There are a lot of college football fans and bettors who skip the earliest games during bowl season, with most claiming a lack of interest because of the teams involved. The tide may be starting to turn now, though, as the so-called bigger bowl games now have a problem in that many of the top players, particularly those headed to the NFL draft, are electing to sit out. Make no mistake about it, when you watch these earlier bowl games, you are usually watching a pair of teams who really want to go out and win, making the most of their time on national TV.

There are always a lot of smaller programs in these earlier games, but most fans are well aware of the Appalachian State Mountaineers. They are a small team usually intent on big upsets, such as the one they delivered against Michigan a few years back, and which they almost repeated in Week 1 of this season versus Penn State. They are in the New Orleans Bowl this year against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and are in as a 6 ½ point favorite. The point total for the New Orleans Bowl has been set at 50.

Middle Tennessee vs Appalachian State 2018 New Orleans Bowl Spread

This is @CoachStock 4,748th day as the head coach @MT_FB. He was hired on this day in 2005. Not a better way to spend it than in the Big Easy for the @NewOrleansBowl pic.twitter.com/zfKISXAm24

— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) 12 de diciembre de 2018

• When: Saturday, December 15 at 9 PM EST
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: TuneIn
• Live Stream: WatchESPN
• 2018 New Orleans Bowl Spread: Appalachian State -6.5 (Total 50)

Arizona State vs Fresno State 2018 Las Vegas Bowl Betting Preview

Weather Forecast

• Clear: 11°C/52°F
• Humidity: 77%
• Precipitation: 5%
• Cloud Cover: 10%
• Wind: 9 mph NNW

Why bet on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders?

You very often have to think about the current state of mind of certain teams heading into a bowl game. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders had themselves a good season, but their last game was a 27-25 loss to the UAB Blazers in the Conference USA Title Game. They will either come into this game looking to end the season on a high note, or they will simply go through the paces in the final game of the year.

There is certainly some cause for concern for the Blue Raiders, as they lost 2 of their last 3 games to end the regular season. That said, they were a very good ATS bet in the second half of the year, covering the spread in 5 of their last 6 games, with the lone miss being in the Conference Championship Game. The Blue Raiders went 4-3 ATS this year when hitting with the underdog tag.

Team Stats

Offense

• Average Score For: 29.15
• Total Yards: 388.46
• Rush Yards: 133.92
• Passing Yards: 254.54

Defense

• Average Score Against: 25.31
• Total Yards: 372.93
• Rush Yards: 159.85
• Passing Yards: 213.08

Why bet on the Appalachian State Mountaineers?

The Mountaineers went on a tear to close out the season, winning each of their final 5 games, which included a 30-19 win over ULL in the Sun Belt Championship Game. They went 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games of the season, although they did fail to cover in their last 2 games of the season.

The Mountaineers were made the favorite in 11 of their games this season, very often by double digits, and they were able to cover the spread in 7 of those games. Appalachian State brings a very balanced offense, although most of their success came on the ground, where they averaged over 240 YPG.

Team Stats

Offense

• Average Score For: 36.67
• Total Yards: 428.91
• Rush Yards: 240.33
• Passing Yards: 188.58

Defense

• Average Score Against: 15.67
• Total Yards: 280.09
• Rush Yards: 131.92
• Passing Yards: 148.17

Utah State vs North Texas 2018 New Mexico Bowl Spread & Prediction

Middle Tennessee vs Appalachian State 2018 New Orleans Betting Trends

• Middle Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
• Middle Tennessee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Middle Tennessee’s last 6 games
• Appalachian State is 2-3-2 ATS in its last 7 games
• Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Appalachian State’s last 5 games

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Middle Tennessee vs Appalachian State

I think we have a couple of good bets at our disposal here. I think that the Mountaineers are a very good SU pick, and I also believe that they will cover. My top bet here, though, is the OVER.

Score: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 23 – Appalachian State Mountaineers 33