Conference USA Odds, Predictions, Betting Preview 2022 College Football

Conference USA Betting Preview & Odds

Conference darlings UAB and UTSA (defending champion) will battle for C-USA supremacy with Western Kentucky on the climb. UTEP and North Texas are exciting and will battle in the second tier. And it’s worth a look at Charlotte.

However, the biggest story of this year’s Conference USA is the three teams that left for the Sun Belt. Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Mississippi all took off, dissolving the East and West divisions and leaving the future of the conference in disarray

But, this season will go on. 11 teams will battle their respective non-conference schedules alongside a loaded conference schedule, and one team will be crowned 2022 C-USA champion.

Let’s take a look at which team that might be, alongside any other value we can glean from the Conference USA Betting Odds and Conference USA Futures.

Order of teams based on my power rankings.

UAB Blazers Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

UAB and UTSA are neck-and-neck, both being listed at +200 to win the title at FanDuel (although UTSA is the favorite at DraftKings, +210 to +240).

Bill Clark did step away after re-building the program, but he’s built a very solid core and the program is simply promoting the OC into the HC role. This is a team with a great run game behind three returning OL, and that will complement returning QB Dylan Hopkins and returning WR1 Ryan Davis. They also return eight starters on defense and are projected to take a huge step forward on that end.

This is from a team that went 10-3 ATS last year.

Most important, this non-conference schedule is nothing. It goes home against Alabama A&M, on the road against Liberty, and home against Georgia Southern. They do get LSU in Baton Rouge, but that might be their only loss this season.

If they beat UTSA at home in Week 10, the Blazers should pick up an 11-1 record and their third CUSA title in five years.

But the price on their title odds is too short. Instead, look towards their win total, which is set suspiciously low at 8.5 and with plus-money juice at DraftKings.

Potential Bets:

  • UAB over 8.5 wins (+115 at DraftKings)

UTSA Roadrunners Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

Meep Meep!

UTSA made some huge noise last season, starting 11-0 and making their way to No. 15 in the AP Poll before dropping a game to North Texas. They won the conference title game but dropped their bowl game.

This team returns eight starters on offense, with experience at all three levels. Four starting offensive linemen return alongside their top four receivers, and both groups will give oodles of confidence to QB Frank Harris.

Harris has turned into the best QB in this conference. He threw for 3100 yards, rushed for 700, and scored 33 touchdowns while throwing just six picks. He was PFF’s 27th-rated QB in all of CFB last season, and the sky is the limit this season.

The non-conference schedule is brutal. They start with Houston at home, then go on the road to both Army and Texas. However, this team has plenty of upside and they should compete in all of those games and be favored in most CUSA games.

They’ll compete with UAB for the title and should be bet week to week – I like them at home against Houston (primetime mid-major matchup as a home dog) and at Texas (catching plenty of points in not a true road environment). However, I have nothing in the pre-season for them.

Potential Bets:

  • UTSA ATS vs Houston in Week 1
  • UTSA ATS @ Texas in Week 3

UTEP Miners Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

UTEP rode a hot defense to a 7-6 SU and 8-5 ATS record last season, generally exceeding expectations in CUSA after some disastrous initial years in the Dana Dimel rebuild. They slid down the stretch after a 6-1 start, but it was a successful season overall.

The Miners lose their top-two wide receivers, but this will be a very experienced group. QB Gabin Hardison Jr. leads a group of seven returning offensive starters while the defense brings back eight, including Phil Steele’s No. 1 defensive line and No. 2 linebacker group.

I don’t see much value with the Miners this season. It’s a cookie-cutter schedule with back-to-back games against the New Mexico teams and two bye weeks, but over 5.5 is a hard pass at the juice.

I’d look to target unders with this team on a week-to-week basis, given the solid defense and a likely step back in the passing game.

Potential Bets:

  • None

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

I have a ton of love for this team. Zach Kittley, Bailey Zappe, and co. put together the most electric offense of all time.

The run is over.

Tyson Helton is back, but they return just four offensive starters from 2021. They do return seven defensive starters, but the defense was horrendous last season – nobody could stop the run. The defensive unit could take a step forward, but it won’t be enough to compensate for the offensive losses.

The schedule isn’t particularly strong, but the ‘Toppers are simply overvalued from last year’s dominant run. I’ll be fading them all season long, starting with their win total.

Potential Bets:

  • Western Kentucky under 8.5 wins (-135 at FanDuel)

North Texas Mean Green Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

I think there’s some interesting upside with the Mean Green this year.

They won five straight down the stretch last season, including three road wins and an upset over a ranked UTSA squad. Overall, North Texas finished 9-4 ATS with a fairly potent offense and a half-decent defense.

North Texas loses their top running back and most of their defensive line, but they return so much other production. Their entire backfield is back outside of DeAndre Torrey, four offensive linemen return – making this the deepest and most experienced unit in the conference – and their starting QB Austin Aune is back for his fourth season. All-in-all, the Mean Green get back 13 starters (eight offense, five defense) and 43 lettermen.

The Mean Green also added two Power-5 WRs in Mizzou transfer Jay Maclin and Nebraska transfer Latrelle Neville.

This offense is going to move the rock. They will be able to run the ball with a high level of consistency and could produce some explosive plays with an experienced passing game. They will play up to competition and likely beat down on a relatively easy schedule.

