Tulsa may be 0-2 in American Conference play, but it’s clear the Golden Hurricane are a team to be taken seriously.
Tulsa is 2-3 overall in Tre Lamb’s first season as head coach. Those three losses have been against New Mexico State by a touchdown as well as American opponents Navy and Tulane at home. And Tulsa’s first win was over FCS Abilene Christian.
But its other win was incredibly impressive. The Golden Hurricane went on the road and upset Oklahoma State 19-12 in what has been one of the most memorable Group of Five-Power Four upsets this year.
Can Tulsa pull off another upset this weekend?
It’ll be difficult against Memphis, which is 5-0 and 1-0 in American Conference play. The Tigers have won each of their contests by at least 21 points – except their 32-31 upset over Power Four opponent Arkansas.
Memphis is one of the favorites to win the American, but in order to get to the league championship, the Tigers have to take care of business against league opponents like Tulsa.
Tulsa vs. Memphis Betting Odds
Tulsa is a +20.5 college football betting odds underdog against Memphis, with the Over/Under being 54.5 as of this writing.
The moneyline for Memphis is -1400, while it’s +800 for Tulsa.
Tulsa vs. Memphis On TV
The matchup between Tulsa and Memphis will be televised on ESPNU.
The game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 4. The contest is taking place at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.
Tulsa vs. Memphis Prediction
I predict Memphis will win and cover the 20.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 54.5 total points.
Tulsa obviously has some standout players on its roster. But I don’t think the Golden Hurricane will keep this matchup close for several reasons.
For one, Tulsa hasn’t been very competitive in the last month except for that Oklahoma State win. The Golden Hurricane lost against Navy and Tulane both by at least 17 points and by a collective margin of 73-37 – and that was at home.
And now they go on the road to take on Memphis. A mark of a good team, in my opinion, is one that doesn’t let games get unnecessarily close for very long. Except for the matchup with Arkansas, Memphis has decisively taken care of business, both on the road and at home.
Memphis has also been dominant on the ground. The Tigers are sixth in the country with 1,236 total rushing yards, second with 19 rushing touchdowns, and are 11th with 247.2 rushing yards per game.
Sutton Smith leads the Tigers’ rushing attack with 420 yards, as he’s averaging seven yards per carry, and has five touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Brendon Lewis has rushed for 353 yards and a team-high six touchdowns while throwing for 1,003 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions on a 67% completion rate. Greg Desrosiers Jr. has added 262 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Tulsa, meanwhile, is 11th in the American in rushing defense, as the Golden Hurricane have given up 179.2 yards per contest on the ground.
I think this is a great matchup for Memphis, and I anticipate the Tigers will dominate up front en route to another win.
