UL-Monroe vs UAB Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 12 2026

The UL-Monroe Warhawks travel to Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, to face the UAB Blazers on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 PM ET on ESPN+. Both teams are searching for their first victory after difficult opening assignments, with UL-Monroe losing 62-13 at Mississippi State and UAB falling 42-23 at Illinois. The current betting market has UAB favored by 9.5 points with the total at 55.5. Before placing your wagers, check out our free college football picks for more predictions throughout the season.

UL-Monroe Defense Needs a Major Improvement

UL-Monroe faced an explosive Mississippi State offense in its opener and struggled throughout the 62-13 defeat. The Warhawks surrendered 762 total yards, including 417 through the air and 345 on the ground. ULM generated 278 yards of its own and converted only three of 16 third-down opportunities.

Austin Carlisle led the Warhawks with 73 passing yards and 50 rushing yards, while Derrick Jameson caught a 40-yard touchdown pass. ULM actually rushed for 138 yards as a team and didn’t throw an interception, but the offense simply couldn’t generate enough sustained drives to keep Mississippi State off the field.

The competition drops significantly this week, which should give the Warhawks a much better opportunity to compete. UAB allowed Illinois to generate several explosive plays in its opener, and ULM needs to establish its rushing attack to keep this game within striking distance.

UAB Shows Offensive Promise at Illinois

UAB’s 42-23 loss at Illinois was considerably more encouraging offensively. The Blazers generated 413 total yards, including 194 on the ground, and controlled possession for more than 41 minutes against a Big Ten opponent.

Ryder Burton completed 18 of 31 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 38 yards and another score. Roderick Robinson II rushed for 59 yards on 14 attempts, while Bam McReynolds added 56 yards on 13 carries. UAB’s ability to consistently run the football should be especially important against a ULM defense that just surrendered 345 rushing yards.

UAB now returns to Birmingham for its home opener and takes a considerable drop in competition. The Blazers demonstrated enough offensive balance against Illinois to suggest they should create scoring opportunities against the Warhawks.

UL-Monroe vs UAB Picks and Prediction

Pick: UAB -9.5

UAB -9.5 is the preferred side. UL-Monroe’s opening assignment was extremely difficult, but allowing 762 yards and 62 points creates legitimate concerns heading into another road game. UAB produced 413 yards against Illinois and rushed for 194, which matches up particularly well against the biggest weakness ULM showed at Mississippi State. With UAB returning home and the spread still below double digits, take UAB -9.5.

Pick: Under 55.5

The Under 55.5 is my preferred total. UAB should have considerably more offensive success than it did at Illinois, but UL-Monroe managed only 278 yards and 13 points against Mississippi State. The Blazers’ ability to sustain long possessions with their rushing attack could also shorten the game. Something around 34-17 or 35-17 fits the matchup and stays below the current number. Take Under 55.5.

Final Picks: UAB -9.5 and Under 55.5