Tulane vs. Charlotte Prediction: Makhi Hughes, Darian Mensah to Run Wild vs. 49ers

    Can the Green Wave keep rolling through opponents in 2024? Our Tulane vs. Charlotte prediction has the insights you need, along with the latest odds.

    Halloween has arrived, and there’s nothing more spine-chilling for the Charlotte 49ers than the prospect of facing a fierce Tulane Green Wave team determined to push their way into the College Football Playoff. In Week 10, the 49ers hope to play spoiler and rattle Jon Sumrall’s squad in their quest.

    Our Tulane vs. Charlotte prediction dives into everything you need to know—from the latest odds to both teams’ outlooks as they head into the final weeks of the 2024 college football season.

    CFN CFB Playoff Predictor
    College Football Network’s College Football Playoff Predictor is a tool that allows you to play out various weekly scenarios to see how the CFP picture changes with each scenario.

    Tulane vs. Charlotte Betting Preview

    All Tulane vs. Charlotte odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. The CFN Spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.

    • CFN FPM Spread
      Tulane -12.5
    • Spread
      Tulane -15
    • Moneyline
      Tulane -675, Charlotte +490
    • Over/Under
      54.5 points
    • Game Time
      7:30 p.m. ET
    • Location
      Jerry Richardson Stadium | Clemson, SC
    • Predicted Weather at Kick
      68 degrees, partly cloudy, 4 mph winds
    • How To Watch
      ESPN

    Charlotte has been an FBS program for just 10 years, and after avoiding the Green Wave in their first year of play in the AAC, this marks the first-ever matchup between the two teams as FBS programs. The 49ers enter the game with a 3-5 record, while Tulane has been on a tear of late, winning five straight and holding an undefeated conference record after four encounters.

    MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor

    The Green Wave currently has one of the best records against the spread in the nation, going 6-2 ATS while covering in all but one game when favored. They also haven’t lost a game as a moneyline favorite this season, as they are in the latest Charlotte vs. Tulane odds. The 49ers covered a similar spread against Memphis but were soundly beaten as a double-digit underdog against the Indiana Hoosiers and Navy Midhsipmen.

    Tulane’s Winning Probability

    According to the CFN FPM, Tulane has an 82.6% chance of beating Charlotte on Thursday night. Our metric has been in lockstep with the Green Wave this fall, projecting their defeats to the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners.

    • at Charlotte: 82.6%
    • vs. Temple: 92.1%
    • at Navy: 60.9%
    • vs. Memphis: 55.6%

    If those win probabilities were to hold true, Tulane would end the year with a 10-2 record. Furthermore, they would go undefeated in conference play, booking a spot in the AAC Championship Game.

    Charlotte’s Winning Probability

    Conversely, the CFN FPM gives Charlotte a 17.4% chance to win on Thursday night. The 49ers have overcome our metric’s projections once this season, when they beat the Rice Owls. Can they defy the odds once again in Week 10?

    • vs. Tulane: 17.4%
    • vs. USF: 34.9%
    • at Florida Atlantic: 49.6%
    • vs. UAB: 66.9%

    If those win probabilities were to hold true, Charlotte would end the season with a 4-8 record. That would be a one-game improvement on their first season in the conference. Additionally, the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls is essentially a coin-flip game that could take the 49ers to 5-8.

    Prediction for Tulane vs. Charlotte

    After close road losses to Kansas State and Oklahoma, largely shaped by late turnovers, many people started to overlook Tulane. But this Green Wave team has transformed, scoring 40 points in four of its last five games and often putting opponents away by the third quarter.

    Charlotte, meanwhile, has been hot and cold—starting slow but showing improvement recently, despite a rough 51-17 loss to Navy. The 49ers have held their ground against similarly matched teams and have even challenged some of the AAC’s top squads.

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    Unfortunately for Charlotte, Tulane has risen to the top of the AAC. After one of the toughest Group of Five non-conference schedules, the Green Wave came out 2-2, battle-tested and ready for AAC play. Jon Sumrall allowed quarterback Darian Mensah to take his lumps early, and it’s paying off.

    Mensah has thrown eight touchdowns to just one interception over his last four games, but the real standout has been running back Makhi Hughes, who has tallied 115 yards in four of his last five games and scored nine touchdowns along the way.

    That’s worrisome for a Charlotte defense that struggles when the opposition controls the ground game. If Tulane gets an early lead, expect them to dominate the tempo, forcing the 49ers to play catch-up—a position they’ve found challenging.

    Although Charlotte has covered the spread in three of its last four, I see Tulane building an early lead and keeping Charlotte chasing. Look for another decisive Tulane victory, with the total going over, as it has in 11 of the last 16 games for these teams.

    Prediction: Tulane 41, Charlotte 20

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