Southern Miss vs Tulane Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 26 2026

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles visit the Tulane Green Wave at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET with coverage on ESPN+. Southern Miss opened its season with a dominant 49-3 victory over Alcorn State before encountering a major increase in competition at Auburn, while Tulane gets its regional rival at home in the latest edition of the Battle for the Bell. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free college football picks for more NCAAF predictions throughout the season.

Southern Miss Faces Another Difficult Road Assignment

Southern Miss showed what it can do against an overmatched opponent by beating Alcorn State 49-3. The Golden Eagles then received a much different test at Auburn, losing 43-8. Those two games demonstrated how dramatically the level of competition can affect their offensive production.

The Tulane matchup falls somewhere between those extremes. Southern Miss is not facing SEC-level personnel, but the Green Wave represent a strong Group of Five opponent with home-field advantage. The Golden Eagles need to establish early that the Auburn result will not carry over.

The best path is making this physical and limiting Tulane’s possessions. Southern Miss cannot afford turnovers that provide the Green Wave with short fields. Keeping the game within one score into the second half would put considerably more pressure on the home team.

Tulane Gets the Rivalry Game at Yulman Stadium

Tulane has the advantage of remaining in New Orleans for this regional rivalry. Southern Miss and Tulane have played more than 30 times, giving this matchup significantly more history than a typical nonconference game between AAC and Sun Belt programs.

The Green Wave should look to challenge a Southern Miss defense that surrendered 43 points at Auburn. Tulane does not possess Auburn’s overall personnel advantage, but that game demonstrated that the Golden Eagles can be vulnerable when an opponent establishes control at the line of scrimmage.

Tulane’s biggest concern is avoiding complacency. Southern Miss has already demonstrated that it can dominate lesser opposition, and rivalry games can become uncomfortable if the favored team allows the underdog to remain close. The Green Wave need a clean start and should emphasize possession rather than forcing unnecessary big plays.

Southern Miss vs Tulane Picks and Prediction

Pick: Tulane -7 or Better

Southern Miss’ 43-8 loss at Auburn exposed enough concerns for me to favor Tulane at home. The Green Wave get the regional rivalry at Yulman Stadium and should have advantages on both sides of the ball without facing the travel burden Southern Miss carries. At a touchdown or less, Tulane is my preferred side.

Pick: Under 52.5 or Higher

Southern Miss’ best chance of remaining competitive is slowing the game rather than entering a scoring race. The Golden Eagles scored only eight at Auburn, while Tulane should be comfortable leaning on defense and field position if it establishes a lead. A result around 30-17 or 31-17 fits the matchup and keeps the total under this target.

Final Picks: Tulane -7 or Better and Under 52.5 or Higher