2008 Middle Tenn State Blue Raiders Betting Preview

[Shame About Ray]

NCAA Football Futures Betting – Middle Tenn State Blue Raiders

Middle Tennessee State finished fourth in the Sun Belt last year in college football betting, but their stock is on the decline for their sports wagering faithful.



Their schedule looks tough, they have only 10 seniors and they are still dealing with sanctions from two years ago which is curtailing the quantity of talent on this roster.

A lot of the burden will be on the shoulders of quarterbacks Dwight Dasher and Joe Craddock, but if he can’t carry the team, this could be an ugly season for the Blue Raiders.

Offense

The Blue Raiders are stocked at quarterback with senior Joe Craddock and sophomore Dwight Dasher. Dasher looks like he might become a special quarterback and one of the best in this conference. He flashes some rare skills when he was thrown into the fire last year because of injuries, but he still needs to polish his passing touch.

But the question is who will help out these two quarterbacks?

The group of wide receivers are suspect and there are no clear primary targets. The running backs are better but a feature back is absent. Desmond Gee is a nice player, but he’s too small to help carry the load regularly. Gee will likely be used in the Reggie Bush-type role as a receiver out of the backfield and possibly in the slot.

The offensive line also is weak. Three starters return but the two best linemen are gone.

Gee and Dasher are the two main playmakers but that won’t be enough. An injury to either would hamper this team even further.

Defense

The defense looks to have some gaps right up front after all-conference ends Tavares Jones and Eric Wilden have moved on. The tandem combined for 107 tackles and nine sacks. The pass rush is a concern right now and that’s a big problem because of the project that is the secondary.

Alex Suber is a talented cornerback and the leader in the secondary. But in general, the group hasn’t proven enough to give a vote of confidence.

While the front and back of the defense have to answer some questions, the middle looks to be a real strength.

The Blue Raiders have depth, talent and experience in their linebacking corps. Junior Danny Carmichael leads the talent while Lonnie Clemons, Ivon Hickman and Patrick Harrington add the depth and experience.

Outlook

The Blue Raiders have only 10 seniors and are one of the youngest teams in the conference. Mix that with an ugly schedule and what do you get? Usually, bad results.

Middle tennessee state starts with conference winner Troy and Maryland at home, and then plays only three of their final 10 games at home.

After Troy and Maryland, the Blue Raiders head to Kentucky and then Arkansas State. Don’t be surprised if they start 0-4. With a young team, a 0-4 or a 1-4 will ruin their confidence and end any hopes of competing for a bowl game this season.

NCAA football betting has started, and BetUS sportsbook already has tons of college football Futures betting available for those of us who can't wait.