Arkansas State vs Memphis Odds, Line and Spread
- Arkansas State and Memphis kick off their season Saturday at 8:00 PM Eastern
- Both teams will be relying on new contributors as Tigers RB Kenny Gainwell opted out of the season and Red Wolves WR Omar Bayless was picked up by the Carolina Panthers
- See the game odds, spread and total along with predictions below
College Football is back at long last, with a smattering of games taking place over Labor Day weekend between Group of Five FBS programs.
Looking at the Arkansas State vs Memphis odds you’ll see the public is all over the underdog. For what it’s worth I think that’s a good wager, but I’m going to ignore that in favor of the great one on the board.
Arkansas State vs Memphis Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State Red Wolves | +19.5 (-110) | +590 | O 73.5 (-112) |
| Memphis Tigers | -19.5 (-110) | -950 | U 73.5 (-108) |
Odds taken Sept. 2nd
Memphis was the 8th best offense in college football last year, scoring 39.3 points per game. Arkansas State ranked 23rd scoring 33.1 points per game. The issue with these stats? It isn’t last year anymore.
Both teams lost their biggest threat on offense which has me thinking the under is the correct play.
Kenny Gainwell Heads to the NFL Early
All-American RB candidate Kenny Gainwell opted out of the 2020 college season due to COVID-19. Nobody can blame him for the decision but the fact remains it’s a huge loss for the Tigers.
Gainwell recorded 1,459 rushing yards, 610 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns last season. Those stats cannot be replaced overnight, and while Memphis does have other talent on the roster, they don’t have any players that compare to Gainwell’s NFL ready talent.
💙 #memphisforlife pic.twitter.com/5R0M17pDqH
— Kenneth Gainwell19 (@KENNETHGAINWEL) August 31, 2020
New head coach Ryan Silverfield will be in tough to match last year’s offensive output. I think it’s almost impossible to imagine the Tigers will be a top ten unit again this season, which makes the total here tough to stomach.
Quarterback Brady White is a good player in his own right but without his biggest weapon the offense will take a hit.
Can Red Wolves Offense Perform Without Bayless?
Memphis lost a key running back while Arkansas State lost one of the best wide receivers in all of college football. Omar Bayless was a stat stuffing machine last year, compiling 1,653 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
Without him, quarterback Layne Hatcher will need to rely on a committee of receivers which isn’t his specialty. He relied heavily on his safety blanket and with Bayless now in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, Hatcher could be in trouble.
Let’s Kick It Off.
Saturday Night in Primetime. #WolvesUp X #ONE pic.twitter.com/ThgAVjGm60
— Arkansas State Football (@AStateFB) August 31, 2020
Hatcher won’t be the only Red Wolves quarterback in the opener as the team has decided to go with a dual threat approach at the position. They will start Junior Logan Bonner, but the staff has been clear both quarterbacks will get snaps.
Indecision and a depleted roster don’t usually lead to historic scoring outputs. Consider it another reason to gravitate towards the under in this one.
Defensive Units Have Advantage In Game 1
This has been a crazy year to say the least. Football training camps have looked very different and my belief is that will benefit the defense early on.
Dealing with rust and a lack of preparation time isn’t made easier by superstar absences and one team that can’t decide which quarterback should sit on the bench.
It’s not the most exciting pick, but bet the under confidently when Arkansas State and Memphis take the field on Saturday.
The Pick: Under 73.5 Points (-108)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
