Troy vs. Jacksonville State prediction: Salute to Veterans Bowl odds, pick, best bet

· New York Post

Troy and Jacksonville State will take center stage on Tuesday night. The Trojans and Gamecocks will meet in the Salute to Veterans Bowl, the only college football game scheduled for Tuesday night.

The two Alabama schools will meet in their home state, with the game taking place at the Crampton Bowl in Montgomery.

Troy is a 2.5-point favorite, and the Over/Under has settled at 46.5 points.

Troy vs. Jacksonville State odds, prediction

At first glance, it may seem funky to see Jacksonville State listed as the underdog in this contest. The two teams had the same record, but the Gamecocks finished the season with the stronger statistical profile.

Jacksonville State ended the season with a net positive yards per play, and its offense finished 34th in yards per game. The Gamecocks were the 61st-ranked offensive team in the country, per SP+, Bill Connelly’s catch-all power rankings.

Troy’s offensive numbers pale in comparison to Jacksonville State’s, but the Trojans were marginally better on defense, and they played a more demanding schedule. In fact, everybody in FBS played a tougher schedule than the Gamecocks.

Troy will be without Goose Crowder on Tuesday night. Getty Images

Betting on College Football?

That said, Jacksonville State should benefit from the stylistic matchup in this battle, and the Gamecocks will also be buoyed by the fact that Troy will be without starting quarterback Goose Crowder and talismanic running back Tae Meadows, who is hitting the transfer portal.

Troy’s offense was already tepid, and those absences will only add to the ineptitude.

That’s a big deal in this matchup, because the path to success against Jacksonville State is to take advantage of its leaky defense and force the offense to keep pace with you, not the other way around.

This is a classic, mid-December bowl game. These are two highly flawed teams, but I suggest the line should be flipped, with Jacksonville State having more paths to success than the Trojans.

The Under looks like a worthwhile bet, too.

The Play: Jacksonville State moneyline (-104) | Under 49.5 (-110, FanDuel)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.