Memphis vs. Tulane Expert Pick and Prediction – November 28, 2024

MEMPHIS VS. TULANE EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – November 28, 2024 — This is the game that scares the living daylights out of the Big 12. Currently, the Big 12 champion would make the playoff as the last team in the field. But if Tulane keeps winning, the Green Wave could be in position to push the Big 12 out of the playoff entirely.

And that’s because Tulane currently sits at No. 17 and Bad Kansas State can’t stop showing up. The Wave carry a loss to Good Kansas State, but because of the Wildcats’ inconsistent nature, Tulane is ranked ahead of the Wildcats as well as three other Big 12 contenders. Only Arizona State would currently qualify ahead of Tulane, and the Sun Devils still have to survive the last two weeks.

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Tulane does too, but the Wave has a much easier task. Memphis isn’t particularly frightening, nor is a conference title showdown against Army. The Green Wave appear to be hitting on all cylinders at the right time, which has them set up to potentially steal the last spot in the playoff.

Memphis is out to play spoiler. The Tigers have had a fine season at 9-2, but they are not in the mix for the playoff. Their defense got shredded in losses to Navy and Texas-San Antonio, hardly teams on the level of Tulane. The Green Wave’s only losses have been Kansas State and Oklahoma, solid for a school at this level. So the Tigers go in with nothing to lose and a lot of people in the Big 12 rooting for their success.

The Odds

Kickoff

When: Thursday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans 

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: Unavailable

Public Money: Unavailable

Memphis vs. Tulane In-Season Trends

Tulane has really teed off as of late. The Green Wave have held their past three opponents to a mere 19 points, and they’ve covered in seven of eight. Only two of their league opponents have managed to get more than two touchdowns, as the defense has really carried this team this year.

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Memphis has really been a poor bet this year. The Tigers usually do enough to win the game, but that doesn’t mean they cover the slate. Memphis has been favored in every game since it beat Florida State in Week 3, but the Tigers have covered just twice in that eight-game stretch. This time, they’re an underdog, which did bode well for them last time. But as we know by now, that Florida State team never should have been favored against anyone.

Weather

The good news is that the temperatures will be fairly high at 75 degrees. The bad news is there could be strong storms and a tornado possible in New Orleans. This has the potential to be a complete mess.

The Difference-Makers

Both teams move the ball well and don’t make many mistakes. With 16 scores to his name, Mario Anderson Jr. has the potential to be a key player for Memphis in this game. However, he has been inconsistent. In the loss to Texas-San Antonio, Anderson Jr. only managed 53 yards on 12 carries and Memphis had to let Seth Henigan air it out. Keeping the ground game consistently moving would make a big difference.

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Makhi Hughes represents his own matchup difficulty on the ground in the Tulane backfield. With 15 scores and 1,291 rushing yards, he’s capable of making sure that Memphis doesn’t see much of the football if he gets going.

The Pick

There’s too much to like about Tulane here. The Green Wave just haven’t been scratched in the American this season, and they’ve only really had an issue with teams at the power level. That doesn’t bode well if Tulane finds its way into the playoff, but for the American, the Green Wave are in a class by themselves so far. They should take care of business.