Myrtle Beach Bowl Picks, Predictions and Odds: Old Dominion vs. Tulsa

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

Dec. 20, 2021

Jonathan Willis
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

The Myrtle Beach Bowl is set for Monday as the lone Bowl game as the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes battle the Old Dominion Monarchs. Opening kick is set for 2:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN from Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.

Score Prediction

Tulsa 27, Old Dominion 21

Best Bets

Old Dominion +9.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Myrtle Beach Bowl Predictions

Kudos to Old Dominion for winning five straight games to make it to bowl season. The Monarchs were 1-6 with only an FCS win to their credit at the midway point of the year, but they closed out the season on a long winning streak. They are sizeable underdogs to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the Myrtle Beach Bowl though.

Tulsa played one of the more difficult schedules in the nation this season. The Golden Hurricane had to face Oklahoma State and Ohio State on the road, and they needed to win three straight games to close out the season in order to become bowl eligible. Only one of their six wins was by more than a touchdown though, so Old Dominion is the pick for the side.

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Myrtle Beach Bowl Betting Resources

• Matchup: CUSA vs. AAC
• Date: Monday, December 20, 2021
• Venue: Brooks Stadium
• Location: Conway, South Carolina
• TV-Time: ESPN, 2:30 p.m. ET

• Weather Report
• College Bowl Games Central
• Bowl Game Confidence Pick Ratings

Old Dominion Monarchs Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 6-6
• ATS: 9-3
• O/U: 5-7

UCF transfer D.J. Mack Jr. began the season as Old Dominion’s starting quarterback. Mack was ineffective as a starter though, and he ceded the job to freshman Hayden Wolff in mid-October. Wolff hasn’t been great, but he has been more effective than Mack. The freshman is completing over 62% of his passes for 7.8 YPA.

Ali Jennings III is the most dangerous receiver on the roster. He is averaging 17.7 YPR, and he was a monster in the Monarchs’ last two games. Jennings caught 13 passes for 398 yards and three touchdowns in wins over Middle Tennessee State and Charlotte. Tight end Zack Kuntz has 71 receptions for 674 yards and five scores.

The top two running backs for Old Dominion are averaging over 5.0 YPC. Blake Watson has run for 1,035 yards (5.1 YPC) and seven touchdowns, and Elijah Davis has run for 575 yards (5.5 YPC) and six touchdowns.

Old Dominion has done a good job stopping the run. The Monarchs are allowing 3.6 YPC and 127 YPG on the ground. However, they have had some struggles stopping the pass and rank outside the top 100 in havoc stats like sack rate and interception rate.

Tulsa Rockets Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 6-6
• ATS: 7-5
• O/U: 8-4

Davis Brin has been a boom or bust quarterback for Tulsa. Brin is completing 58.8% of his passes for almost 3,000 yards (7.9 YPA) with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He has tossed multiple interceptions in six games this year, but the Golden Hurricane have won three straight games where he threw multiple picks.

This offense is ranked 75th in SP+. They have had some trouble moving the chains through the air, but they are averaging 4.7 YPC. Shamari Brooks sat out last year after tearing his ACL just before the start of the season, but he has run for over 900 yards for the third time in a row. Anthony Watkins has shown explosiveness too.

Zack Long was one of the best kickers in the country this season. Long missed just two kicks all year, and one of those misses was from over 50 yards. That gives Tulsa an edge over Old Dominion.

Tulsa is ranked 54th in Defensive SP+. The Golden Hurricane have been good on this side of the ball despite the loss of Zaven Collins, and Jaxon Player earned all-conference honors up front. Opponents are completing just 56.4% of their passes against this defense.

(AP)

Inside the Stats - Old Dominion Monarchs

• Record: 6-6
• VI Ranking: 94
• Points Scored: 342
• Points Allowed: 331
• PS/G: 28.5 (68th)
• PA/G: 27.6 (80th)

Inside the Stats - Toledo Rockets

• Record: 6-6
• VI Ranking: 74
• Points Scored: 313
• Points Allowed: 329
• PS/G: 26.1 (85th)
• PA/G: 27.4 (77th)

Key Players to Watch

• ODU: Hayden Wolff - QB (139/224, 1,753 yards, 9 TD, 6 INT)
• ODU: Blake Watson - RB (202 carries, 1,039 yards, 8 TD)
• TULS: Davis Brin - QB (220/375, 2,9057 yards, 16 TD, 16 INT)
• TULS: Shamari Brooks - RB (192 carries, 922 yards, 6 TD)

Myrtle Beach Bowl Betting Conclusion

The Golden Hurricane are the better team, but they won’t be able to pull away from Old Dominion. The Monarchs should be able to keep it within one score, and they have the advantage of being closer to home.

Myrtle Beach Bowl Betting Trends

• Tulsa has covered the spread in five of its last six games away from Tulsa.
• Tulsa has covered the spread in four straight games.
• Old Dominion has covered the spread in nine of its last 12 games.
• Old Dominion has covered the spread in five straight games.

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