by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Oct 18, 2022
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, LA
Where to watch: ESPN2
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Tulane -7
FanDuel: Tulane -7.5
BetMGM: Tulane -7
Caesars: Tulane -7
Season record
Memphis: 4-3 (2-2 American)
No. 25 Tulane: 6-1 (3-0 American)
We're about to hit the fun part of college football season where games start getting a little tighter, performances start to become a little more noteworthy, and times at the books are fun for all. You don't believe me? Look at our own Kyle Hunter posting a 25-7-0 run over the last month in college football. That's even with all of the upsets and everything in between. Week 8 is upon us and we're near the point where college football is every day. You want to get back into the swing of things with this? Make sure to follow our Best Bets page and see what our champion handicappers are up to at bigal.com. Who knows? With a little bit of faith in us, you can be like Kyle, or even have as good a run as Sean Murphy at 32-16-1 over the last 30 days. The choices are yours!
Memphis - Tulane preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Memphis: lost 47-45 (4OT) at East Carolina
Tulane: won 45-31 at USF
Show of hands if anybody had the Tulane Green Wave at No. 25 in the polls. I see no hands, maybe one from the Tulane super fan in the back. Other than that, that’s about as good as it can be because Tulane is looking like the 1A favorites in the American Athletic Conference behind Cincinnati, and we’re on a collision course for those two to meet at some point, and what an amazing game that would be. But we focus on the here and now with Tulane, as the No. 25 Green Wave host the Memphis Tigers at home on Saturday.
Show of hands if anybody had the Tulane Green Wave at No. 25 in the polls. I see no hands, maybe one from the Tulane super fan in the back. Other than that, that’s about as good as it can be because Tulane is looking like the 1A favorites in the American Athletic Conference behind Cincinnati, and we’re on a collision course for those two to meet at some point, and what an amazing game that would be. But we focus on the here and now with Tulane, as the No. 25 Green Wave host the Memphis Tigers at home on Saturday.
Tulane has been one of the more wild success stories that we could’ve ever imagined. This is the team that went 2-10 last year and it started with the near-upset of No. 2 Oklahoma. After that, Tulane couldn’t recover with their only wins coming against Morgan State and South Florida. The only loss Tulane has on its record so far is a 27-24 loss to Southern Miss at home. Since then, the Green Wave has responded with three straight conference wins against Houston, East Carolina and South Florida. In what might have been the best offensive performance this year, Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt had four total touchdowns – two passing, two rushing – while throwing for 329 yards in the win over USF. The Green Wave totaled 564 yards and held the ball for almost 37 minutes.
This turnaround is worthy of Coach of the Year consideration for head coach Willie Fritz. If he’s not atop the ballot at the end of the year then I don’t want to hear anything else. This is incredible and if it ends with a conference title, start the party down New Orleans.
I do remember the time when Memphis was considered one of those top teams that could contend for the AAC title, but this year has been one major disappointment. The Tigers dropped their second in a row over the weekend, a 47-45 four-overtime loss to East Carolina. The offense has been the catalyst for Memphis, but the defense has been the major issue. Memphis is giving up 30 points a game while the secondary has been torched to giving up 301 yards through the air. That’ll do for a guy like Pratt, who averages 266 yards per game.
But Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan has done all he can. He’s thrown just 12 touchdowns and three interceptions and leading an offense that averages 35 points per game. But that defense can’t stop a nosebleed right now and if there’s no way to get some stops, Tulane has the ability to dominate this game offensively.
Prediction
Tulane is opening as 7-point favorites at most books and that might seem a little generous. Tulane’s defense is giving up just 16 points per game and has not given up much through the air. If this persists, there’s no way Memphis goes into New Orleans and wins this game. This is a charged-up environment with an electric home crowd. The Green Wave will make it count. Tulane by 17
Betting trends
Memphis is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 road games.
Memphis is 1-7 ATS in its last eight as a road underdog.
Memphis is 1-8 ATS in its last nine after covering the previous game.
Tulane is 12-4 ATS following a conference game the last three years.
Tulane is 6-1 ATS in its last seven after three straight conference games.
Tulane is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 as a home favorite.
Statistical leaders
Memphis:
Passing: Seth Henigan -- 1,924 yards, 12 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Asa Martin -- 282 yards, 3 TD
Receiving: Caden Prieskorn -- 323 yards, 6 TD
Tulane:
Passing: Michael Pratt -- 1,560 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Tyjae Spears -- 463 yards, 8 TD
Receiving: Shae Wyatt -- 333 yards, 1 TD
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
