The Troy Trojans (-6.5) and Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks are ready to face off on the turf at JPS Field at James L. Malone Stadium. The game will start at 7:00 p.m. ET and fans can catch it live by tuning in to ESPN+.
Betting Preview: Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks vs. Troy Trojans
Louisiana-Monroe is the home underdog in this SBC game and is currently getting 6.5 points. The Trojans are also receiving -270 moneyline odds while the Warhawks are +210. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 62 points. If the favorites get behind early on, it’ll probably produce a nice live betting opportunity.
The line opened at 7. The game’s total hasn’t changed since it opened at 62.
Both of these teams have been profitable this season as the Trojans have gained 2.1 units while the Warhawks are up 1.9 units.
The Trojans are 2-1 straight up (SU) and they haven’t faced any SBC competition yet. The Warhawks are 2-1 SU overall and are also 0-0 SU in conference play.
The Trojans just put together a 24-19 victory over Nebraska last week. Kaleb Barker completed 14-of-21 passes for only 110 yards and one interception. B.J. Smith (70 yards on 11 rush attempts, two TDs) led the ground attack in the win. Tray Eafford (four receptions, 33 yards) and Deondre Douglas (four catches, six yards) shared the receiving duties.
One week ago, Texas A&M took care of this Louisiana-Monroe crew by a score of 48-10. The Warhawks defensive unit allowed the Aggies to kill the clock by rushing for 281 yards on 45 attempts, including four rush TDs. Trayveon Williams had a good showing, recording 128 rushing yards and a score on 22 attempts for Texas A&M. For Louisiana-Monroe, Caleb Evans completed 15-of-28 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Evans (23 yards on 11 rush attempts) mounted the ground game in the defeat as Marcus Green (four receptions, 75 yards) and RJ Turner (four catches, 38 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps.
Troy has run the ball on 56.1 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Louisiana-Monroe has a rush percentage of 48.3 percent. The Trojans have produced 186.3 rush yards per game and have six scores via handoffs this year. The Warhawks are logging 156.7 rushing yards per game and have two total rush TDs.
It appears that the Warhawks ought to have an advantage in the trenches. Their offensive line has yielded just four sacks while the D-line has registered nine sacks. The Trojans O-line has allowed 11 sacks and their defense has logged only seven sacks.
The Trojans offensive scheme has logged 183.3 yards per game through the air overall and has six passing TDs so far. The Warhawks have recorded 255.3 pass yards per outing and have five total pass scores.
Defensively, Troy should have the upper hand in both phases. The team has allowed 122.0 rush yards and 233.7 pass yards per game. The Louisiana-Monroe defense has allowed 330.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 137.0 yards per game to opposing runners. The Trojans are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 6.42 to opponents, while the Warhawks have given up a 7.59 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Barker is up to 321 yards on the year. He’s connected on 34-of-50 attempts with one scores through the air and two interceptions. He has a 3.24 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 5.40 over the last two games.
In the other huddle, Caleb Evans has completed 50-of-81 passes for 571 yards, three TDs and two INTs. Evans’ ANY/A stands at 6.21 for the season and 6.28 across his last two outings.
These two SBC adversaries did not get a chance to face each other last season.
Troy Trojans at Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Betting Pick
SU Winner: Louisiana-Monroe, ATS Winner: Louisiana-Monroe, O/U: Under
