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Free Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Prediction: Eagles vs Monarchs Odds
Looking for Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. Old Dominion Monarchs free picks? Popeyes Bahamas Bowl betting sees the Eagles taking on the Monarchs Friday December 23rd at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football predictions.
2016 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
(7-5) Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. Old Dominion Monarchs (9-3)
Date: Friday, December 23rd
Time: 1:00 pm EST
Venue: Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas
NCAA Football Spread: Old Dominion -3.5
NCAA Betting Total: 64.0
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This matchup between two rarely seen and rarely talked about FBS teams features two teams that exceeded preseason expectations by a wide margin.
The 9-3 Old Dominion Monarchs are in their first ever bowl game while the 7-5 Eastern Michigan Eagles used a 4-1 start to lead towards a bowl bid while struggling some down the stretch.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
After their 4-1 start, the Eagles lost 4 of 6 games before closing out the regular season with a victory over Central Michigan to finish above .500 for the first time since 1989.
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The Eagles won 7 games this season which matched their combined total from the previous four seasons.
Eastern Michigan has been to one bowl game in their 42 seasons – a win in the California Bowl in 1987.
Leading to their success this season has been a dynamic combination of the run and pass games. Brogan Roback has completed 59 percent of his passes for 2394 yards and a 16 to 6 touchdown to interception ratio.
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On the ground, Ian Eriksen led the way with 741 yards for a group that totaled 1898 yards as a team with 21 rushing touchdowns. Eriksen is listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury but is expected to play.
The Eagles’ defense has been nothing special – allowing 30.3 points per game. They gave up 435 yards per game with 164 per game of those coming on the ground.
Given the lack of success in recent years, the Eagles never expected to be in this spot starting this season. There could be a little “happy to be here” feeling for the team.
They do have potential to put up some points but their defense has hurt them at times – particularly over the last several weeks of the season.
Old Dominion Monarchs
Leading the Monarchs to their first ever bowl bid has been quarterback David Washington and running back Ray Lawry.
Washington threw for 2648 yards and 28 touchdowns with just 4 interceptions while Lawry rushed for 1122 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Those two led the way for an offensive unit that averaged 36 points per game.
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The Monarchs and Eagles faced off in last season’s opener and the Monarchs prevailed 38-34. Both teams however are much different from Week 1 of last season.
While the Monarchs have never been in a bowl game, their 9-3 record this season might not show how good they actually were.
Their 3 losses were to Appalachian State, North Carolina State, and Western Kentucky.
All three teams are bowl bound and combined to win 25 games.
Their offense led the way all season long so expect them to do the same in this bowl game. The defense was good most of the season – particularly against the pass.
However, they did have some struggles against solid quarterbacks and could be tested similarly by Roback and an Eastern Michigan offense that averaged 296 passing yards per game.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Old Dominion was 8-3-1 ATS this season.
- Eastern Michigan was 9-3 ATS this season.
- Over was 8-4 for Old Dominion this season.
- Over is 12-8 in Eastern Michigan’s last 20 games as an underdog.
Free Popeyes Bahamas Bowl NCAA Football Prediction
The over is absolutely the play in this game. Both teams have strong offenses and very suspect defenses.
I like the two quarterbacks to duel it out and Old Dominion should pick up the win.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick: Over 64.0
This is a surprisingly low total for these two offenses and part of that likely is due to the time off before the game. But I still like the tempos and firepower of the two offenses to lead this game well above the total.
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Free Score Prediction: Old Dominion 41 – Eastern Michigan 34
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