Everyone is sleeping on the Memphis Tigers. Justin Fuente may have left for greener pastures in the ACC, but this is still one of the top mid-major programs in the country. The Tigers have only lost once all season, to No. 14 Ole Miss, but have been great aside from that. Memphis is looking to show that it is being overlooked in the AAC race with a statement win in Week 7 College Football against the Tulane Green Wave.
Watch this Week 7 match-up live on Friday, October 14, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at Benson Field at Yulman Stadium. This game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tulane +11
Memphis -11
Odds Analysis
The Tigers are sitting at 4-1 heading into this game, but just 2-3 ATS. Memphis ran roughshod over Kansas and Bowling Green early on in the season, but failed to cover the spread against an FCS opponent, Ole Miss, and Temple. The over has cashed in the Tigers’ last three games.
Tulane has looked rejuvenated under new coach Willie Fritz this season and the Green Wave have already matched their win total from last season. They are 3-2 SU and 3-1-1 ATS with the lone negative mark being a game against Louisiana-Lafayette where they failed to cover by a point.
Coaching Angle
Both Tulane and Memphis went outside of their programs to hire new coaches last offseason and thus far both choices look great.
The Tigers hired Mike Norvell from Arizona State and he has helped keep this high-octane offense churning. Memphis is averaging 43.4 PPG this season and is showing that this team was more than just Fuente and Paxton Lynch. They are averaging 6.23 yards per play and are putting up 445 yards of offense a game.
Tulane looks markedly better this season and has even looked competitive in its losses, falling by 4 to Wake Forest and 7 to Navy. That’s despite the Green Wave running a completely new offense under Fritz. Tulane hasn’t had any success passing, but have been solid on the ground, picking up 4.69 yards a carry. He has this team believing it can win and there is a new confidence around them.
Last Year’s Meeting
When these two teams met last season, it was Tulane that had the upper hand early. The Green Wave jumped out to a 13-0 lead on the then-undefeated Tigers and there was fear among the Memphis faithful that the unthinkable might just happen.
However, Memphis responded by scoring 41 straight in what turned out to be a laugher. After two 80-yard touchdown drives to start the game, Tulane managed just 110 yards the rest of the way and was completely unable to move the ball on this defense.
The Tigers ended up with 581 yards of offense, 388 of those from Lynch, and while he is now playing on Sundays, Ruley Ferguson has proven he can move the ball very well too.
Free ATS Pick
Tulane has one of the most underrated defensive linemen in the nation in Tanzel Smart and he has been the lynchpin on a defense that has been rock solid this season. Even though he is being double-teamed a lot of the time, he has still been able to stuff the run and get to the quarterback when the situation called for it. He is a beast to stop in the center of the defense and someone that Norvell must scheme for.
This Green Wave team has been solid this year, but have yet to defeat a team in the Top 100 in S&P+ Ratings. Memphis will be the best team it has played all season and while Tulane may be able to keep it close, the Tigers are going to get the win.
College Football Odds: Tigers 31, Green Wave 21
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