CUSA action returns to our Tuesday night screens as the conference-frontrunner Liberty Flames look to continue their unbeaten start to the season against the 2-5 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee prediction.
Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Liberty -14 - Moneyline
Liberty -650, Middle Tennessee +470 - Over/Under
54.5 points - Game time
7:00 p.m. ET - Location
Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, VA - Predicted Weather at Kick
48 degrees, 4-6 mph winds, partly cloudy - How to Watch
CBS Sports Network, FuboTV
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Feel like trying your luck on Liberty in this Tuesday night clash? Is Middle Tennessee the team to make you some money from this CUSA matchup? If you’re going to take advantage of the Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
There have been just two previous matchups between these teams, with the head-to-head record split at 1-1. Both games have been comfortable wins, and Liberty comes into this matchup as an equally comfortable favorite.
With their suffocating defense and multiple offenses that can kill you on the ground or through the air, the Flames should prove too hot to handle.
The moneyline won’t net you much of a return, so what other Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee odds should you investigate? Jamey Chadwell’s Flames are a two-score favorite, and four of their six wins this year have come by more than 14 points.
However, they failed to cover the only other time they were a two-score favorite. Middle Tennessee are 1-1 as a double-digit underdog.
As the Blue Raiders offense finds their top gear, there’s reason to believe they can give the ferocious Liberty defense some issues. Our Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee prediction suggests they can cover — just — but this isn’t a confidence pick by any stretch of the imagination.
Just five of the 13 games these two teams have played hit the over, and we could see another under game here.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Liberty Depth Chart | Middle Tennessee Depth Chart
- QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty ($11,000)
- QB Nicholas Vattiato, Middle Tennessee ($9,400)
- RB Quinton Cooley, Liberty ($8,800)
- RB Jaiden Credle, Middle Tennessee ($7,200)
- RB Billy Lucas, Liberty ($6,600)
- RB Frank Peasant, Middle Tennessee ($6,300)
- RB Terry Wilkins, Middle Tennessee ($5,100)
- RB James Jointer, Liberty ($4,600)
- RB Jekail Middlebrook, Middle Tennessee ($4,500)
- WR Elijah Metcalf, Middle Tennessee ($8,200)
- WR CJ Daniels, Liberty ($8,100)
- WR Treon Sibley, Liberty ($7,800)
- WR Holden Willis, Middle Tennessee ($7,700)
- WR Aaron Bedgood, Liberty ($6,400)
- WR Justin Olson, Middle Tennessee ($6,200)
- WR Jeremy Tate Jr., Middle Tennessee ($5,100)
- WR EJ Smoot, Liberty ($5,000)
- WR DJ England-Chisolm, Middle Tennessee ($5,000)
- TE Bentley Hanshaw, Liberty ($5,800)
There are three college football games on Tuesday to compile your DFS team from in Week 7. 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 you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
This is your weekly reminder to start Kaidon Salter in your fantasy teams, and to make sure the Liberty quarterback is in your DFS lineup. If your Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee picks don’t include the true dual-threat quarterback, then you’re leaving money on the table.
Nicholas Vattiato is a superflex option, although Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed should get the nod.
With Jacksonville State in action, one of your running back spots should be reserved for Malik Jackson. However, Liberty’s Quinton Cooley should be a lock for that other running back slot.
Cooley is coming off a monster game against the Gamecocks, is the RB3 in the conference, and Middle Tennessee has allowed the third most rushing scores in CUSA so far this fall.
Caullin Lacy and Malachi Corley are in action in the other two games on Tuesday night, and they should take up two of your WR places. That leaves a tight tussle for the WR3 option between Elijah Metcalf and CJ Daniels.
Liberty has plenty of offensive firepower, but Metcalf has emerged as the go-to weapon for the Blue Raiders. They’ll need to lean on him as hard as possible.
Prediction for Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Liberty vs. Middle Tennessee odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Will the Flames continue their undefeated run? Or will Middle Tennessee’s offensive resurgence of the last two weeks be enough to cause the first upset of college football Week 8?
Prior to Week 6, the Blue Raiders offense had failed to score more than 23 points on any FBS opponent — a major thorn in the side of a team who entered the year with aspirations of CUSA contention but had stumbled over a difficult early-season schedule. They’d also given up a ton of points per game despite boasting some of the best defensive playmakers in CUSA.
Over the last two weeks, something has started to click for Rick Stockstill’s team. They’ve scored 30+ points in consecutive games, including against a stellar Jacksonville State defense in Week 6. Quarterback Vattiato has formed a dangerous connection with pass-catcher Metcalf, and that duo is a serious test for any defense in college football.
However, it’s not just any defense they face in this Week 8 clash. Liberty has top-tier playmakers at every level of their unit — especially in the secondary. Led by Kobe Singleton, Tyren Dupree, and Brylan Green, the Flames lead the nation with 2.17 interceptions per game.
They have the defense to hold the Blue Raiders, and a pick-your-poison offense that can grind a win out on the ground or go toe-to-toe in an aerial assault behind Salter.
Prediction: Liberty 33, Middle Tennessee 21