If you’re looking for a long shot in the C-USA this season, I like the Mean Green.

Potential Bets:

  • North Texas to win C-USA (+2000 at FanDuel)

Florida Atlantic Owls Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

It’s a mixed bag for FAU, who return a ton on offense but less on the defensive side.

Eight starters return on the offensive side, including former Miami QB N’Kosi Perry and former USF RB Johnny Ford. Add in returning offensive lineman and that’s a great start. Moreover, this is year three of Willie Taggart’s reign here and year three of his Gulf Coast offensive scheme. You could see the Owls make a big jump on that side of the ball.

The defense brought in some key transfers, but FAU ultimately returns just six starters while losing six of their top seven tacklers.

The Owls went just 4-7-1 ATS last season and lost their final four to fall short of bowl eligibility. While there is some upside to the team, how high can the ceiling be for the Owls?

They avoid UTSA in conference play, but I’m not counting a lot of easy wins on the schedule. I’m going to pass altogether.

Possible Bets:

  • None

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

OK. Rick Stockstill returns Chase Cunningham after a season where they won five of their final seven games and beat Toledo in the Bahamas Bowl. This team is going to be good, right?

Nope. I’m out on the Blue Raiders.

Middle Tennessee returns just 10 starters outside of Cunningham and only four on the offensive end. The secondary has been ravaged this offseason. They’re projected to finish outside the top-100 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per SP+.

On top of that, you’re looking at a tough schedule. Non-conference games include at James Madison, at Colorado State, and at Miami FL. MTSU immediately picks up UTSA and UAB after that, and they travel to UTEP following the bye.

I think this team flails in September and October and stumbles its way to bowl ineligibility.

Possible Bets:

  • Middle Tennessee under 5.5 wins (-105 at DraftKings)

Charlotte 49ers Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

Eight offensive starters return for Will Hardy, who enters his fourth year running the program. That includes their QB Chris Reynolds, now the school’s all-time passing leader, their top-three RBs, top-three WRs, and TE.

The defense was a joke last season and is a question mark this season. But they’re overhauling it. They brought in a new defensive coordinator in Greg Brown, who has 12 years of NFL experience with DBs, and are changing all their schemes.

I look at the schedule and I see three pretty easy wins (William and Mary in Week 2, FIU in Week 9, Rice in Week 10) alongside several toss-up games.

But given how productive the offense should be, I’d expect Charlotte to win some high-variance shootouts and sneak over their win total. Club Lit will be bumping this season once again.

Possible Bets:

  • Charlotte over 4.5 wins (-110 at DraftKings)

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

First-year head coach Sonny Cumbie – a former Texas Tech QB – will try and revitalize a program that went just 3-9 last season.

The good news? Cumbie starts with 14 returning starters, including eight on the defensive side.

The bad news? They replaced their QB and are trying to install a new scheme.

The Bulldogs finished last season just 4-8 ATS and lost seven of their final eight games. There’s perhaps some upside considering the new installations, but there are too many question marks to make a real, +EV play on La Tech.

Possible Bets:

  • None

Rice Owls Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

Preview upcoming season – essentially a how to bet this team analysis, covering notes from list above.

With a 2.5-to-3.5 win total and with 100-to-1 odds to win the conference, I’m not sure how much we have to talk about Rice.

Mike Bloomgreen enters his fifth year with the program, having started 14 different quarterbacks in four years and has gone 0-6 SU as a home favorite in his career. The resume is underwhelming and the roster is even more.

I don’t project any value on either fading or backing the Owls this season.

Possible Bets:

  • None

Florida International Panthers Betting Odds

  • Odds To Win National Championship:
  • Odds To Win Conference:
  • Regular Season Win Total:

FIU might be the worst team in the nation this season. It’s neck-and-neck with New Mexico.

Just 10 starters return alongside only 48 lettermen (32 left). They will be a long way away from the 85-player scholarship limit. This is after they went 1-11 last year (0-8 in conference play) and finished 2-9-1 ATS.

FIU’s win total is up at 3 on DraftKings, with the under at just -105. This is a complete rebuild and I can’t find three wins on this schedule.

Possible Bets:

  • FIU under 3 wins (-105 at DraftKings)

Conference USA Predictions

To recap my favorite pre-season bets from the C-USA, let’s look at the bets I’ll be making and the bets I’m leaning towards.

Bet Now:

  • North Texas to win C-USA (+2000 at FanDuel)
  • UAB over 8.5 wins (+115 at DraftKings)
  • Charlotte over 4.5 wins (-110 at DraftKings)
  • Western Kentucky under 8.5 wins (-135 at FanDuel)
  • Middle Tennessee under 5.5 wins (-105 at DraftKings)

Prepare to Bet:

  • UTSA ATS vs Houston in Week 1
  • UTSA ATS @ Texas in Week 3

Lean:

  • Florida International under 3 wins (-105 at DraftKings)
Post
Tanner joined Lineups to cover everything, but he has vast experience in, and unlimited passion for, Major League Baseball and NCAA Basketball. He’s a McGill University grad and former (Canadian) Division-I alpine ski racer who now spends his time drinking beer and betting home underdogs. Patrick Mahomes is a poor man’s Tom Brady.

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