Memphis will aim to get off to a hot start in a home game against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. The Tigers are the better team and have a star quarterback, which is why they are big-time favorites in this contest. UL-Monroe will have easier games down the road, and it will be a moral victory if they are simply able to keep this matchup somewhat close.
The Warhawks return a decent number of players from last year but they weren’t particularly successful, so the hope is an extra year of experience and maturation will result in more wins.
Norvell hit the ground running for the Tigers and the expectations at the school are now sky-high. Memphis hopes to get the season off to a promising start by displaying all of their talent in a blowout victory.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 1 game is set for Thursday, August 31, 2017 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
UL-Monroe +27
Memphis -27
Over/Under 67
Odds Analysis
Memphis will need to really excel offensively in this one because it is a huge favorite. The Tigers need a four-touchdown margin to cover the spread, and the early bettors don’t believe it will happen as 57 percent of the action is taking Louisiana-Monroe.
The scoring total expects a lot of fireworks and bettors do, too, as most of the early money is banging the “over” in this matchup. There is no moneyline wagers yet, but Memphis will be big-time favorites when those are released.
Player to Watch
Riley Ferguson -- Memphis’ quarterback broke Paxton Lynch’s school record for touchdown passes last season and returns with high expectations. Ferguson finished last season 280-of-443 passing for 3,698 yards with 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Lynch was a first-round pick of the Denver Broncos so there was expected to be a dropoff when he left, but Ferguson has filled in masterfully. He is one of the more prestigious returning quarterbacks in the country and is a big reason why the Tigers expect their winning ways to continue.
Louisiana-Monroe is going to have a really hard time containing the Memphis passing attack in this contest.
Key Stat
16. That’s how many interceptions Louisiana-Monroe threw a season ago, spread out between three different signal-callers. The Warhawks only had 15 touchdowns and clearly have to improve on that ratio or else it will be tough to surpass last year’s win total of four games.
Garrett Smith was the team’s best quarterback a year ago and will return as the starter. He threw for 1,237 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions but missed time due to injury. The Warhawks don’t have to play perfect to cover the spread, but the offense needs to do something because the defense is going to have a tough time slowing down the Tigers.
Free ATS Pick
Ferguson should light it up and UL-Monroe had serious problems stopping the run last year, and that will likely continue in 2017. If the Tigers get a big turnover or defensive score early, it could be the start of an onslaught that UL-Monroe has trouble stopping.
While Memphis has too much talent for Louisiana-Monroe to keep this close for more than the first half, the spread is too high. The Tigers are going to take their foot off the gas late, which should allow the Warhawks to sneak out a cover even though Memphis will have no problem winning this game.
While the outcome won’t be in doubt, the spread is going to be close.
College Football Odds: Memphis 45, Louisiana-Monroe 21
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