The South Alabama Jaguars will attempt to break a streak of postseason futility Saturday when they meet the Eastern Michigan Eagles in the 68 Ventures Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET from Hancock Whitney Stadium, South Alabama's home venue. The Jaguars are 0-3 all-time in bowl games, the longest winless stream among FBS programs. They will look to end that losing streak against an Eastern Michigan (6-6) club that notched its second bowl win in program history last year with a 41-27 victory over San Jose State in the Potato Bowl.
The Jaguars are 17.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 44.5 in the latest Eastern Michigan vs. South Alabama odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan picks, make sure you see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Zack Cimini.
Cimini is 19-5 in his past 24 picks involving South Alabama, netting a profit of $1,338 for his followers. Anyone who has followed has seen profitable returns.
Now, Cimini has analyzed South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl from every angle and locked in his CFB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his pick. Here are the college football odds and betting trends for South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan:
- South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan point spread: South Alabama -17.5
- South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan over/under total: 44.5 points
- South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan money line: South Alabama -963, Eastern Michigan +613
- EMU: The Eagles are 3-3 against the spread as an underdog this season.
- USA: The Jaguars are 3-4 against the spread as a double-digit betting favorite this season.
- South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan picks: See picks at SportsLine
- South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why South Alabama can cover
Senior starting quarterback Carter Bradley, who has had an excellent season, has been hampered by a lingering knee injury. He is expected to play Saturday, though it's unclear how effective he will be or if he will be able to finish the game. The good news for the Jaguars is that two other signal-callers have seen time this season and performed well. Coach Kane Wommack told the media this week that all three quarterbacks on his roster likely will see playing time, and he's confident all three can answer the call.
Bradley has completed nearly 68% of his passes for 2,660 yards and 19 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Behind him, freshman Gio Lopez went 27 of 42 for 283 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Senior Desmond Trotter has completed 20 of 24 passes for 236 yards, four touchdowns and one pick.
"We've had three quarterbacks in play this year, and all three of them have done some really special things. So I think this might be an opportunity to feature each guy in his own way and give us the best edge and opportunity to win," Wommack said. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Eastern Michigan can cover
It could be argued that the Eastern Michigan program has higher morale than South Alabama, even though the Jaguars have the luxury of a bowl game in front of their hometown fans.
The Eagles had modest expectations this year but still fought to win their final two games and receive a bowl bid despite a mid-season stretch of three consecutive lopsided losses. In doing so, they earned the program's fifth consecutive bowl bid (not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 season), and it's clear the players and coaches don't take the opportunity for granted.
The school's athletics department has documented the team's bowl journey on social media, and there is a tangible celebratory vibe surrounding the program in the lead-up to Saturday's game. "We are thrilled to be here, and we are going to give it everything we've got," coach Chris Creighton said in his first remarks at the bowl game press conference. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan picks
Cimini has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he's leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. You can only see his pick at SportsLine.
So who wins South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan, and which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan spread to jump on, all from the accomplished analyst who has netted his followers a profit of $1,338 on South Alabama picks, and find out.
