Getty Zac Thomas rolls out ofthe pocket against North Carolina.
The Appalachian State Mountaineers are 16.5-point favorites over the UAB Blazers in Saturday’s R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Appalachian State (12-1) is making its fifth straight bowl appearance having won all four of their previous bowl games. Shawn Clark will coach the team in the bowl game under an interim status as the program searches for its next head coach. Eli Drinkwitz accepted the Missouri job after one impressive season with the Mountaineers, who coasted to a 45-38 win over Louisiana in the Sun Belt Championship. It was the third straight conference title for Appalachian State.
UAB (9-4) will be making its fourth appearance in a bowl game having posted a 1-2 previous record in the postseason. The Blazers defeated NIU 37-13 in the Boca Raton Bowl last season. UAB is coming off a lopsided 49-6 loss to FAU in the Conference USA Championship game two weeks ago. Tyler Johnston III has been erratic this season with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
ESPN’s FPI gives Appalachian State an 83.4% chance of winning this game. We break down the line and offer our best bets and analysis for Saturday’s New Orleans Bowl between the Mountaineers and Blazers.
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Appalachian State vs. UAB Game Details
Date: Saturday, December 21
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedez-Benz Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana)
TV: ESPN
Spread: Appalachian State -16.5
Total: 47.5
*All lines and odds courtesy of SportsMemo, Covers, & The Action Network
Line Movement
This line opened at Appalachian State -17.5 and has been bet down slightly to Appalachian State -16.5 at most books with the majority of the bets on the Mountaineers but the majority of the money coming in on UAB.
Betting Trends
- Appalachian State is 12-1 SU and 9-4 ATS this season
- UAB is 9-4 SU and 7-6 ATS this season
- Under is 7-6 in Appalachian State games this season
- Under is 7-5-1 in UAB games this season
Analysis & Pick
UAB is overmatched in this game. Appalachian State has looked very impressive all season long with wins over Power 5 schools UNC and South Carolina and has a very legit case to be playing in the New Year’s Six. Zac Thomas will be the best player on the field for the Mountaineers. The 2018 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and New Orleans Bowl MVP is the trigger man for the nation’s No. 9 scoring offense averaging 39.4 points per game. Thomas threw 3 touchdowns in Appalachian State’s 45-13 win over MTSU in this game last year. The Mountaineers ran for 267 yards in the Sun Belt title victory over Louisiana. The Blazers were gashed by FAU to the tune of 286 rushing yards in the Conference USA Championship game. I expect the Mountaineers to churn out yards on the ground and control the tempo of this game. I know this is a lot of points, but Appalachian State is the better side and will prove it here.
PICK: Appalachian State -16.5
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Follow Jared Smith on Twitter: @jaredleesmith