Hoping to extend their flawless record, the No. 18 Memphis Tigers (6-0) travel to take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (3-3). The AAC’s leading passer, Dane Evans (2,127 yards, 11 TDs), and the second-leading passer, Paxton Lynch (1,919 yards, 13 TDs), will be featured in this game. It will air Friday, Oct 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In last week’s matchup, Tulsa lost to East Carolina 30-17. Joshua Atkinson had a huge game in the loss, pulling in eight receptions for 136 yards. Keyarris Garrett put up 70 receiving yards and a TD on four catches. Memphis is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it defeated Ole Miss 37-24. Anthony Miller had a great game for the Tigers, grabbing 10 receptions for 132 yards and one TD.
The odds between the Golden Hurricane and the Tigers are even this week, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available.
Sitting at 3-3 Straight Up (SU) and 3-2-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Golden Hurricane will look to improve heading into Week 8. A focal point of Tulsa’s offense is its passing game, which ranks ninth in the country with 354.5 passing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Golden Hurricane look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. If the Tigers want to win this game, they will have to keep Tulsa from taking the ball away. The Golden Hurricane have the 15th-most fumbles recovered per game in the nation with one. The Golden Hurricane hope to continue the trend of torching Memphis’s defense during the first quarter, when they allow 9.2 points per game.
Over on the other sideline, the Tigers head into Week 8 with records of 3-2-1 ATS and 6-0 SU. Chances are Memphis will continue to rely on its passing attack, where its 343.2 passing yards per game ranks 11th in the nation. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Golden Hurricane to keep up with Memphis’s defense in a few areas. Memphis, only allowing 3.4 yards per rush, has a good chance of shutting down its competitor’s rushing offense. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Tigers, who average 11.5 points in the first 15 minutes. For the Golden Hurricane, special teams is an area in need of improvement. Their 113.3 return yards allowed per game rank amongst the worst in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Memphis, ATS Winner – Memphis
Notes
Tulsa is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tulsa’s last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Tulsa’s last 19 games.
Tulsa is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games at home.
Tulsa is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tulsa’s last 11 games at home.
Both teams are 3-0 SU when leading at halftime this season.
Tulsa is only 1-2) SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet 2-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Among all FBS teams, the Tulsa offensive passing game is ranked ninth in the country, while the Memphis pass defense is only ranked 126th. The Tigers passing attack is ranked 11th, compared to the 108th-ranked pass defense of the Golden Hurricane.
