Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee Odds, Picks, and Predictions: Bulldogs Bite Back

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will try to capture their first league win of the year when they host their Conference USA rivals, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs tonight at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.

Middle Tennessee has dropped three straight, including losing by multiple scores to conference foes in the last two weeks. Yet college football odds have made the Blue Raiders the favorites over Louisiana Tech, which is coming off a tough 35-28 loss to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. 

The Bulldogs may come into this game as the underdogs, but they look like the clearly superior team. I’ll figure out whether that’s enough to overcome the Blue Raiders’ home-field advantage in my free college football picks for Louisiana Tech vs. Middle Tennessee on October 10.

Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee best odds

Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee picks and predictions

If there’s a positive we can say about the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, it’s that the team looks like a competent college football squad this year. While their overall record is middling against an unimpressive schedule, they have two wins over BCS competition: scoring victories against UTEP and Florida International. They’ve even shown the ability to play on the same field as a Power Five school, losing by just 14 on the road to Nebraska.

The Bulldogs have flashed an explosive offense, though one that has been inconsistent. Jack Turner has been getting the starts under center in place of injured Hank Bachmeier, but both have been able to produce long passing plays of 60+ yards — along with their fair share of interceptions. Louisiana Tech also has two runners in Tyre Shelton and Keith Willis Jr. who are averaging over seven yards per carry.

Both avenues will be open to Louisiana Tech on Tuesday. The Middle Tennessee defense has been allowing opposing passing attacks to produce a quarterback rating of 145.5, while also allowing 145 yards per game on the ground. Overall, this defensive unit has allowed 33.3 ppg, and the Bulldogs should be able to exploit it with their variety of offensive weapons. 

Middle Tennessee will have more trouble punching through the Louisiana Tech defense. While the Blue Raiders like to throw the ball, they haven't produced a whole lot of points: Quarterback Nicholas Vattiato has thrown for nine TDs but has also tossed six INTs. Perhaps most concerning are the 19 times Vattiato has been sacked this year, and Middle Tennessee doesn’t have much of a running attack to complement the passing game, making it one dimensional.

Overall, the Blue Raiders are averaging just 20.7 ppg and they'll have trouble moving the ball through the air against a Louisiana Tech defense that is holding opponents to just 172.7 yards per game in the air on just a 50% completion percentage. This adds up to what could be a long day for the Middle Tennessee offense, especially since the Bulldogs should be able to key on the passing game.

The Blue Raiders have the benefit of home-field advantage, but it’s hard to ignore the fact Louisiana Tech has been the better team this season. While this doesn’t look to be a blowout, I think that the Bulldogs have a clear edge, especially in their ability to keep the Blue Raiders' offense under wraps.

My best bet: Louisiana Tech moneyline (+130 at FanDuel)
Picks made at time of writing may not reflect live odds.

Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee same-game parlay

Louisiana Tech ML

Under 54.5

Vattiato Under 271.5 passing yds

+454 at FanDuel

For my same-game parlay, I’m going to look for the Louisiana Tech defense to come up big against the Blue Raiders.

I’m going to take the Under at 54.5 points. This is a healthy number that these teams should go Under, as I don’t expect either offense to be particularly explosive on Tuesday night.

Finally, let’s go with Vattiato to hit the Under on his passing yardage prop at 271.5 yards. Vattiato has only hit this number in three of his first six games and will be facing a solid secondary against Louisiana Tech. The Under seems like the smart play here, especially parlayed with my other picks.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee spread and Over/Under analysis

Middle Tennessee opened Tuesday’s game as a three-point favorite, and the consensus line remains at a field goal in its favor. By shopping around, you can find either side of this line at favorable -105 odds.

Both teams have records against the spread that mirror their straight up performance. Louisiana Tech is 3-4 against the number this year, while Middle Tennessee is 1-5 ATS, with its only cover coming in a close four-point loss to the Missouri Tigers.

I think the best way to play this game is to take the Bulldogs to win the game outright, but the spread is a solid choice as well. We can get three points with Louisiana Tech, and that represents significant value in what should be a competitive game into the final frame.

The total of this game opened at 54.5 points. While some books have had this number bounce around a bit, the consensus Over/Under remains at 54.5, with most sites offering -110 odds on both sides.

Both schools have played about evenly with the number this year. Middle Tennessee has gone 3-3 on the total this season, while the Under holds a 4-3 edge in Louisiana Tech’s games in 2023.

I think the Blue Raiders are going to have a difficult time scoring against the Louisiana Tech defense, and that should be the key matchup that determines what happens on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs don’t tend to put up a huge number of points either, and I think this game is likely to come in around 50 points.

Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee betting trend to know

Louisiana Tech is 2-1 in three all-time meetings against Middle Tennessee and is 3-0 against the spread. Find more college football betting trends for Louisiana Tech vs Middle Tennessee.

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