Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech battle in a Conference USA showdown Tuesday night at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. Both teams are coming off victories as the Bearkats beat Florida International 10-7 while the Bulldogs snuck by UTEP, 14-10.
Sam Houston
The Bearkats offense may still be without QB Hunter Watson, but they are capable of winning with Jase Bauer. Last week he threw for just 76 yards in the win but also ran for 72 yards on 15 carries. As a team, the Bearkats rushed for 131 yards but in four of the last six games, this team has racked up 250+ yards. Except a similar game plan against the Bulldogs who allow 113 yards on the ground per game. Defensive lineman Chris Murray leads the defense with 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Overall the unit allowed 330 total yards per game and 22.6 PPG.
Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs are led by QB Evan Bullock who was 22-30 and threw for 248 yards and a TD in last week’s win. If Louisiana Tech has a shot in this game, they’ll have to continue to pass as the run game is 10th worst in the country. Last week, between 5 different players, the Bulldogs ran for just 7 total yards. Sam Houston allows 201 passing yards per game so expect Bullock, who hasn’t thrown an interception all season, to throw often. WR Jimmy Holiday will once again be the main target after a 6-reception, 93-yards game last week. He also rushed for 18 yards.
Player Prop Plays
Jase Bauer: Rushing Yards
Jase Bauer loves to run. In his last four games he’s averaging 46 yards a game and last week scampered for 72 yards on 15 carries. He’ll get opportunities in this one, so best to keep an eye on the books and the total being offered. He should topple the 40-yard mark with ease.
Evan Bullock: Passing Yards
Keep an eye on this total as this pass-happy offense should let Evan Bullock throw the ball. In his last four games he’s attempted 30, 40, 25 and 47 passes and has averaged 247.5 yards in that span. Bullock should be able to reach the 240-yard mark with ease.
Game Betting Odds
Sam Houston -9.5
Louisiana Tech +9.5
Total: 46.5 ML: Sam Houston (-360), Louisiana Tech (+280)
Recent Betting Trends
Sam Houston is 5-3 ATS this season
Bearkats are 2-0 as 9.5-point favorites or greater this year
Louisiana Tech is 1-0 ATS as a 9.5-points or more underdogs
Bulldogs have gone OVER the total in 3 of 6 games
