Tag: Predictions

South Alabama vs. Southern Miss Live Stream, NCAA College Football, TV Channel, Start Time

The South Alabama Jaguars will make the trip to take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Thursday night. Stream the game here now.

The college football season is here and tonight we have the first FBS game of the 2020 season. The South Alabama Jaguars will make the trip to take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Thursday night.

South Alabama had its sixth straight losing season last year while Southern Miss went 7-6 and ended in the Armed Forces Bowl where they lost 30-13 to Tulane. This will be the first time these teams are meeting in an FBS game.

South Alabama vs. Southern Miss

  • When: Thursday, September 3
  • Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: CBSSN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Prediction: Southern Miss is the better football team coming from the better conference in college football. Two touchdowns is a lot of points to cover but will two solid wide receivers and a decent passing game, I’d expect them put up some points Thursday night. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (-13.5).

NCAA Football Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA Football odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Thursday at 5:15 p.m. ET.

South Alabama vs. Southern Miss (-13.5)

Over/Under: 57.5

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USA TODAY Sports projects New Year’s Six matchup for Gators in 2020

The Gators make an appearance here, projected to make a return trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl, which they won over Virginia last season.

Predicting end-of-season bowl matchups is a bit of a guessing game right now. The number of FBS squads competing this fall has shrunk from 130 to 76, meaning that not all 43 bowl games will be able to be filled.

The lack of participation from the Big Ten and Pac-12 will also impact conference tie-ins for these matchups, making it extremely difficult to project postseason matchups.

USA TODAY Sports tried its hand, however, releasing predicted matchups for this season’s College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six Bowl games.

The Gators make an appearance here, projected to make a return trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl, which they won over Virginia last season. This time around, college sports editor Erick Smith foresees a matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are usually a football independent but will be competing in the ACC this fall.

With the smaller field of teams, the SEC has a good representation in these predictions, with two squads (Alabama and Georgia) projected to make the College Football Playoff, and three more (Florida, LSU and Texas A&M) slated for the NY6.

Alabama is predicted to win its semifinal over Oklahoma and face Clemson, not the Bulldogs, in the National Championship. Meanwhile, LSU is given a date with Virginia Tech in the Peach Bowl, while Texas A&M faces Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.

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NFL analyst predicts lower production by Derrick Henry in 2020

NFL Analyst for PFF Sam Monson predicts former Alabama RB Derrick Henry will have notably low production in the 2020 season.

Former Alabama running back Derrick Henry was one of the top running backs in the NFL for the 2019 season. The Heisman-winner helped carry the Tennessee Titans all the way to the AFC Championship. The question that looms over Henry heading into the 2020 season is if he’ll be able to be the same player, or better, than he was the year before.

Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson believes Henry will produce lower numbers in 2020 for a variety of reasons.

In 2019, Henry’s fourth season in the NFL, he rushed for a league leading 1,540 yards off of a league high 303 carries. He also led the NFL in touchdowns with 16.

Admittedly, that’s a difficult set of stats to improve upon, but Monson is convinced Henry won’t even be able to replicate his career-best season.

“They basically brought everybody back from a year ago and the plan is to just run it back again. That worries me,” Monson said. “I don’t think that what they were doing last season was sustainable. So this idea that Ryan Tannehill is going to play as well as he did last year, that Derrick Henry is going to play as well as he did last year, I think would be pretty concerning. I think Derrick Henry’s production is a lot less bulletproof than people are giving it credit for.”

He cites the team’s quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, and his strong, unprecedented play in 2019. If Tannehill can’t have as good of a season, Monson believes that ill directly impacts Henry’s production.

He’s able to back up his claim by pointing out henry’s inconsistency while the Titans had Marcus Mariota as their signal caller.

“He was the No. 11 rusher in the NFL when Marcus Mariota was the starting quarterback – [and then] they made the switch to Ryan Tannehill and everything changed,” Monson said. “Since that point, they also let one of the best run-blocking tackles in the NFL in Jack Conklin hit the open market in free agency, so I could see Derrick Henry having a notably worse season this year than he had last year. I don’t know that you’re going to be looking at him as this phenomenal rushing champion kind of player.”

‘Notably worse’ may be an extreme claim, but if the league has learned one thing about the Alabama product, it’s that he can turn it on in big games and be the difference maker.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Derrick Henry as he makes his way into year No. 5 in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans.

