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The Memphis Tigers take on the South Florida Bulls in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, Nov. 12. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Memphis is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -178. USF, meanwhile, enters as a +3.5 underdog and is +150 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 50.5 total points.
Here’s my Memphis vs. South Florida prediction and college football pick for Thursday, November 12.
Memphis vs USF Prediction
- Memphis vs. USF Pick: Memphis -3.5
My USF vs. Memphis best bet is on the Tigers to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Memphis vs USF Odds
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -115 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | -178 |
| USF Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -105 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | +150 |
- Memphis vs USF point spread: Memphis -3.5 (-115), USF +3.5 (-105)
- Memphis vs USF over/under: 50.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Memphis vs USF moneyline: Memphis -178, USF +150
Memphis vs USF College Football Preview
Memphis Tigers Betting Preview: Looking to Push Forward
Memphis comes into this one fresh off the bye week and looking for a late-season push to claim a spot in the American Conference title game.
Head coach Charles Huff is no stranger to being in the hunt for a conference title late in the season, and to his name comes the possibility of more high-profile jobs.
This played out last season while Huff was coaching at Southern Miss. Once the Golden Eagles were out of the Sun Belt race, Huff started entertaining outside offers, and the team's performance suffered.
I'm not convinced we're at that point yet with Memphis, which should be fully locked in against South Florida this week.
The offense rebounded nicely after a horrific road performance at Tulane several weeks ago, as Memphis has scored 90 combined points in the last two weeks against East Carolina and Army.
Quarterback Marcus Stokes has completed 74% of his passes with seven touchdown passes during that stretch, and Memphis has dramatically improved its red-zone performance.
The ground attack remains strong with Jaylin Carter leading the way. Carter has run for 929 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, and Manny Covey has provided depth while chipping in 418 yards on the ground.
Four receivers have at least 23 catches and 400 receiving yards, with Hunter Tipton and Jermane Hayes serving as the top targets.
The Memphis defense made a splash in the opener against UNLV, with a defensive line that wreaks Havoc. It posted six sacks and 11 tackles for loss in the opener, and many have been waiting for this unit to take over in other games.
We haven’t seen a performance quite like that, so the defensive line has to step up the rest of the way if Memphis is going to run the table in the American.
In its two losses, Memphis has registered just one sack while notching 20 in its seven wins. The stop unit has used the pressure to force turnovers and prevent methodical drives, but I like the matchup for Memphis this week.
South Florida Bulls Betting Preview: Loss Means No Conference Title
South Florida suffered a gut-wrenching loss last week to ECU despite having chances to win. With three conference losses, USF is likely out of the race in the American Conference, and now it will be on its second straight short week.
Head coach Brian Hartline has turned to backup quarterback Luke Kromenhoek in an effort to jump-start the offense.
Kromenhoek completed 17-of-21 passes for 179 yards last week against ECU, as the Bulls exceeded 300 total yards of offense for just the third time against an FBS foe this year.
The Bulls' offense is among the least explosive in college football, and their passing game ranks dead last in pass explosives. The downfield passing game just isn't a threat. In fact, USF has just one receiver with more than 275 receiving yards.
DJ Crowther has been a bright spot at running back, rushing for 689 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
On the other side of the ball, the Bulls have benefited from three defensive touchdowns in recent games, but despite scoring 29 points against Kent State and 30 against UAB, this offense has struggled.
The defense has played really well as USF is allowing just 15.1 points per game. Outside of games against Army and UTSA, the front has been outstanding against the run.
The Bulls have been outstanding at preventing explosive runs, allowing just nine rushing attempts that have exceeded 20 yards.
On third down and in the red zone, USF has been among the best defenses in the conference at picking up stops.
Memphis vs USF Pick, Betting Analysis
This line opened with Memphis listed as a 6.5-point favorite, and USF has taken a decent amount of money in the market this week. The Tigers are now 3.5-point favorites as of writing, with a total of 50.5. I like Memphis in this game.
I'm not convinced South Florida’s offense can keep up with Memphis. The Bulls went right down the field and scored on their opening possession against ECU last week, but the next 10 possessions produced just 10 total points.
The offense regularly struggles to string together successful drives, with many possessions of five or fewer plays ending in punts.
The Bulls have gotten away with the offense not producing because their opponents’ offenses have been weak, but the lack of consistency is concerning here.
Memphis has a strong rushing attack that consistently stresses opponents, and the play-action game should create favorable passing opportunities.
The Tigers have explosive playmakers at the skill positions, and Stokes is throwing the ball really well right now.
The scheduling spot is great for Memphis, which comes off its bye week, while USF is playing its third game in the last 12 days.
I expect the Tigers to come out strong after the week off and for the defensive line to show up and create pressure against a USF offense that already struggles to move the ball.
Lay the short number with the road favorite here.
Pick: Memphis -3.5
Memphis vs USF Betting Trends
