After the weekend kicked off bowl season with Boise State and Washington in the Bucked Up LA Bowl, college football action returns with Troy and Jacksonville State in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl.
Tuesday night’s lone matchup on the docket (9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN) features a pair of 8-5 teams. With Troy winning the Sun Belt West and Jacksonville State going 7-1 in Conference USA play, both programs may look to flex their muscles in a postseason clash.
Here, we’ll break down a Troy vs. Jacksonville State prediction and picks for the Veterans Bowl. Use PrizePicks’ CFB game for player projections on WR DJ Epps and others.
Troy vs. Jacksonville State Prediction, Preview
It’s a rivalry renewed for these in-state foes. Troy and Jacksonville State have met 63 times in their history, although Tuesday marks their first head-to-head game on the gridiron since 2001. With the Trojans owning a seven-game winning streak, the Gamecocks will aim to turn the tide.
As far as opt-outs are concerned, star Troy RB Tae Meadows is entering the transfer portal, as is EDGE DJ Jackson. For Jax State, OT Reggie Jackson is doing the same.
Troy vs. Jacksonville State Winner Payouts
The Trojans enter the Veterans Bowl as favorites, returning a 1.75x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Gamecocks are underdogs with a 1.96x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Troy vs. Jacksonville State Prediction on Winner
- Troy secures the 28th-best average starting field position, kicking off drives from their own 29-yard line.
- The Trojans’ defense is a top-30 unit in EPA/play (-0.05) and EPA/game (-3.54).
- Opponents don’t score on Troy’s defense too often in the red zone. A 76.19% conversion rate ranks 16th in the nation.
- Jax State’s offense is 113th in EPA/play.
- The Gamecocks surrender almost as many points per game (27.5) as they score (27.7).
Troy vs. Jacksonville State Picks for PrizePicks
Below are prime Troy vs. Jacksonville State picks to consider for the Veterans Bowl. PrizePicks player projections include WR DJ Epps, RB Cam Cook, and QB Caden Creel.
Troy WR DJ Epps vs. Jacksonville State Projection: 45.5 Rec Yards
- Epps’ junior campaign was his best, seeing him set career-highs in receptions (44), receiving yards (480), and TDs (5).
- After a very quiet midseason stretch, Epps bounced back by averaging 64.3 yards per game in Troy’s final three outings.
- According to Game on Paper, in FBS vs. FBS play, the Trojans averaged 3.42 yards per play on throws to Epps.
- Jacksonville State’s defense ranked 86th in opposing yards per play (5.7) and was even worse against the pass (7.9 yards per play, 102nd).
Jacksonville State RB Cam Cook vs. Troy Projection: 114.5 Rush Yards
- Like Epps, Cook found his footing in year No. 3. He led all FBS rushers in rush attempts (295) and yards (1,659) this season, also topping the conference in rushing TDs with 16.
- The Conference USA MVP averaged 130.6 rushing yards per game from the beginning of October through Dec. 5’s loss to Kennesaw State.
- Among 259 qualified rushers in the Game on Paper database, Cook sits 51st in total EPA with 14.62.
- Troy faces a run on 56.45% of plays, 118th in the nation. Teams tend to try them on the ground, racking up 192.1 yards per game (115th).
Jacksonville State QB Caden Creel vs. Troy Projection: 121.5 Pass Yards
- Creel attempted 191 passes this season, throwing for 1,341 yards across 13 games.
- Per Game on Paper, Creel’s 2.23 yards per dropback ranks 125th out of 132 qualified QBs.
- This year, 173 QBs logged 100+ dropbacks. Via Pro Football Focus, Creel’s 2.9% big-time throw rate was tied for 132nd.
- A strength of Troy’s is pass defense. They rank 16th in EPA/play (-0.15) and 30th in success rate (39.2%) allowed through the air.
Make Troy vs. Jacksonville State Picks on PrizePicks
With bowl season here, Troy vs. Jacksonville State picks are far from the only ones you can dive into. With PrizePicks’ real-money CFB game, you can cash in on the action.
Doing so is simple. Just pick your players, predict More or Less for their projected stats, and earn rewards if you’re right.
Keep it here with the Playbook for continued college football predictions, picks, and news.
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