Louisiana Tech vs. Middle Tennessee NCAA Week 7: Fading Bulldogs on road has been money
Great news for college football bettors as the action this week starts with three games on Tuesday night. We’ll start with a look at the 7 p.m. ET kickoff between Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee from Murfreesboro on the CBS Sports Network. The Blue Raiders are just 1-5 straight up and ATS on the season but are 3-point home favorites.
Middle Tennessee was a solid team last year at 8-5 but already has matched its overall loss total and yet to beat an FBS team in 2023. The lone win for the Blue Raiders came Week 3 over Murray State, 33-14. QB Nicholas Vattiato is second in Conference USA in passing yards with 1,571 but also tied for second with six picks.
That #BLUEnited offense is averaging only 20.7 points per game despite having three receivers with more than 300 yards on the season, one of 10 FBS schools to accomplish that. In his last two games combined, North Carolina transfer Justin Olson has hauled in 15 passes for 200 yards. Elijah Metcalf’s team-leading 31 catches already are five more than he had all of last year. On the ground, the Blue Raiders are averaging 4.4 yards per carry in their past four after only 2.6 ypc in the first two.
Louisiana Tech has lost three of four after starting 2-1 but has matched last year’s win total of three. Boise State transfer Hank Bachmeier opened the season as the starting QB but Jack Turner has been the starter for the past three games.
Whomever is at QB has one of C-USA’s top receivers in Smoke Harris. He has 48 receptions for 485 yards and three touchdowns this season and ranks third in program history with 273 career receptions and ninth in receiving yards with 2,598. Harris is the only active FBS player with 2,000 receiving yards, 800 kickoff return yards, and 600 punt return yards in a career.
Running back Tyre Shelton has 58 carries for 436 yards and five touchdowns. Shelton has topped the century mark in rushing in his three consecutive games, the first Bulldog to do so since Boston Scott in 2017.
On Sept. 29, Louisiana Tech won at UTEP to snap a 16-game road losing streak but still is just 3-10-1 ATS in its past 14 away. It hasn’t won in Murfreesboro since 1984.