It’s an all-American showdown as two American Conference foes claw and maul one another in Birmingham. Memphis enters the matchup 4-1, coming off a 59-8 blowout victory and having scored 42 points or more in three of its first five games. UAB has had its moments as well, averaging 340.4 yards per game and converting on 84.6% of its red-zone opportunities. However, in Saturday’s matchup, it will likely be the Tigers doing most of the heavy lifting and ultimately creating separation on the scoreboard.
So far this season, Memphis is averaging 541.2 total yards of offense per game, including 290.8 passing yards, 250.4 rushing yards and 38.6 points per contest. Last week in Charlotte, the Tigers won by 51 points, covering this spread nearly four times over. They have already outscored opponents by 81 points through five games and continue to show one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the conference. Against teams not named Boise State, Memphis has averaged nearly 43 points per game, demonstrating an ability to put opponents away once momentum swings in its favor.
While UAB is capable of moving the football, the Blazers have struggled against arguably stronger competition, including a 42-23 loss to Illinois and a 21-14 defeat against Louisiana. Memphis presents an even bigger challenge thanks to its combination of explosive playmaking and offensive balance. If the Tigers approach their season average offensively, UAB will likely be forced into a game script it does not want. The Blazers may hang around early, but over four quarters, Memphis appears better equipped on both sides of the ball and looks poised to pull away by multiple scores and cover the 13.5-point number.
Memphis vs UAB prediction: Memphis Tigers -13.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -14.5 (-105).
