2020 Montgomery Bowl odds, line, spread: Memphis vs. FAU picks, predictions from model on 55-35 run

The Memphis Tigers and FAU Owls will square off for just the second time when they meet in the 2020 Montgomery Bowl on Wednesday. The Owls (5-3) beat the Tigers (7-3) 44-27 in the 2007 New Orleans Bowl for their first bowl victory. The Montgomery Bowl was created as a replacement for the Fenway Bowl, which was among the games canceled because of the pandemic. It will be a battle between a powerful Memphis offense led by senior quarterback Brady White and a fierce Owls defense that allows fewer than 17 points per game. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The Tigers are eight-point favorites in the latest Memphis vs. FAU odds at William Hill Sportsbook, and the over-under for total points scored is 49.5. Before making any FAU vs. Memphis picks, check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It enters bowl season a sizzling 55-35 on all top-rated picks, returning over $500. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic in the Montgomery Bowl 2020. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis:

• Memphis vs. FAU: Tigers -8
• Memphis vs. FAU over-under: 49.5
• Memphis vs. FAU money line: Tigers -330, Owls +260
• MEM: WR Tahj Washington has a reception of at least 25 yards in eight straight games.
• FAU: The Owls have averaged 42.5 points in winning all four of their bowl appearances. 

Why Memphis can cover

Memphis is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven against Conference USA teams, and White has the offense locked in. The senior is sixth in the nation in passing yards with 3,096, and the Tigers average just shy of 315 passing yards per game. Calvin Austin is having a breakout junior season, topping 1,000 yards with 10 TDs and a 17.1-yard average on his team-high 60 receptions. Tahj Washington averages 18.2 yards on his 35 grabs and has scored six times.

White also leans heavily on tight end Sean Dykes, who is second on the team with 47 catches and has scored seven times. The Tigers have won four of their last five straight-up, and they face an FAU team that is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 non-conference games. The defense’s strength is against the run, ranking 45th in FBS at 145.7 yards per game. It should slow an FAU offense that is 111th in the nation in total yards (328.9) and gets 185.3 of that (56 percent) on the ground.    

Why FAU can cover

FAU has covered the spread in all four bowl games it has played, and the defense is the hallmark of this year’s team. It allows 326.4 yards per game, ranking 16th in the nation, and it is especially stingy against the pass (12th at 175.6). Linebacker Leighton McCarthy (nine sacks) and end Jaylen Joyner (six) will get after White, who has been taken down 20 times. The Owls have 25 sacks in the eight games, ranking 17th in the nation in takedowns per contest.

The Owls, who are 5-1 ATS in their last six as an underdog, also have been known for takeaways, and while they have just eight this season, three have come over the past two games. The offense has relied on the run as the passing game has struggled, and James Charles averages 4.6 yards per carry. Quarterback Javion Posey is the team’s leading rusher with 401 yards (7.6 per carry), while starter Nick Tronti has 759 passing yards and five TDs. 

How to make Memphis vs. FAU picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, as the simulations show no rusher going over 75 yards in this contest. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins FAU vs. Memphis? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Memphis vs. FAU spread to back, all from the advanced model on a 55-35 run on its top-rated college football picks this season.