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This season's midweek CUSAction continues on Tuesday with two games.
Our college football experts, Road to CFB and Joshua Nunn, came through with two picks for Middle Tennessee vs. Delaware and Jacksonville State vs. FIU on Tuesday.
Let's dive into their Tuesday college football predictions and NCAAF picks for October 13.
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Tuesday College Football Picks
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from Tuesday's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Middle Tennessee vs. Delaware Prediction
By RoadToCFB
Delaware opened as a +1.5 favorite on the road Tuesday night but has flipped to a -1.5 favorite. Action Network PRO identified a couple of sharp moves when the Blue Hens were underdogs, but a buyback at Middle Tennessee +2.5 on Monday moved the line to MTSU +1.5.
The total was bet up from 46.5 at open to above 48 and then to 47.5.
The bottom line here is that Delaware shouldn't be laying points on the road against any FBS foe, especially with quarterback Nick Minicucci out for the season.
The Blue Hens were outmanned by Virginia and crushed, 42-3, behind 160 total yards. The next game, Delaware cycled through three quarterbacks and lost, 30-14.
The last time Delaware played was 11 days ago, with an extended bye as it moves to weeknight Conference USA action for October.
That should be enough time to sort out the QB mess, but if there's no viable option, then Delaware isn't in a better place than it was left on Oct. 2.
Middle Tennessee head coach Derek Mason has been a really poor performer in his time in Murfreesboro, going just 8-16 ATS, but this is a situational spot where I favor MTSU.
Mason understands his job is on the line every game throughout conference play.
With a game on the horizon at FIU — a team playing lights-out on defense — the opportunities for wins are exceedingly scant. Expect a desperate effort Tuesday night at home.
Neither team is posting much explosively, and both defenses are good at preventing big plays (mostly because they're allowing too many 12-yard plays for that to happen).
With a low total, I'm leaning toward the home dog but not risking taking the moneyline thanks to (a) Mason's track record off a bye and (b) Tuesday night CUSA magic (see: Kennesaw State-Jacksonville State last week).
Delaware is a full-on fade team right now, with a messy offense.
Pick: Middle Tennessee +1.5
| |
Jacksonville State vs. FIU Prediction
By Joshua Nunn
This line opened with Jacksonville State listed as a 2.5-point favorite and a total that has been bet down from 45.5 to 43.5. I like the under in this matchup.
FIU has one of the best defenses in the country in preventing explosive plays and, through five games, has allowed just 11 total playes that went for 20 yards or more.
The defense is elite on third down, allowing opponents to convert just 29% of attempts successfully.
The Gamecocks rank just 108th nationally in passing explosiveness, so FIU’s secondary will be able to key in on wide receiver Deondre Johnson to limit deep-ball chances.
Jacksonville State wants to run the football and should do so here. It won't be explosive, but it could be effective in keeping drives moving.
FIU won't "wow" anybody offensively and should utilize a low-and-slow methodology here.
The pass game isn't quite to the point where it can be relied upon, so keeping the ball on the ground and playing the field-position game should be expected.
The red zone will be critical here, but both defenses are going to have an upper hand.
Jacksonville State has converted just 48% of trips inside its opponent’s 20-yard line into touchdowns, while FIU has allowed just four red-zone touchdowns on 13 opponent trips while holding the best touchdown percentage allowed in the entire country.
On the other side, the Panthers boast one of the worst red-zone offenses in the country and have converted just 6-of-19 trips into touchdowns while settling for 10 red-zone field goals.
The passing concepts take too much time to develop when in close, and the receivers aren't making plays. I expect this to continue on the road in this game.
This game will be a slow-burning grind. The pace will be slow, and red-zone opportunities will result in field-goal attempts. Watch for a lower-scoring game, and grab the under.
Pick: Under 43.5 (Play to 42)
