The 7-3 UTSA Roadrunners need to win to keep the pressure on in the race for the AAC Championship Game. A win for the 5-5 USF Bulls would give the program bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018. What more drama could you want on a Friday night?
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a UTSA vs. USF prediction.
UTSA vs. USF Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. Want to take advantage of the UTSA vs. USF odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
UTSA -16 - Moneyline
UTSA -900, USF +600 - Over/Under
67 points - Game time
9 p.m. ET - Location
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX - Predicted Weather at Kick
63 degrees, 9 mph winds, mostly clear - How to Watch
ESPN2, FuboTV
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Rushing to the oddsmakers to back the Roadrunners? Can the Bulls bag you a buck? If you’re going to take advantage of the UTSA vs. USF odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
After a faltering start to their season, UTSA has won their last six games to mount a title challenge in their first campaign in the AAC. USF has had a rollercoaster ride in their first year under Alex Golesh, beating Temple last week to go to .500 with two games left to get the one win needed to get to the magic six.
In a paragraph of firsts, this is the inaugural USTA vs. USF clash.
Understandably, UTSA is favorite and with a partisan Friday night Alamodome crowd behind them, it’s hard to look past the Roadrunners coming away with the victory. The spread line of 16 points might seem large, but UTSA has won three of their seven by 16 or more. The USF defense is no match for the Roadrunners despite covering two double-digit spreads as an underdog.
With two high-scoring offenses, it’s tempting to hammer the over regardless of what the line is. However, 67 points is a high bar to clear and UTSA and USF have combined to cover the points total in just eight of 20 games this season. Meanwhile, they’re averaging 61.6 points per game combined. The UTSA defense will define which side of the line this game falls.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
UTSA Depth Chart | USF Depth Chart
- QB Frank Harris, UTSA
- QB Byron Brown, USF
- RB Kevorian Barnes, UTSA
- RB Robert Henry, UTSA
- RB Rocko Griffin, UTSA
- RB Nay’quan Wright, USF
- RB K’wan Powell, USF
- RB Michel Dukes, USF
- WR Joshua Cephus, UTSA
- WR Tykee Ogle-Kellogg, UTSA
- WR Devin McCuin, UTSA
- WR Sean Atkins, USF
- WR Naiem Simmons, USF
- WR Khafre Brown, USF
- TE Oscar Cardenas, UTSA
- TE Jayson Littlejohn, USF
- TE Gunnar Greenwald, USF
There are two college football games on Friday to compile your DFS team from in Week 12. 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 are a lot of good quarterback options in this Friday slate, so let’s start your UTSA vs. USF picks there. The other game features Cameron Ward and Shedeur Sanders, the fantasy QB4 and QB5 in the Pac-12. Neither has more points than USF’s Byrum Brown whose dynamic dual-threat ability has led to 278.92 fantasy points this season.
Despite facing a stellar UTSA defense, Brown is the beating heart of the USF offense and should still put up decent points. Frank Harris hasn’t been the same game-changing threat on the ground since his injury, impacting his fantasy value. The result has been two 100+ point running backs, with Kevorian Barnes and Roberty Henry both being top-10 fantasy backs in the AAC.
Barnes missed the Rice game as a precaution, but is back, listed as the starter, and should take one of your RB spots. If you can find a way to afford UTSA WR Josh Cephus , get him into your lineup as the top target for the Roadrunners. USF’s Sean Atkins has also been a touchdown machine, while the third WR spot has a plethora of options from Washington vs. Colorado.
Prediction for UTSA vs. USF
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the UTSA vs. USF odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Does UTSA remain in the hunt for the AAC Championship Game or can USF book their bowl eligibility against all the odds? This has plenty of repercussions, but realistically, there’s only one outcome — but what is it?
In the first year under former Tennessee offensive coordinator Golesh, USF has been one of the country’s most exciting teams to watch. Quarterback Brown is electric with the ball in his hands, whether that’s with his ability to rip off a mazy run or deliver a dart with impressive arm talent. The second-year QB has tallied 27 total touchdowns, powering 30.1 points per game.
That excitement hasn’t always been positive for the Bulls, however. They’ve come out the wrong side of some high-scoring battles, allowing 50+ points on two occasions, which showcases the defensive developments still required. They’ve struggled against the passing game — only three teams in the nation have allowed more than USF’s 25 receiving touchdowns this year.
Against a Harris-led UTSA offense, that’s likely to be their downfall. While the Roadrunners QB has battled injury that has impacted his athletic effectiveness, there’s no halting his arm talent. Meanwhile, the duo of Barnes and Henry can rumble against a run defense that has allowed 4.42 yards per game and 21 total touchdowns this year.
While the offenses have the potential to be high-scoring, the biggest differentiator in this game will be the UTSA defense. The Roadrunners have allowed 24.6 points per game, ranking fifth in the AAC. They’re difficult to run on, and have allowed just the second-lowest pass completion percentage to opposition QBs.
It must be difficult to get the ball out accurately when Trey Moore is bearing down on you. The UTSA outside linebacker is second in the nation with 14.0 sacks, and with James Madison star Jalen Green out for the year, Moore is a good bet to end the year as the national leader. USF has allowed 3.80 sacks per game.
Offense wins games, defense wins this game. UTSA wins.
Prediction: UTSA 41, USF 24