The American Athletic has not been very good in bowl games going 6-14 which includes 0-2 this year with Houston and Central Florida not even coming close. Iâd like to follow that trend with Tulsa being a huge favorite. Once I saw them tick up to 14 points I grabbed Central Michigan.
The Chippewas arenât getting a lot of credit here despite having a win over a top 15 program this year. Albeit being a bit controversial they still went to Oklahoma State and won as huge under dogs and held that team to 50 rushing yards which will be a key for them against Tulsaâs offense. The other thing about Central Michigan is they have been devastated by injuries all year long and this is probably the healthiest they have been in quite some time which should help. I like the fact that Central Michigan is led by a senior QB in Cooper Rush who has played well in bowl games before and is the active leader in passing yards in the nation. I expect him to have a great game against a defense that gives up a lot of yards.
Tulsa really has not beaten anyone and their defense is a reliability. Central Michigan also has only given up 14 rushing TDs and can be tough to score on in the red zone. I do expect this game to be close. Tulsa is getting a lot of love for their offense, but I would lean towards Central Michiganâs defense and they have a QB that can score quickly and score late for a potential upset or back door cover. Central Michigan is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 non-conference match ups and I expect them to be competitive here in Miami.
