The 2024 FBS bowl season will begin with two Group of Five teams which had hopes of appearing in their respective conference championships just a few weeks ago. And both also needed some wins late to earn bowl-eligibility.
South Alabama was 6-6 overall but had a chance to make it to the Sun Belt title game after its win over Louisiana. The Ragin’ Cajuns ended up winning the Sun Belt West, and South Alabama ended up at .500 after beating Southern Miss and losing to Texas State to close out the regular season.
Western Michigan, meanwhile, was in the mix to play for the MAC Championship with about four games left in the regular season. The Broncos went on a three-game losing streak, but they snapped that with a win over Eastern Michigan in the regular season finale to improve to 6-6 and make it to a bowl game.
Now both teams will be aiming to end the year on a high note.
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Betting Odds
South Alabama is a -8.5 college football betting odds favorite against Western Michigan, with the Over/Under being 57.5.
The moneyline for South Alabama is -350, while it’s +270 for Western Michigan.
South Alabama vs. Western Michigan On TV
The matchup between South Alabama and Western Michigan will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 14. The contest is taking place at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama.
South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Prediction
I predict Western Michigan will win and cover the spread at +8.5. I also project the game will go Under 57.5 total points.
This prediction is based on the idea that WMU’s defense and rushing attack will have strong performances.
While WMU lost three of its last four games to end the regular season, the Broncos were still pretty solid defensively. They gave up an average of 18.25 points allowed during that time.
And the Broncos’ rushing attack, led by Jaden Nixon, Jalen Buckley, and Zahir Abdus-Salaam, helped Western Michigan’s offense lead the MAC with 29.4 points per game scored.
Defeating South Alabama won’t be easy, as the Jaguars were one of the top teams in the Sun Belt West for a reason. But I think WMU has the personnel to pull off an upset here.
