Memphis vs Wake Forest Birmingham Bowl

Memphis aims to end Bowl curse vs Wake Forest in the Birmingham Bowl

The 8-5 Memphis Tigers are appearing in their fifth straight bowl game when they head to Legion Field to collide with the 6-6 Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the 2018 Birmingham Bowl. Memphis has dropped its last three bowl games, while Wake Forest has been victorious in its last two bowl games. However, despite recent history, it is the Tigers who are a 3.5-point favorite with the total Sportsbook at 75 points.

Shark Bites
  • Memphis is 5-0 ATS in its last five games as a favorite.
  • Wake Forest is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games.
  • Memphis averages the seventh-most points per game in the nation this season (43.6).

Memphis vs Wake Forest Game Center

Tigers look to exorcise Bowl Demons

Following an 8-5 season, Memphis is playing in its fifth straight bowl game, looking to even its bowl record at 6-6 and put an end to a three-game slide. However, it will attempt to do this without lead running back Darrell Henderson, who has elected to not compete in this game as he prepares for the upcoming NFL draft.

All is not lost for the ground game of the Tigers, though, as backup running back Patrick Taylor Jr. quietly rushed for 1,012 yards with 15 touchdowns, while also adding 196 receiving yards and another major this season. Overall, the Tigers racked up 43.6 points per game to rank seventh in the nation and averaged the 50th-most passing yards per game.

Junior quarterback Brady White was the man under center, throwing for 3,125 yards with 25 TDs and eight interceptions, his passing yards ranking in a tie for 19th-most in college football. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, Memphis didn’t exactly turn a lot of heads this season, giving up 31.5 points per game, the 38th-most in the nation.

All is not that bad on defense, though, as the Tigers were 17th in the NCAA in sacks, led by junior linebacker Bryce Huff, who had 10 sacks to go along with two interceptions.

Demon Deacons look to improve on impressive bowl record

Wake Forest closed the season on a win-one, lose-one streak over its last six games, ending with a 59-7 triumph over Duke, its fewest points allowed all season. The Demon Deacons are looking for a third straight bowl victory and they are 8-4 overall in bowl games. Similar to their opponents, the Demon Deacons have a stout running game, led by a two-headed monster in senior running back Matt Colburn and junior running back Cade Carney.

The two combined for 1,652 yards and 13 touchdowns, with Carney leading the way with 954 yards, topped off with a 223-yard performance in the season finale vs Duke. Colburn missed the last two games of the season with an ankle injury but is expected to play Saturday.

The Wake Forest passing game was middle of the pack this year, averaging 228.4 passing yards per game to rank 67th. Freshman QB Sam Hartman threw for 1,984 yards with 16 TDs and eight interceptions, but he suffered a season-ending foot injury late in the campaign. In stepped sophomore QB Jamie Newman, who tossed 680 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions over the last three weeks of the year.

Defensively, Wake Forest surrenders the 29th-most points per game in the nation at 33.3 and yields the 10th-most passing yards per game at 274. Its secondary isn’t creating many turnovers either, grabbing just five interceptions this year, which was the 14th-fewest in the country.

Is the OVER the bet to make?

The Birmingham Bowl features two high-scoring teams and Sportsbook has the total Sportsbook at 75 points. Memphis went OVER 75 points in seven of its 13 games this season, including four of its last six contests. Meanwhile, Wake Forest only went OVER 75 points in three of its 12 games this year, but the Deacons did surrender 63 points when they hosted Clemson, which averaged just two more points per game than Memphis.

As mentioned above, the Demon Deacons give up the 29th-most points per game in the nation at 33.3, while the Tigers aren’t much better in allowing 31.5 points per game, which was the 38th-most. Lastly, both teams rank in the top 40 offensively, with Wake Forest scoring 32.5 ppg to rank 39th, while Memphis averaged 43.6 for the No. 7 mark in the country.

My take on Memphis vs Wake Forest

I like Memphis to cover the 3.5-point spread. The Tigers offense, even without Darrell Henderson, will be too much for the Demon Deacons, who got lit up for 63 points vs Clemson in the only game they played against a top-10 offense. Memphis is 5-0 ATS in its last five games as a favorite with an average winning margin of 23.2, while Wake Forest was 3-4 ATS in its last seven games, all as an underdog, and had an average losing margin of 29.75 over that span.

Additionally, Wake Forest limps into this game with a lot of injuries and it’ll be interesting how running back Matt Colburn’s ankle holds up and how quarterback Jamie Newman can lead the offense in just his fourth career start.

Memphis is 5-0 ATS in its last five games as a favorite.away Wake Forest is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games.home Memphis averages the seventh-most points per game in the nation this season (43.6).away
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