Bleacher Report predicts potential upset over Alabama

Bleacher Report highlighted some games in the 2020 college football season that could be put on upset watch. One of those games is Alabama’s

In almost every game Alabama plays, the Crimson Tide are usually considered the favorite. Nick Saban’s team being considered the underdog is a rare sight. Though, they have lost a handful of games in recent years, an Alabama loss is national-headline worthy.

Seeing that Alabama opens the 2020 college football season as the No. 3 ranked team in the country, they are currently the highest ranked team in the SEC, meaning they won’t be playing anyone above them – for now, at least.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted some potential upsets to keep an eye on throughout the 2020 college football season, and Alabama’s Week 6 matchup against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi makes the list.

Miller mentions the two losses Alabama had against the rebels in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. However, Alabama has beaten Ole Miss over the past three seasons by a total of 146 points.

The program decided to follow a trend plenty of other teams from across the country have committed to and hired a former assistant coach to Alabama’s Nick Saban. Lane Kiffin, former Alabama offensive coordinator, will make his Ole Miss coaching debut in 2020 and has the opportunity to take down Goliath, also known as his future employer: the Alabama Crimson Tide.

While Lane Kiffin can only do so much from the sidelines, Miller has faith in those that’ll be taking the field.

“Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season and accounted for three touchdowns in last year’s loss to Alabama,” writes Miller. “Aside from LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and Alabama’s tandem of DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, Elijah Moore is arguably the SEC’s most noteworthy returning wide receiver. And Jerrion Ealy is a breakout star waiting to happen after compiling 894 yards from scrimmage as a true freshman.

To have any hope, though, Ole Miss needs to figure out how to slow down the Alabama offense for a change. The Crimson Tide have averaged 58.8 points during its four-game winning streak against the Rebels. Plumlee and Co. are capable of scoring a bit, but putting up anywhere near that against this Alabama defense will be virtually impossible.”

NFL analyst predicts best & worst case scenarios for Alabama rookies

NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicts the best, worst case scenarios for Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy and Henry ruggs in their rookie seasons.

Alabama lost three of their most important offensive pieces to the 2020 NFL draft. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III are now spread throughout the league after all being early first-round selections.

They were all key contributors to the Crimson Tide during their time in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Now, the question we must ask is: “how will they fare in the NFL?”

NFL.com’s media analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicts the best and worst case scenarios for numerous high-profile rookies in the 2020 season, including the former Alabama stars.

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say:

Jerry Jeudy – Denver Broncos

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Jeudy was selected with the No. 15 overall pick by the Denver Broncos and is expected to play well across from pro Bowl receiver Courtland Sutton.

Best case scenario:

“Jeudy benefits from the presence of Courtland Sutton and dominates his one-on-one matchups,” writes Jeremiah. “His quickness causes fits in the slot and he quickly emerges as Drew Lock’s favorite third-down target.”

Worst case scenario;

“The Broncos lean on the running game and that limits Jeudy’s production,” writes Jeremiah. “Lock spreads the ball around to Denver’s talented array of young skill-position players. The offense has success as a group, but there aren’t any eye-popping individual numbers.”

Jeremiah predicts Jeudy will record 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns.

Next … another star receiver

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Longhorns Wire Roundtable: Texas preseason predictions

With the 2020 college football season just over three weeks away, the Longhorns Wire staff weighed in our their predictions for Texas.

It’s been a whirlwind offseason, but college football is quickly approaching. We’re now just a mere 24 days (at time of publishing) away from kickoff. The Texas Longhorns are in the midst of fall camp and looking to ramp up the intensity as they prepare for the UTEP Miners on Sept. 12th.

The buzz surrounding three of the Power Five conferences is reaching a fever pitch. The Longhorns are eager to get the sour taste of an 8-5 season out of their mouths. Although it’s a shortened season with minimal offseason work, expectations are sky high.

Head coach Tom Herman has spoke at length regarding what a successful season would be for the Longhorns. Obviously,  this particular season could be derailed in a matter of moments due to COVID-19 or injuries to a key player.

For Texas, the expectation level is to compete for the Big 12 title. That’s the primary stepping stone in order to advance to the College Football Playoff.

With a substantial amount of hope and optimism in the air as the schedule approaches, Longhorns Wire staff put together their predictions for the upcoming season.

