The Conference USA Championship Game is at hand. After years in which a combination of Marshall, Western Kentucky, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech, and Rice played in this game, two new faces step into the arena. North Texas and Florida Atlantic play their first C-USA Championship Games, pushing aside that above-mentioned quintet of teams. It’s the first C-USA title game without Marshall, WKU, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, or Rice since 2012. This game is a showcase of two young coaches, Seth Littrell of UNT (39 years old) and Lane Kiffin of FAU (42). Which side will come out the winner? Seems like the consensus is to hop on board the #LaneTrain for the win..
Details
Odds: Owls -11
Date & Time: Saturday, December 2, 12:00 PM ET
Location: FAU Football Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
Broadcast: ESPN2
Reasons To Bet On The North Texas Mean Green
The Mean Green are not a team to be underestimated or sold short. This program had bottomed out, falling to a 1-11 record in 2015 under a good coach, Dan McCarney, who encountered health problems and was not able to give sufficient energy to the job. The team cratered in the midst of that problem. The 38-year-old Littrell stepped in and built the team back to a respectable 5-8 record in 2016. This year, he took the next step. The Mean Green were able to win enough of the close games they played to edge out their competitors in the West Division of Conference USA. They won seven of their eight conference games and were able to outdo the UAB Blazers, who – under National Coach of the Year candidate Bill Clark – put up more of a fight for the division than many expected. This team has gone through a lot of adversity and has not coasted on its talent. It will also have nothing to lose as a team playing as a double-digit underdog in this game. That’s a powerful thing for college kids who believe they can do anything.
Reasons To Bet On The Florida Atlantic Owls
The first and foremost reason to think the Owls should win this game and cover the spread is that they beat North Texas earlier this season, 68-31. The gulf between the two teams was noticeable, and even though rematches generally give the losing team a chance to bounce back and play with a thirst for revenge, it is hard to see how an opposing team will make up all of a 37-point differential. Even if North Texas plays 24 points better than the last time and loses by 13, FAU will still wind up covering the spread.
The other big reason to pick FAU is Lane Kiffin. He has coached really well this season. The Owls are running great plays and are outflanking defenses. North Texas was victimized as much as any team the Owls faced, if not more. This is a team in a groove, playing at home, being fully confident in its abilities. It is hard to bet against a feel-good run for a team which went 8-0 in the Conference USA season leading up to this game.
Outlook
Florida Atlantic opened up as a 10-point favorite but it seems like everybody is hopping on-board the Lane Train. Kiffin has his Owls playing very well right now and bettors seem to agree. That’s pushed this line up to -11. As for the total, we saw it open up at 74.5 and there has been some slight pressure on the under. At the current time, the line sits at 73.5.
Florida Atlantic has been the best team in Conference USA all season, and by a wide margin. The offense is running smoothly, the coach is feeling good, home field often matters in big games. Florida Atlantic deserves to be trusted here. Although we’d much rather lay -10 instead of -11 (since 10 is a key number), we’re still confident in the Owls taking care of business in this spot. Look for them to win by about two touchdowns and cover this double-digit spread.
Pick: Owls -11
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