The South Alabama Jaguars will face the Northwestern State Demons in non-conference action on Thursday night. South Alabama is looking for its third winning season in a row, while Northwestern State is eyeing its first win in two years. The Demons (0-2) return to the road for their second Thursday night game of the season. The Jaguars (0-2) are playing their second home game of the season after opening against North Texas on Aug. 31. This will be the first meeting between the teams.
Kickoff from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala., is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Jaguars are 36.5-point favorites in the latest South Alabama vs. Northwestern State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 60.5. Before making any Northwestern State vs. South Alabama picks, make sure you check out what SportsLine expert, Emory Hunt, has to say.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player's perspective.
Hunt's dedication to analysis of all levels of college and professional football helped go 93-78-5 (+777) on all college football picks in 2023. He's also off to an 8-2 start (+570) on college football picks this season. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now Hunt has set his sights on Northwestern State vs. South Alabama and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Hunt's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines on the spread, money line and over/under for South Alabama vs. Northwestern State:
- South Alabama vs. Northwestern State spread: South Alabama -36.5
- South Alabama vs. Northwestern State over/under: 60.5 points
- NWST: The Demons are ranked 25th in scoring offense in FCS at 29.5 points per game
- SA: The Jaguars have covered the first-quarter spread in five of their last seven games at home (+2.85 units)
- South Alabama vs. Northwestern State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why South Alabama can cover
Freshman Fluff Bothwell leads the Jaguars' rushing attack. In two games, he has carried 16 times for 100 yards (6.3 average) and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 34 yards. He racked up 10 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown at Ohio on Saturday. He made his collegiate debut against North Texas, rushing six times for 30 yards and a score.
Sophomore linebacker Blayne Myrick has anchored the defense and is the Jaguars' leading tackler through two games. In the 27-20 loss at Ohio on Saturday, he registered 10 tackles, including six solo, with one forced fumble. He made 12 stops, including three solo, in the opener against North Texas. In limited action last season, he made seven tackles, including six solo. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Northwestern State can cover
Junior running back Kennieth Lacy is off to a solid start to his season. In two games, he has carried 16 times for 147 yards (9.2 average) and two touchdowns. Against Prairie View A&M, he carried nine times for 75 yards (8.3 average) and a score. After limited action last season due to several forfeit losses, Lacy is looking to recapture his form from 2022. That season, he carried 95 times for 435 yards (4.6 average) and scored four touchdowns.
Defensively, junior transfer Blake Gotcher has been a tackling machine. In just two games, the former Louisiana A&M standout has registered 34 tackles, including 12 solo. He also recorded two sacks and one forced fumble. In three collegiate seasons, Gotcher has made 114 tackles, including 38 solo, with four sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Northwestern State vs. South Alabama picks
Hunt is leaning Over on the total. He's also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.
Who wins Northwestern State vs. South Alabama, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the expert who is off to an 8-2 start on CFB picks this season.