Written by Michael Dunn , Twitter: Mikespicks05
These two teams square off for just the second time in school history. Which was back in 2017 with FIU being victorious winning 23-10. FIU will be traveling to ‘The Big Easy’ (New Orleans) in this great matchup to kickoff their season.
Florida International Golden Panthers vs. Tulane Green Wave
Date/Time: Thursday, August 29, 8:00p.m. ET
Network: ESPN3
College Football betting odds from 5dimes
Favorite: Tulane -2
Total: 57
Not the biggest appalling game on the card for this day but if your into the smaller conferences with FIU being in Conference USA and Tulane being in the American Athletic Conference than this game is for you. Both teams have great talent and this should be a close one as the line appears.
Florida International Golden Panthers- The Golden Panthers aren’t going to win too many games in a shootout, but the offense has the skill to keep up the pace if Tulane gets going early. They open the season as two point dogs heading into this matchup. Quarterback James Morgan returns after starting all 12 regular season games and throwing 26 touchdowns, an FIU single season record. FIU will have the edge on the defensive side of the ball because of their D-line. Last season The Green Wave offensive front had a hard time keeping defenses out of the backfield. That won’t be good with FIU having a loaded defense with eight returning starters. FIU still has a lot to prove. They finished last in their conference last season in tackles for loss. Last season The Golden Panthers averaged 34.6 points per game while giving up 25.2 points per game. Last season they had three rushers get over ninety carries on the season. So that tells you they keep fresh backs in the backfield. Which averaged for 176.6 yards per game and averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Look for them to get to the run early in this matchup. For FIU this is a big moment for head coach Butch Davis, which after this game opener should have an easy run for the next several weeks.
Tulane Green Wave- This ball club has improved every season under Willie Fritz going 4-8, 5-7 and in his third year getting above .500 at 7-6. They open their season at home against FIU. Depth is a big of an issue in the Green Wave receiving core. They did acquire Oklahoma State transfer Jalen McCleskey. Tulane should get the offensive balance under control early on at home with the crowd behind them. Will it be enough to carry them to the end? That’s the uncertainty. The aggressive Tulane defense has a thrilling group of sophomores, and it can replace a couple of key DBs that they lost to the NFL draft. Obviously this is a home opener but could this be a look ahead for the Green Wave with a trip to Auburn coming up next and with Houston coming up soon after? Ultimately look for this game to be a game of rushing. Tulane prides themselves on their ground attack and if the backs are able to put up some big time numbers then FIU could be in for a long night. In many ways these two teams are so identical in so many ways.
Free Pick: Lean on FIU +2
