The 2023 Military Bowl Presented by GoBowling.com features the 6-6 Virginia Tech Hokies of the ACC and the AAC runner-up, 11-2 Tulane Green Wave as bowl season continues on Wednesday.
Will Virginia Tech get washed away by the Green Wave or will the Hokies gobble up Tulane? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Military Bowl prediction.
Military Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. Want to take advantage of the LA Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Virginia Tech -10 - Moneyline
Virginia Tech -375, Tulane +295 - Over/Under
44.5 points - Game time
2 p.m. ET - Location
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD - Predicted Weather at Kick
54 degrees, 7 mph winds, potential rain - How to Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Hoping that the Hokies can bring home the dough? Looking to make a little green on the Green Wave? If you’re going to take advantage of the Military Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Virginia Tech comes into its first clash with Tulane since 1989 as a somewhat surprising substantial favorite. Ranked near the bottom of the ACC in most preseason polls, the team has exceeded expectations this year — that’s for sure — but you’d fancy a full-strength Green Wave team to get the job done. That said, it’s not a full-strength Tulane team that heads to Annapolis.
Without Michael Pratt and potentially without his backup, Kai Horton, Tulane isn’t quite the same offensive unit — which, given they’ve only averaged 26.8 points per game this year, is not the highest bar to clear — but they’ll still be strong defensively.
As such, taking the under is the main play here. Green Wave games have come under the points line 11 times out of 13 in 2023.
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Despite Tulane’s offensive losses and Virginia Tech winning their regular-season finale by almost 40 points, are the Hokies 10 points better than the Green Wave?
While our Military Bowl prediction expects Virginia Tech to win with Tulane to cover, it’s worth noting that the Hokies covered the only other time that they were a double-digit spread favorite this college football season.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Virginia Tech Depth Chart | Tulane Depth Chart
- QB Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech
- QB Kai Horton, Tulane
- QB Justin Ibieta, Tulane
- RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
- RB Malachi Thomas, Virginia Tech
- RB Makhi Hughes, Tulane
- RB Shaadie Clayton-Johnson, Tulane
- RB Arnold Barnes, Tulane
- WR Jaylin Lane, Virginia Tech
- WR Da’Quan Felton, Virginia Tech
- WR Stephen Gosnell, Virginia Tech
- WR Dontae Fleming, Tulane
- WR Bryce Bohanon, Tulane
- WR Yulkeith Brown, Tulane
- TE Dae’Quan Wright, Virginia Tech
- TE Alex Bauman, Tulane
There are four college football games on Wednesday from which to compile your DFS team. 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.
With an anticipated low-scoring game on a slate with several potential high-scoring showdowns, your Military Bowl picks might be few and far between, but let’s take a look at the leading fantasy assets for the two teams taking to the field in Annapolis on Wednesday afternoon.
With uncertainty over the Tulane quarterback position at the time of writing, Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes is a player who should attract your attention. He’s only had seven touchdowns this fall, but the young stud is over 1,200 yards — and with 177.7 fantasy points this season, he’s the most productive Tulane player available in the Military Bowl.
Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten is another high-scoring rusher, but facing a stellar defensive front, one of the Hokies’ pass catchers might be a better bet. Da’Quan Felton leads the team in receptions, touchdowns, yards per catch, and — unsurprisingly — he has the most fantasy points of any Virginia Tech wide receiver or tight end.
Prediction for the Military Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Military Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
Can Tulane bounce back from the disappointment of losing the AAC Championship Game with a 12th win of the year? Or will the Hokies finish off a relatively successful season in style, setting the foundations for their 2024 college football campaign?
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Despite their loss to SMU in the AAC title game, Tulane has established itself as the frontrunner of the Group of Five level over the past two seasons. As such, they shouldn’t be considered an underdog in games like this one against Virginia Tech. We all saw what they did to USC last season.
Even though they won’t be in the NY6 or be the AAC champion this season, their defense is still solid as a rock from front to back. Patrick Jenkins is a dangerous, disruptive force up front, while Jarius Monroe and Kam Pedescleaux lead a secondary that swarms to the football all over the field. Defense won’t be an issue against a Hokies team that averages 28.6 points per game.
That said, the Virginia Tech offense has enough firepower to be the difference-maker in this game. Since winning the starting job from Grant Wells, Kyron Drones has proven to be an electric playmaker — rushing for 642 yards and four touchdowns — while being less turnover-prone than the man he replaced.
A bevy of offensive weapons led by running back Tuten has ably assisted him. With Tulane missing their starting QB and top two WRs, the Hokies have a slight advantage on offense, while the presence of dangerous pass rusher Antwaun Powell will give whoever starts under center for Tulane an extremely uncomfortable afternoon. The Hokies get a narrow win.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 21, Tulane 17
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