Related: ESPN predicts each game by win probability

Related: 2020 Longhorns Wire game-by-game predictions

Next up the staff’s predictions

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Updated 2020 NFL predictions have the Saints going all the way to the top

The latest NFL predictions from USA TODAY have the New Orleans Saints winning their fourth consecutive NFC South title, and Super Bowl 55.

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Just how good can the New Orleans Saints be in 2020? How many games can they realistically win? After putting two 13-win seasons together back-to-back for the first time in team history, it’s fair to wonder if that’s their ceiling.

And while the latest NFL predictions from Nate Davis for USA TODAY has the Saints winning just 12 games instead of 13 this season, he forecasts an even bigger accomplishment than their fourth consecutive NFC South crown: a victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl LV.

Those are some serious expectations, but it’s been the standard for the Saints for years now. This just might be their last shot at winning it all with Drew Brees calling the shots from under center. Here’s what Davis wrote of his prediction for the Saints:

It seems any internal fissures caused by Brees’ comments about standing for the flag in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death have at least been caulked over. On paper, good luck finding weaknesses on a veteran roster coach Sean Payton has so much confidence in that he punted the virtual offseason. Newly signed WR Emmanuel Sanders, S Malcolm Jenkins, third-year DE Marcus Davenport and now-healthy RB Alvin Kamara loom as difference makers for a squad coming off a 13-3 effort and seeking a fourth straight division crown. However the Saints might really miss their fans in a year with so many tough non-divisional teams (Packers, Chargers, 49ers, Chiefs, Vikings) coming to the Superdome.

Elsewhere around the NFC South, Davis anticipates Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get locked into a two-horse race for second-best, with the stuck-in-the-mud Atlanta Falcons. He’s skeptical that Brady and rookie tackle Tristan Wirfs will hit the ground running against a slate of big-name pass rushers that starts with Cameron Jordan, while also questioning whether the Falcons can have as much success in the second half of the 2020 season as they saw last year (beating both the Saints and the San Francisco 49ers on the road).

Meanwhile, Davis suspects it’ll take more than Teddy Bridgewater alone to fill the void of team leadership that the Carolina Panthers lost between dual departures for Cam Newton and Luke Kuechley. They’re a distant fourth-place finish, with a chance at landing the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

You can read the full team-by-team breakdown from Davis by following this link, or get a quick look at how thing shook out where we’ve embedded them below:

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USA TODAY predicts Packers will go 9-7 but win NFC North in 2020

The annual season predictions from Nate Davis projected the Packers to go 9-7 but win the NFC North once again in 2020.

USA TODAY’s predictions for the 2020 NFL season imagined a scenario in which the Green Bay Packers would win four fewer games than last season but still retain the division crown.

Nate Davis of USA TODAY predicted the Packers will go 9-7 but still win the NFC North for the second consecutive season in 2020.

Davis predicted the winners and losers of all 256 regular-season games to project win-loss records for all 32 teams. He settled on 9-7 for the Packers, but that record was good enough to win the NFC North over the Minnesota Vikings (8-8), Detroit Lions (7-9) and Chicago Bears (5-11).

Davis noted the lack of playmakers added this offseason and the potential difficulty of the quarterbacks the Packers will face outside of the division in 2020 as major reasons for regression.

As for the postseason, Davis predicted the Packers would beat the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Wild Card Round before falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round. The New Orleans Saints were the predicted NFC champs and Super Bowl champs.

Although 9-7 would be viewed as a sharp decline after Matt LaFleur’s team won 13 games in 2019, any record between 9-7 and 11-5 has to be considered probable for the Packers, who overachieved in many significant areas and likely won’t be as fortunate in close games in 2020. They are prime regression candidates, even if the team might be better overall this season.

A year ago, Davis predicted the Packers would go 9-7 but miss the playoffs. In 2018, he believed the Packers would go 11-5 and make the playoffs. Obviously, the Packers made the playoffs in 2019 but missed the playoffs in 2018.

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Cowboys rank as NFL.com’s top offense in 2020 behind No. 3-ranked triplets

Just how good will the Cowboys offense be? It’s hard to bet against their high ceiling when all parts are considered.

The Dallas Cowboys have done a masterful job constructing their offense for the 2020 season. With training camp underway, finally, being able to assess the level of talent in the meeting room for Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore has gone from an on-paper exercise to true evaluation.

