UMass Minutemen vs Auburn Tigers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 09/02/2023

Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 2, 2023

Venue:  Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  UMass +37.5, Auburn -37.5; Over/Under:  52.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  UMass +38, Auburn -38; Over/Under:  52 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  UMass +37.5, Auburn -37.5; Over/Under:  52.5 points

UMass Minutemen:  1-0 (0-0) (FBS Independents)

Auburn Tigers:  0-0 (SEC West)

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UMass Minutemen:  won their last game on the road against the New Mexico State Aggies 41-30.

Auburn Tigers:  N/A

UMass is entering this game with a 1-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too since they are an Independent school.  They are 0-0 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against New Mexico State 41-30. Taisun Phommachanh was the starting QB and he completed 10/17 passes for 192 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Taisun Phommachanh led the team in rushing yards with 96 and 1 TD while Kay'Ron Adams had 2 rushing TDs and Anthony Simpson also had 1. Christian Wells led the receivers with 68 receiving yards on 1 reception and Anthony Simpson led the team in receptions with 3. Tyler Rudolph led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Tyler Rudolph, Zukudo Igwenagu, and Billy Wooden also led the defense in sacks with 1 each. Michael Oppong and Isaiah Rutherford each came away with 1 interception each for them in that game.

 

 

 

Auburn finished last season with a 5-7 record overall and they had a 2-6 record in their conference games too.  They were 5-3 in their home games, 0-4 in their road games, and they were also 0-0 in their neutral site games last season, but they will be at home for this season opener. Last season, their offense was averaging 24.8 points scored per game while their defense was allowing an average of 29.5 points per game. Their offense also averaged 378.5 yards per game while their defense was allowing an average of 395.3 yards per game. Robby Ashford led the team in passing yards with 1613, Tank Bigsby led the team in rushing yards with 970, and Ja'Varrius Johnson led the team in receiving yards with 493.

The current betting odds have UMass listed as a 37.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. UMass was terrible last season but they are already off to a good start this season after going on the road in week 0 and beating out New Mexico State in their own building. This UMass team has made a lot of improvements in the transfer portal and they showed it in their 1st game with their new starting QB who managed the game well. Auburn wasn't great last season either as they finished with a 5-7 record overall and really struggled against SEC opponents with their 2-6 conference record. They should have a much better season this year under their new head coach Hugh Freeze but it will still be tough for him to turn around this program in his very 1st game. UMass is on the road again but they do have the advantage of having already played a game in week 0 and they also have a very good history playing against SEC opponents over the years. Auburn will be an improved team this season but they are still going to struggle in this 1st game at home as their offense still needs a ton of work so UMass will be able to score enough to keep this game close. The best way to place a bet here is on UMass to cover the spread in this game. 

UMass Auburn Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 2, 2023 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Auburn 35 UMass 20.

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UMass Minutemen: 5-1 ATS in a road game where the total is between 49.5 and 52. 9-1 ATS against SEC opponents. 5-1 OVER after a game with a turnover margin of +3 or better. 19-13 OVER after playing a game where 70 total points or more were scored. 

Auburn Tigers: 3-6 ATS in non-conference games. 2-6 ATS in the first month of the season. 8-4 OVER when the total is between 49.5 and 56. 6-3 OVER in non-conference games. 

UMass Minutemen:  T. Baldwin Jr. (RB) day-to-day - Undisclosed.

Auburn Tigers:  B. Battie (RB) Ques Sat - Foot. K. Moore (WR) Ques Sat - Ankle. M. Johnson Jr. (WR) Ques Sat - Shoulder. C. Brown (WR) Ques Sat - Hamstring. N. Mardner (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed.

“I think that’s his strength, by the way. Obviously he’s very athletic, but he’s a smart football player. We’re certainly not gonna run plays that he’s uncomfortable with, or that he’s ill-prepared for. But at the same time, we’re just very comfortable with the way he goes about his business. And he is all business. When you got a guy that’s dedicated and focused on the task at hand, good things happen.” - Don Brown on his team’s starting QB after their win against New Mexico State in their 1st game of the college football season. 

"I think defensively they play as hard as any team in the country, and you combine that with coach brown's system which is very chaotic and very hard to identify for your offensive front at times; they will create negative plays with that." - Hugh Freeze on UMass coming into this 1st game of their season. 

WR Johnson III, George 

WR Pope, Mark 

WR Simpson, Anthony 

TE Campiotti, Gino 

QB Phommachanh, Taisun

RB Lynch-Adams, Kay'Ron 

WR Hooks, Shane 

WR Shorter, Jyaire 

WR Johnson, Ja'Varrius 

TE Fairweather, Rivaldo 

QB Thorne, Payton 

RB Hunter, Jarquez 

Passing: T. Phommachanh (192)

Rushing: T. Phommachanh (96)

Receiving: C. Wells (68)

Touchdowns: K. Lynch-Adams (2)

Passing: N/A

Rushing: N/A

Receiving: N/A

Touchdowns: N/A

Coaches:

UMass Minutemen: Don Brown (2nd season)

Auburn Tigers: Hugh Freeze (1st season)