The Troy Trojans (6-2) take on the South Alabama Jaguars (4-4) on Thursday night in a battle of two Sun Belt schools. Troy is on a five-game winning streak, recently dominating Texas State 31-13. South Alabama is coming off a 33-20 loss to UL-Lafayette, but prior to that, they rattled off a 55-7 win, followed by a 55-3 win. In recent history, Troy has beaten up USA, winning the last five matchups.
Will Troy continue to own South Alabama, or will the Jaguars finally get their revenge?
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗧.
In-state rivals @SouthAlabamaFB & @TroyTrojansFB will clash under the lights at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 2, on ESPN2—the 12th all-time meeting in the Battle for the Belt rivalry. ☀️🏈 pic.twitter.com/ElnQabO4ql
— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) October 31, 2023
| Team | Spread | Total | ML |
| South Alabama | +4 (-112) | Over 44.5 (-108) | +154 |
| Troy | -4 (-108) | Under 44.5 (-112) | -185 |
Odds Courtesy of DraftKings, subject to change*
Match Details
- Fixture: South Alabama vs Troy
- Date and Time: November 2, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, Alabama
- Weather Forecast: Clear, 48 degrees
Key Stats
South Alabama
The Jaguars have been decent offensively, but their two 55-point showings definitely boost their numbers. They rank 34th in total passing completions and 45th in passing attempts, which shows they aren’t afraid to go downfield. Regarding rushing, they rank 37th in the nation with 4.7 yards per carry and 50th in rushing yards. Overall, they’re around the top 20 in yards and yards per play, and they’ll need a strong offensive showing here.
USA’s defense has had some issues versus the pass, ranking 33rd-worst in opponent yards per completion. They have limited yards overall, but last week, the offense turned the ball over five times, giving UL-Lafayette many short-field opportunities.
Troy
The Trojans are averaging 441.8 total yards per game, 30th in the country. They rank 15th in yards per completion, finishing with 392 passing yards last week. They only managed 28 rushing yards, but it didn’t matter, as they won by 18.
On defense, Troy is solid all-around, allowing the 18th-fewest yards (301). They do well against both the pass and the run, but their run defense has really stood out, so look for them to rely on their ‘D’ again.
Game Prediction
Troy has been on a roll, and there’s no reason they should have a letdown game here. South Alabama last beat the Trojans in 2017, and they just lost by 13 in a game where they were 11.5-point favorites. Back the Trojans and their defense to care for the Jaguars enough to win by five.
Pick: Troy -4 (-108)
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About the Author
Lucas Abrenica has worked as a sports betting writer for over three years, with the aim of helping both experienced and casual sports bettors in their decision-making. He uses his own personal background as a bettor to help guide the information and advice in his articles.
