The Akron Zips posted a 7-6 record, including a 6-3 MAC record, to gain bowl eligibility, and their reward is to head to sunny Florida and play the Owls of Florida Atlantic…in their home stadium. The Owls went 10-3 (9-0 Conference USA) behind the revival of head coach Lane Kiffin. The two programs have never played before, and this is Florida Atlantic’s first bowl game in nine years, since their 24-21 squeaker over Central Michigan. Akron last appeared in a bowl game in 2015, taking down Utah State in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Take a look at our Boca Raton Bowl preview, along with the latest NCAAF odds for this midweek bowl game from the Sunshine State.
2017 Boca Raton Bowl Preview & Pick: Akron vs. Florida Atlantic
When: Tuesday, December 19, 217, 7:00pm ET Where: FAU Football Stadium, Boca Raton, FL TV: ESPN Radio: 1350 AM (Akron) / WFTL 640-AM (Florida Atlantic) Live Stream: WatchESPN Boca Raton Bowl Odds: Florida Atlantic (-22.5), O/U 64.5It’s Nelson versus Driskel in this quarterback showdown! See how they stack up before they take the field for this year’s bowl game! 🍒🏈 pic.twitter.com/FBJYY5r5QD
— Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (@BocaBowl) December 13, 2017
Weather Forecast
- Clear: 24°C/75°F
- Humidity: 80 %
- Precipitation: 5%
- Wind: 5 mph SE
- Cloud Cover: 11%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why should you bet on the Zips?
The Zips limp into this game after taking a 45-28 beating at the hands of Toledo in the MAC Championship game two weeks ago. The Zips did win the MAC East, but that was definitely the weaker of the two divisions in the conference. They run a quarterback-by-committee (which brings to mind the old saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have a quarterback) featuring Thomas Woodson, the senior, and freshman Kato Nelson. The two combined to throw 22 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions over the course of the year. Kwadarrius Smith is the Zips’ best receiver, having gone over 100 receiving yards in two of the last three contests and posting 726 yards and seven scores during the season. The tailbacks for Akron are not strong — Manny Morgan leads a threesome with 393 yards. Defense is an area of concern for Akron as well. Toledo torched Akron for 93 points in the two games that the two teams played this year. Their passing defense and rushing defense both gave up a lot of yards and points this year, and Florida Atlantic is poised to take advantage. With that said, this line is immense (22.5 points). Can the Owls rout the Zips by this much? If you think Akron can cover, then you may think that FAU may let up on the gas a little bit in the second half.Why should you put your money on the Owls?
Florida Atlantic is riding high on their win in the Conference USA title game, where they routed North Texas, 41-17, two weeks ago. Their offense rolled up 633 yards on the Mean Green. While Jason Driskel is a good game manager at quarterback, throwing just four picks against 13 touchdown passes, this is a team that thrives on the running game. Tailback Devin Singletary picked up an eye-popping 1,796 yards on the ground in his sophomore season, topping 100 yards in 11 straight games, and finding the end zone 29 times. In that C-USA title game, he ran for 164 yards. The Owls’ defense is also stout — especially against the run. Their secondary does have some holes — their pass defense ranked just #92 among FBS programs. However, they only permitted 24 points per game, as they showed a bend-but-don’t-break philosophy. FAU has won nine games in a row and has a ton of momentum coming into this bowl game in front of their home fans.Latest Boca Raton Bowl Betting Trends
- Akron is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Akron is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Akron’s last 11 games
- Florida Atlantic is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
- Florida Atlantic is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