The first looks at the newest addition, rookie WR CeeDee Lamb wowed with a spectacular catch as he one-handed snagged a ball in the opening stanza. Joining the rest of the Cowboys’ top-ranked (yardage) offense from last season appears a match made in heaven. In two separate articles, NFL.com has crowned Dallas as the league’s best offense thanks in large part to the third-best set of triplets. We’ll explain.

Ali Bhanpuri took his turn at the rankings game, identifying which combination of QB1-RB1-WR1 set the precedent for the league. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper ended up with a composite score of 20, which was the second-best behind New Orleans. However Bhanpuri weighted the QB value and that nudged the Cowboys down to third behind the Saints and No. 1 team Kansas City.

Quarterback: Dak Prescott — Rank: 5 (One game: 10 | 2020 prod.: 2)
Running back: Ezekiel Elliott — Rank: 3
Pass catcher: Amari Cooper — Rank: 10

Not sure the Star’s 91-acre campus is large enough to hold all the talent on the Cowboys’ offense. Prescott’s flirtation with the top five in our QB Index last year could turn into a career-spanning commitment after the Cowboys lucked out with the draft’s No. 1 receiver. Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup — a three-receiver set to rule them all. Elliott has apparently lost a step, according to some critics, which his pathetic 1,357 yards and 12 TDs on a 4.5 average clearly shows. Yep, the man who ranks second only to Jim Brown in scrimmage yards per game (125.5 to 125.4) clearly isn’t the same back anymore. Keep peddling that nonsense. The former No. 4 overall pick is the type of player you dream about on a $250 million mega yacht, while contemplating how life could be any better. Oh, what’s that, you say? Dallas still boasts a top-10 O-line? Yacht life is the best life. (I’ve heard.)

One has to love Bhanpuri’s refusal to go along with the crowd that there is anything wrong with Elliott.

Earlier in the week, Adam Schein put his opinions on front street when he looked at NFL offenses as a whole and surmised that the Cowboys are cooking with propane from top to bottom, ranking them first in the league.

The 2019 Cowboys ranked first in total offense and sixth in scoring. And honestly? You ain’t seen nothing yet! Dallas’ offensive numbers are about to explode.

Mike McCarthy is a terrific head coach — and a major upgrade over Jason Garrett. He’s going to get the most out of Dak Prescott, who is somehow still playing for a long-term deal. Dak set career highs in passing yards (4,902), yards per attempt (8.2) and TD tosses (30) in 2019. Jerry and Stephen Jones should’ve locked him up, because Prescott’s production — and his price tag — will only go up under the watchful eye of McCarthy. Especially with the wealth of receiving riches at the quarterback’s disposal. The Cowboys’ WR trio is eye-popping. Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup each eclipsed 1,100 yards last season. They obviously have a great rapport with No. 4. And then there’s the All-American wideout who fell into Dallas’ lap at No. 17 overall in April’s draft. CeeDee Lamb will be an instant star at The Star. In fact, I think he’ll be the best receiver on the team this season. Yes, he’s that big a talent, an absolute killer in big spots.

And I haven’t even mentioned Ezekiel Elliott, who remains the straw that stirs the drink on this Cowboys offense. In his four NFL seasons, he’s claimed two rushing titles (and led the NFL in rushing yards per game three times). Last year, he got off to a slow start following a 40-day contract holdout. And still, he rushed for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns, while catching 54 balls for 420 yards and two more scores. At 25, he remains squarely in his prime and will dazzle behind an offensive line that the grading gurus over at Pro Football Focus rank as the No. 3 group in football entering the 2020 campaign.

Simply put, America’s team has America’s elite offense.

Finally, senior analyst Bucky Brooks put the icing on the cake via his Twitter account, when he went into detail of how a high-octane offense is a defense’s best friend.

 

Texas Longhorns sports

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With one of the most open NBA …

With one of the most open NBA postseasons in years, there’s no clear title favorite right now, but the LA Clippers picked up one big endorsement: Kevin Durant. “If I had to choose — and I hate doing that s— because you never know what could happen, you seen that with us last year — but if I had to choose, I’ll go with Clippers and Bucks for the championship,” Durant said on the “Play For Keeps” podcast. “And I’ll go with the Clippers.”