NCAAF Week 12: Tulane vs. Tulsa odds, preview, and pick

An exciting AAC matchup awaits college football fans and bettors this Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) as the Tulane Green Wave (5-4) visit the No. 25 Tulsa Golden Hurricane (4-1). Both schools enter this matchup riding prolonged winning streaks. Will it be Tulane that exits Chapman Stadium with a victory, or will Tulsa protect their home turf? Here’s our wagering preview.

Tulsa has benefitted from opponents’ COVID-19 outbreaks

The Golden Hurricane have seen three opponents (Arkansas State, No. 8 Cincinnati and Navy) postpone scheduled matchups due to COVID-19 issues in 2020, giving the program three unscheduled bye weeks.

The breaks have done little to upset Tulsa’s momentum, as they’ve won four straight games since dropping their season opener against a ranked Oklahoma State squad. That includes their dramatic 28-24 victory over SMU on Saturday, in which they overcame a 21-point halftime deficit.

Tulane’s defense has turned things around since a mid-season slump

The Green Wave’s defense was torched in three straight games in October, allowing a total of 137 points in three straight losses. Their stoppers have righted the ship since then though, allowing a total of just 36 points in their last three games, all victories.

Both offenses can pile up the points

Tulsa has scored 138 points in four games since being held to a lone touchdown in their season-opening defeat to Oklahoma State. Senior quarterback Zach Smith is completing 61.5% of his passes for eight yards per attempt with a 10-6 touchdown-interception ratio. He’s complemented by a rushing attack led by sophomore Deneric Prince, who’s scampered for 5.3 yards per carry on 63 attempts this year.

Tulane is a run-first offense that features two running backs with over 500 yards on the ground through nine games in senior Stephon Huderson and sophomore Cameron Carroll. Only Army (27) has more touchdowns on the ground than the Green Wave does in 2020 (26).

Freshman Michael Pratt has done an adequate job under center for Tulane this season since taking over in Week 7. His completion percentage (55.3%) and yards per attempt (7.3) are fairly low, but his 14-4 touchdown-interception ratio is strong.

Trends suggest a shootout is in store

The Over is 6-2-1 in games involving Tulane this season. It’s also 4-1 in the Green Wave’s last five games as a road underdog.

Tulsa has exceeded the total in four of their last five games as the betting favorite. The last six times these teams have met, the Over has cashed on five occasions.

Predicted score: Tulsa 35, Tulane 28

NCAAF pick: Over

Wager on all college football Week 12 action now at BetAmerica.