturday as the 6-6 South Alabama Jaguars of the Sun Belt welcome the 6-6 Eastern Michigan Eagles of the MAC to Hancock Whitney Stadium for the 68 Ventures Bowl.
Which team ends the season with a winning record and which slips below .500? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a 68 Ventures Bowl prediction.
68 Ventures Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Want to take advantage of the 68 Ventures Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
South Alabama -16.5 - Moneyline
South Alabama -850, Eastern Michigan +575 - Over/Under
46 points - Game time
7:00 p.m. ET - Location
Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL - Predicted Weather at Kick
56 degrees, 9 mph winds, mostly cloudy - How to Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Going to stick some silver on South Alabama? Are you eager to back the Eagles on Saturday night? If you’re going to take advantage of the 68 Ventures Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
After what could be described as disappointing seasons for both sides, they come together for a first-ever meeting. There are not many more one-sided matchups in terms of betting odds during the 2023 college football bowl season, with the Jaguars a huge favorite to get the win in their home stadium. Our 68 Ventures Bowl prediction agrees with the oddsmaker.
However, only in terms of outright win. While there are reasons to believe South Alabama has the offense to put up a significant point margin on Saturday, they haven’t done a good job of covering the spread this season. The Jaguars are just 4-8 against the spread in 2023, and while the Eagles are only 6-6, some factors could see them keep the score closer than 17 points.
Previous results this season suggest this game should limbo under the points total, with the two combining to go 11-13 trying to cover the line. Whether the 68 Ventures Bowl follows suit may depend on the availability of several South Alabama players, which is unsure at the time of writing.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
South Alabama Depth Chart | Eastern Michigan Depth Chart
- QB Carter Bradley, South Alabama
- QB Ike Udengwu III, Eastern Michigan
- QB Cam’Ron McCoy, Eastern Michigan
- RB Braylon McReynolds, South Alabama
- RB Kentrel Bullock, South Alabama
- RB Marco Lee, South Alabama
- RB Samson Evans, Eastern Michigan
- RB Jaylon Jackson, Eastern Michigan
- RB Dontae McMillan, Eastern Michigan
- WR Jamaal Pritchett, South Alabama
- WR Anthony Eager, South Alabama
- WR Javon Ivory, South Alabama
- WR Hamze El-Zayat, Eastern Michigan
- WR Tanner Knue, Eastern Michigan
- WR JB Mitchell III, Eastern Michigan
- TE Damarcus Thomas, South Alabama
- TE Jere Getzinger, Eastern Michigan
There are seven college football games on Saturday to compile your DFS team from. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “Superflex” that can be any of the above or a tight end.
There’s plenty of quarterback uncertainty to kick off your 68 Ventures Bowl picks. South Alabama quarterback Bradley is listed atop the depth chart for the Jaguars, but there’s been no news on an aggravated knee injury at the end of the season.
MORE: College Football Bowl Opt-Out Tracker
Meanwhile, Austin Smith is in the portal for Eastern Michigan, with 29 pass attempts, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions between the two potential replacement starters. The Eagles will, of course, lean on their ground game with Samson Evans and Jaylon Jackson, with Evans the main offensive catalyst for the team this season with 12 touchdowns and 149.52 fantasy points.
South Alabama will be without La’Damian Webb and Caullin Lacy, so Jamaal Pritchett and Kentrel Bullock are set to be the main points scorers for the Jaguars. Wide receiver Pritchett already has over 100 fantasy points this season after tallying 756 yards and six touchdowns as the counterfoil to the departed Lacy.
Prediction for the 68 Ventures Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the 68 Ventures Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. A season that started with greater expectations than 6-6 for both teams ends with a chance to secure a bowl win and a winning record. Will South Alabama or Eastern Michigan stand proud at the end of the game?
After a 9-4 season in 2022, a slide to 6-6 might be considered a slump for Eastern Michigan, and it’s certainly not where they would have wanted to be. However, it’s worth noting the job that Chris Creighton has done with the Eagles, guiding them to a third consecutive bowl game for the first time in program history. No head coach has delivered the same level of sustained success.
However, the Eagles face a difficult task to secure a fifth winning season of Creighton’s tenure. The offense has struggled all year, averaging just 20.3 points per game and ranking 114th in the nation.
The ground-centric unit may face further difficulties against a South Alabama run defense that has allowed just 10 rushing scores and 3.27 yards per carry during the 2023 season.
The Eastern Michigan defense has fared slightly better, allowing 24.0 points per game.
Led by 100+ tackles duo Chase Kline and Joe Sparacio, they can be the difference between a walkover win for South Alabama and something resembling a contest. Yet, despite the Jaguars’ offensive losses, they should still have plenty of firepower to get the job done on home turf.
Prediction: South Alabama 33, Eastern Michigan 19
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