South Alabama vs Western Michigan Game Information

South Alabama vs Western Michigan Preview

It only takes 6 Wins to become Bowl Eligible, and that’s exactly what South Alabama (6-6) and Western Michigan (6-6) did to get to this first Bowl of the 2024-25 NCAA College Football Bowl season on the last Saturday of the Fall which starts about 6 hours after the last Regular Season game of the year, Navy vs Army, ends. The Broncos are a Mid-American Conference (MAC) school who beat rivals Eastern Michigan in their last game of the year, 26-18, to get to 6 wins while the Jaguars, members of the Sun Belt Conference, beat Southern Miss (35-14) two weekends ago to earn their 6th victory. This will be the first-ever meeting between South Alabama and Western Michigan.

South Alabama a Solid TD Favorite vs. WMU

South Alabama (5-7 ATS, 5-6-1 O/U) has played in four previous Bowl games and gone 1-3 SU. The jaguars first came in 2014 in the Camellia Bowl where they lost 33-28 to a MAC school, Bowling Green. Air Force defeated South Alabama in 2016 in the Arizona Bowl (45-21) and then the Jaguars lost their 3rd straight Bowl appearance in 2022, falling to Western Kentucky (44-23) in the New Orleans Bowl. Last year in the 68 Ventures Bowl, South Alabama finally earned its first win, topping another MAC school, Eastern Michigan, 59-10 in a complete blowout. On offense, the Jaguars are led by versatile QB Gio Lopez (2,559 passing yards, 18 TD 5 Interceptions; 465 rushing yards, 7 TD, 5.6 ypc) RBs Fluff Bothwell (832 rushing yards, 13 TD, 7.5 ypc) and Kentrell Bullock (701 rushing yards, 6 TD, 5.2 ypc), and dynamic WR Jamaal Pritchett (1,127 receiving yards, 9 TD, 12.4 ypc). This team averages a healthy 35.3 ppg (#21) and allows 25.3 ppg (#72).

South Alabama Betting Trends

• South Alabama is 1-3 ATS in its last 4 games
• The Under is 5-3 in the Jaguars last 8 games overall
• The Under was 6-0-0 in USA’s last 6 games on the Road
• South Alabama is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
• QB Gio Lopez has passed for at least 154 yards in 10 straight games

Western Michigan a Weak 2-9 in its 11 Bowl Games

Western Michigan (5-7-0 ATS, 7-5-0 O/U) is led by QB Hayden Wolff (2,214 passing yards, 17 TD, 7 Interceptions), dynamic RB Jaden Nixon (874 rushing yards, 12 TD, 6.6 ypc), and WR Kenneth Womack (456 receiving yards). In the last 7 Broncos games, the team which won the game SU also covered ATS. With the win over Eastern Michigan for the Michigan MAC Trophy, the Broncos ensured their first trip to a Bowl game since 2021 when they defeated Nevada in the Quick Lane Bowl, 53-24. In all, the Broncos have been to 11 Bowl games heading in here but have only won 2 and are 2-9 overall. WMU’s other win came in 2105 in the Bahamas Bowl—after it lost its first 6 Bowl appearances—when it defeated Middle Tennessee (45-31). The Broncos would lose 3 straight after that before beating Nevada last year.

Western Michigan Betting Trends

• The Broncos are 1-3 SU in their last 4 games 
• The Under is 3-0-0 in the last 3 WMU games
• Western Michigan was 0-3-0 ATS the last 3 as ATS Underdogs
• The Over is 5-3-0 in the last 8 Broncos games overall
• The Broncos were 7-5-0 ATS in the 2023 NCAAF season

South Alabama vs Western Michigan Prediction

This game saw South Alabama open up as big 10.5-point Favorites before Sharp money drove it down to its current 7.5 (Tuesday), much because of a Foot injury sustained by Jaguars QB Lopez in the Second Half of the team’s last game. Backup Bishop Davenport will start if Lopez can’t go. The Jaguars (-294 Moneyline) also may have two other key cogs on offense missing with WR Pritchett potentially opting out of the game and lead RB Bothwell entering the Transfer Portal. Western Michigan (+235 Moneyline) may also be without TE Blake Bosma and DE Corey Walker, who are both also entering the Transfer Portal. We can expect many absences in all of these Bowls with players transferring and not wanting to get injured in their last (and a meaningless) games in their college careers if they go to the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Weather in Montgomery on Saturday night is forecast to be 57°. Even if Lopez can’t play and Bothwell is absent, QB Davenport and RB Bullock should be able to make some things happen against a weak Western Michigan defense (31.4 ppg, #109), and with the game being played in the Heart of Dixie, this South Alabama vs Western Michigan NCAAF pick will side with the Jaguars with hope that their star WR Pritchett plays. With the number at 7.5 at some sportsbooks, shop around and look for a 7 and there are many out there right now to be had (bet365, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings).

Kevin’s Pick: South Alabama -7 (DraftKings)