The Charlotte 49ers and UAB Blazers are ready to face off on the turf at Legion Field. The opening kickoff for this matchup is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and ESPN 3 has the TV rights.
Betting Preview: UAB Blazers vs. Charlotte 49ers
In this Saturday Conference USA game, UAB is getting picked as the heavy favorite and the team’s currently giving up 17 points. If they are wanting to play the moneyline, gamblers would currently need to put up $1,400 in order to win $100 back on the Blazers (-1400). The 49ers are getting +780 moneyline odds. On the surface it appears that there should be some good live betting opportunities for this game.
The line initially opened at -17 but has moved a bit recently.
The 49ers have gained 0.0 units so far in 2018 and are 2-2 against the spread (ATS). The team’s recorded an O/U mark of 3-0.
The Blazers have lost 1.9 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 2-1 ATS and have an O/U record of 1-1.
The 49ers have gone 2-2 straight up (SU), including 1-0 SU against CUSA opponents. The Blazers are 2-1 SU overall and 0-0 SU in conference play.
The Niners hope to get back on track after a 49-31 defeat to Massachusetts last week. Chris Reynolds completed 23-of-34 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Benny LeMay (68 yards on 15 rush attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller Reynolds (-33 yards on 11 carries) led the running attack. Victor Tucker (eight receptions, 130 yards) and Rico Arnold (three catches, 43 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
UAB is coming off of a 31-24 win over Tulane. A.J. Erdely completed 12-of-27 passes for 180 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Spencer Brown (101 yards on 24 rush attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller Erdely (53 yards on 10 carries, one TD) spearheaded the running attack while Andre Wilson (three receptions, 30 yards) and Kailon Carter (two catches, 49 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Charlotte has run the ball on 60.6 percent of its offensive possessions this year while UAB has a rush percentage of 64.5 percent. The 49ers have run for 142.0 yards/game and have four touchdowns on the ground this year. The Blazers are averaging 280.0 rush yards per game and have nine total rushing TDs.
If 2018 results are any indication, then the Blazers ought to be the more disruptive team in the trenches, as their offensive line has allowed just two sacks while their D-line has logged nine sacks. The 49ers O-line has allowed 11 sacks and their defense has got to opposing QBs on just seven occasions.
The Niners offensive scheme has logged 215.0 yards/game through the air overall and has six passing scores so far. The Blazers have recorded 197.3 pass yards per contest and have three total pass TDs.
Defensively, Charlotte has let opponents run for an average of 98.8 yards and pass for 248.8 yards per game. The UAB defense has allowed 123.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 208.7 yards per game to opposing runners. The Blazers are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 3.69 to opposing QBs, while the 49ers have given up an 8.29 ANY/A.
Offensively, Reynolds has amassed 658 passing yards on the year. He’s connected on 63 percent of his 76 attempts with four scores through the air and one interception. He has a 6.94 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 7.41 over the last two games.
We’re looking for 49ers to maintain the pace by feeding their running backs early and often. In addition to wideout Victor Tucker (290 receiving yards and one touchdown), Benny LeMay (238 rush yards, three rush TDs) and Aaron McAllister (109 rush yards) have brought significant production to the Charlotte offensive scheme.
On the other sideline, A.J. Erdely has completed 34-of-55 passes for 408 yards, three TDs and three INTs. Erdely’s ANY/A stands at 6.05 for the season and 3.62 across his past two outings.
The Blazers will also try to control the game’s pace by turning to their backfield. In addition to Spencer Brown (zero receiving yards), Kendall Parham (two rush yards, 62 receiving yards) and A.J. Erdely (69 rush yards, one rush TD) have gotten a multitude of touches recently.
When these two squads met last year, Charlotte earned the win 25-24.
Charlotte 49ers at UAB Blazers Bedding Prediction
SU Winner: UAB, ATS Winner: UAB
Team Betting Notes
- Charlotte was favored by 6 points in its previous game and the O/U going into it was 55. The over cashed and Charlotte did not cover in the 49-31 defeat to Massachusetts.
- Charlotte, as a team, has rushed for 2.9 yards per carry over its past two matchups.
- UAB has averaged 5.7 YPC over its last two.
- UAB has lost one fumble this season while Charlotte has lost four.
- In its last three matches, Charlotte is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in each of those three.
- UAB was the underdog by 4 points in its previous match and the Over/Under going into it was 58. The under cashed and UAB covered in the team’s 31-24 victory over Tulane.
- The 49ers offense has created four pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Blazers have put up three such plays.
- The Charlotte defense has allowed three pass plays of 40 or more yards, while UAB has given up two such plays.
- Both teams have produced four rushing plays of 20+ yards. The Charlotte offense has recorded 17 running plays of 10+ yards while UAB has accounted for 26 such plays.
- The 49ers defense has allowed four rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Blazers have given up seven such runs.
- The UAB D has tallied nine sacks on the year while Charlotte has seven.
