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Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. UAB Blazers, Preview, and Odds
NCAAF: Saturday, November 23, 2019, Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama, 3:30 pm EDT
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs were on a fantastic eight-game winning run, but the Marshall Thundering Herd prevented them from making it nine in a row. Louisiana Tech dropped to an 8-2 record but is still at the top of the Conference USA West ahead of Southern Mississippi and UAB.
The UAB Blazers bounced back from a couple of road defeats to the Tennessee Volunteers and Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles with a home victory over the UTEP Miners. UAB now improved to a 7-3 record and is in the 3rd place in the C-USA West.
These schools met three times in the last five years. UAB secured two wins, including the previous one in 2018, when the Blazers beat the Bulldogs 28-7 on the road.
The Bulldogs scored season-low ten points in a loss to Marshall
Louisiana Tech’s excellent winning streak ended with a 31-10 road defeat to the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Bulldogs won the opening quarter 7-0, but the hosts took over since and deservedly secured a comfortable win. Freshman quarterback Aaron Allen completed 19 of 32 passes for 159 yards. He connected with Smoke Harris and Malik Stanley on 16 plays, and the pair of receivers combined for 173 yards. Justin Henderson had a fine display on the ground as he recorded 87 yards with a touchdown on 21 carries. Allen suffered a hand injury in a loss, and he is listed as questionable to face UAB on Saturday. Junior Westin Elliott will start at QB for the Bulldogs in case Allen is unavailable.Final from Huntington.
— LA Tech Football 🏈 (@LATechFB) November 16, 2019
We'll be back on the field next Saturday in Birmingham when we take on UAB. pic.twitter.com/RgTnlCiiFY
UAB has the 7th best secondary in college football that is allowing only 168.9 yards per game. Louisiana Tech has the top 30 passing offense that averages 282.3 yards, but if Allen can’t play, the visitors will struggle to move the chains through the air. The Blazers also have a great defense against the run and are in the top 10 in that segment with 99.0 yards allowed. The Bulldogs are averaging 175.0 rushing yards per contest, so it’s hard to expect Justin Henderson to have a 100+ yard performance here.
The Blazers destroyed UTEP on the ground to get a convincing victory
UAB scored just nine points in two defeats to the Tennessee Volunteers and Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles but responded magnificently with a 37-10 home win over the UTEP Miners. The Blazers were unstoppable on the ground, collecting 353 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Dylan Hopkins completed five of ten passes for 96 yards and one TD, but he was much more effective on the ground. Hopkins led all the runners with 163 yards and a score on 14 carries, while Jermaine Brown Jr. had 116 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Starting QB Tyler Johnston III missed a second consecutive game against UTEP but is expected to return against Louisiana Tech. Still, Bill Clark might opt to use both of his quarterbacks following Hopkins’ excellent display.Go Dylan, Go Dylan!
— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) November 16, 2019
Hopkins for 78!! pic.twitter.com/kvUfc8HFzy
The Blazers are averaging 156.3 rushing yards per contest and are facing the Bulldogs’ D that is letting 141.6 yards to the opposing runners. We can expect around 150 rushing yards from the hosts, while they will have a better opportunity to hurt Louisiana Tech through the air. UAB averages 213.6 passing yards per game, and given that Johnston III is available to play, the hosts can easily get to 250+ yards on Saturday.
Notable Trends
The top supporting trends for this game are found on Covers.com and Oddsshark.com Louisiana Tech:
- 1-6 ATS in their last seven games played in Week 13
- 3-4 in the last seven road games
UAB:
- 7-2 ATS in their last nine games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game
- 21-6-1 ATS in their last 28 games on fieldturf
- 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 conference games
- 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following an ATS win
The Bottom Line What to bet on this game.
Full-Game Side Bet
I am backing the Blazers to get a win here for several reasons. Louisiana Tech is having problems with quarterbacks as Allen suffered a hand injury and is questionable to feature in this one. Even if he plays, the Bulldogs are facing a top 10 secondary and the visitors will struggle offensively. UAB has a perfect record at home in the last couple of years. The Blazers won 17 consecutive games at Legion Field, including the previous H2H tilt here. Also, they beat Louisiana Tech last season on the road, and I am backing them to get another victory on Saturday.
Prediction: UAB Blazers -5.5 (-110)
Full-Game Total Pick
Louisiana Tech will have problems to move the chains and progress with the ball through both the air and on the ground. This matchup is definitely not favorable for the Bulldogs, who also have quarterback issues, so I would be surprised to see them score more than 17 points. UAB doesn’t have a very efficient offense, which was evident lately as the Blazers scored 46 points in the last three games in total. Their defense is in the top 15, though, and I am backing them to contain the visitors here. It’s not going to be a high-scoring affair and I am going with Under.
Prediction: Under 46 (-110)
