The other way that you can know that this is a huge game is that the line came out on Wednesday night for a Saturday night game. That has happened, well, once this year that I am aware of. Memphis, the home team, has been installed as six point favorites.

Before I spend any time looking at this game I should be honest – I am a huge Memphis fan, and I have had a problem with Tennessee ever since Peyton Manning played there, so my objectivity isn’t all that it could be. That being said, I have to say that I was a little bit surprised to see Memphis favored by that much. I was expecting something more in the range of three or four points. I would lean towards taking Memphis, and the image that sticks in my mind is of how they dismantled Georgetown in the second half. I also don’t think that Tennessee will be able to play zone defense effectively enough to shut down the Memphis offense. I would certainly understand the opinion that the spread is a bit too big, though. I would anticipate that it will shrink a bit, and I would be inclined to wait a bit to see how it moves before I made a bet.

The one thing that excites me most about this game is how both teams came in. They played games on Wednesday night against lesser opponents – Tulane for Memphis, and Auburn for Tennessee. It would have been understandable to see the teams look beyond the easy games and put in a sub-par effort. Instead, both teams played well, won easily, and covered the large spreads. The focus isn’t that surprising given that both teams are exceptionally well coached, but it is still exciting to think that both teams are heading into the big game in top form. I’ll be counting the seconds until this one tips off.

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This is part of our Bowling for Dollars contest. You can start participating at any time. Check out the announcement here.

Florida Atlantic (-2.5) vs. Memphis (Friday, Dec. 21, 8:00 p.m. EST) – I love how Florida Atlantic closed out the year. They had a huge win over Troy to win their conference, and they blew out Florida International. They also put up a solid showing against Florida. Memphis closed with five wins in six games, but mostly did what was expected and not much more. I think that Florida Atlantic QB is a very talented sophomore who is coming into his own, and I like the matchup here. Pick: Florida Atlantic.

UPDATE: I knew Florida Atlantic had an impressive QB, but I never would have guessed he was good for five TDs in his bowl debut. An easy win brings be back to .500 in the bowls so far.

Post from: Ultra Sports Bet

There is not a lot going on in the world of sports. Baseball is dark. Hockey starts Wednesday. The only thing to whet our appetites is a Marshall-Memphis football game, and the fact that I am interested enough to analyze it is a clear sign that I just might be a degenerate. Nonetheless:

Marshall (+3) at Memphis – This a game between two teams that just aren’t very good – Marshall hasn’t won yet, and Memphis has just one victory. Memphis has a couple of factors going against them this week – this is their third game in 11 days, and they have to deal with the shooting death of a teammate on Sunday. Lineman Taylor Bradford wasn’t a key contributor, but the transfer from Samford was apparently popular among his teammates, so the team will likely be emotionally fragile.

All that aside, this game comes down to one thing in my mind – strength of schedule. Marshall has played Miami, West Virginia and Cincinnati. That’s a rough stretch. Memphis, on the other hand, has only played powerhouses like Mississippi, Central Florida and Arkansas State. Marshall’s passing game has done fairly well against their tougher competition, and should be able to perform against Memphis.

This isn’t a game I would even glance at on a Saturday, but on a boring Tuesday I’ll take Marshall and the points. I’d also take the under 60, because the total seems a bit high. Though neither team has a great defense, they haven’t been scoring a lot recently, either.

Last thing to consider – We Are Marshall! was a way better movie than Memphis Belle. That validates my choice. I guess.

UPDATE: 24-21  Memphis. That’s a push on the score and a win on the total. I feel lucky to have got the push. It’s a testament to how bad Marshall is that Memphis QB Will Hudgens, a junior backup with 100 yards passing this year, threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns.

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