Bowl Season kicks off at 9:00 p.m. ET in Montgomery, AL on Saturday night, where the Veterans Bowl will feature South Alabama vs. Western Michigan. Will the Broncos cover as 9-point underdogs? Or will the explosive Jaguars ran away with this game in the end?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
South Alabama Jaguars (-9) vs. Western Michigan Broncos (+9); o/u 57.5
9:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 14, 2024
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
TV: ESPN
South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Public Betting: Bettors Nearly Split
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 51% of bets are on South Alabama. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
South Alabama QB Questionable
Gio Lopez (undisclosed) will be part of South Alabama’s 2025 team, according to his announcement Wednesday. In a time when many student athletes change colleges to better their careers, Lopez does not need to. During the freshman’s 2024 regular season with South Alabama, he logged 205 completions for 2,557 yards and 18 touchdowns. Lopez also recorded 82 carries for 465 yards and seven TDs, reaching 3,000 all-purpose yards and 25 endzone touches. The announcement should be welcoming news to South Alabama, whose program now awaits his availability for Saturday’s bowl game against Western Michigan.
Buckley has big performance in win over EMU
Jalen Buckley accrued 19 rushes for 103 yards and one touchdown and reeled in all three targets for 13 yards during Saturday’s 26-18 win against Eastern Michigan. Buckley came up big for the Broncos in the win, with his second game of the year with 100-plus rushing yards. The sophomore ball carrier has been a touchdown machine as of late, with six rushing scores in the last five games. He finished out the regular season with 120 attempts for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Betting Trends
South Alabama is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of South Alabama’s last 9 games
South Alabama is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of South Alabama’s last 9 games
South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Prediction
Take Western Michigan. Or should I say, take the points. It’s not that I love the Broncos in this spot – I just don’t see the Jaguars as having a decided edge. Not one big enough to lay nearly double digits with this South Alabama team, anyway.
The Broncos stumbled down the stretch. They were rolling along nicely until the calendar flipped to November. Blowout losses to Northern Illinois and Bowling Green were bad, but losing outright to an overmatched Central Michigan team in their rivalry game was perhaps worse. Give the Broncos credit though, they did knock off Eastern Michigan 26-18 as a 6.5-point home favorite to close out their regular season and become bowl eligible.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars posted wins at Louisiana Lafayette and at Southern Miss, but fell 45-38 to Texas State in their regular season finale. They’re explosive offensively, but they’re also turnover machines and are often penalized. I envision a situation where a sloppy South Alabama allows Western Michigan to hang around long enough for the Broncos to give the Jaguars a game in the fourth quarter.
South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Prediction: Western Michigan Broncos +9