Tulane v. Tulsa Football Picks
September 4, 2009
Will Tulsa attract bettor’s attention? Coach Todd Graham has the Golden Hurricane striving for larger aspirations even with assembling a 21-7 record the previous two seasons. Tulsa has competed in the Conference USA title game the previous two years and fell to defeat on both efforts. He desires the program to revert back to 2005, when the Golden Hurricane took home the opening C-USA championship. That dream starts tonight when they visit the Green Wave as 13.5-point chalk. At last look, about 85% of bets at Sportsbook.com were placed with the Golden Hurricane.
It will not be an easy task, since Graham needs to replace a quarterback and five other starters on offense. Junior Jacob Bower has earned the inside track as the signal caller, after studying on the sidelines last year. The offensive line has to be rebuilt in order for Bower to win. If these ingredients come together promptly, Tulsa can build on its 8-3 record at the pay window in September.. Defensively, eight players return, nonetheless, according to the head coach they need to play with more conviction, after yielding 30 points or more six times last season. “Defensively, we have to return to doing what we’ve done in the past of being productive, and that’s a relentless attitude to get to the ball and get back to a tough edge mentality defensively,” Graham said. “What we have to improve on defense is not giving away too many one play drives.” Sportsbook.com has Tulsa as 13.5-point visiting chalk with total of 64 and they are just 4-7 against the spread in that role under Graham.
The Green Wave has won six games in two years under head coach Bob Toledo and everyone affiliated with the program figures this has to be the year to set about displaying positive marks. “We know we’ve really got to right the ship,” wide receiver Jeremy Williams told the Times-Picayune. “We’re not looking towards the future. We’ve got to do it tonight.”Tulane welcomes back seven starters on offense and redshirt sophomore Joe Kemp who won the quarterback competition. Tulane will be aided by the return of RB Andre Anderson, who was 4th in the nation in rushing and all-purpose yards when he went down to injury in game seven. They will have to score points to stick with Tulsa, however, they are just 4-10-1 ATS when an underdog at home. Tulane begins this season with misguiding defensive stats. The Green Wave was 14th in the nation in pass defense, giving up 173 yards per game. That was at least in part to ceding 218 (5.7 yards per carry) yards per game via the run. Senior DE Logan Kelley backbones a very knowledgeable front four that must raise its game in 2009. Tulane is 7-23-1 at the pay window in its last 31 conference matchups.
Tulsa plays four of their first five games on the road, including the first three. It should be noted that they haven’t covered their last four times as a visitor. The Green Wave is 0-4 SU and ATS versus the Golden Hurricane in C-USA action, with an average margin of 33 points per game. This conference clash begins at 8 ESTon ESPN, with Tulsa 7-2-1 OVER as road chalk. Do your football betting at Sportsbook.com and take advantage of Reduced Juice Fridays (-105).
