The first bowl game of the week kicks off tonight at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN when the 8-5 Trojans take on the 8-5 Gamecocks in Montgomery Alabama.
SBR's Rob Paul breaks down the action in his Troy vs Jacksonville State prediction:
Jacksonville State Moneyline (+115)
"This should be a pick'em between fairly evenly matched teams. However, Troy is favored, despite dealing with far more roster attrition.
The Trojans have several key injuries and players in the transfer portal, plus QB Goose Crowder is banged up after exiting the Sun Belt Championship. While Crowder is expected to play, he's going to have a difficult time keeping pace with a Jacksonville State offense that's ranked No. 61 by SP+.
Cam Cook, RB, Jacksonville State: 2+ TDs (+205)
"The biggest reason to bet on Jacksonville State to win outright is because of Cook. The TCU transfer has been the engine of the Gamecocks' offense in head coach Charles Kelly's first season. He leads the nation in rushing yards (1,659) and sits No. 4 in rushing TDs (16).
Cook's the definition of a big play back, with his burst and ability to make defenders miss - he's No. 1 in the country in 15-plus-yard runs (15) and forced missed tackles (103). He should wear down a Troy defense that's allowed 21 rushing touchdowns in 13 games.
With Cook's workload (25 touches per game), he'll have every opportunity to score at least twice against the Trojans. He's scored multiple touchdowns in four games this season, and if he does again, a $10 bet pays a $20.50 profit.
An alternate option is to parlay Cook scoring at least once (-275), something he's done in 10 straight games, with the Jax State ML."
SBR's Rob Paul breaks down the action in his Troy vs Jacksonville State prediction:
Jacksonville State Moneyline (+115)
"This should be a pick'em between fairly evenly matched teams. However, Troy is favored, despite dealing with far more roster attrition.
The Trojans have several key injuries and players in the transfer portal, plus QB Goose Crowder is banged up after exiting the Sun Belt Championship. While Crowder is expected to play, he's going to have a difficult time keeping pace with a Jacksonville State offense that's ranked No. 61 by SP+.
Cam Cook, RB, Jacksonville State: 2+ TDs (+205)
"The biggest reason to bet on Jacksonville State to win outright is because of Cook. The TCU transfer has been the engine of the Gamecocks' offense in head coach Charles Kelly's first season. He leads the nation in rushing yards (1,659) and sits No. 4 in rushing TDs (16).
Cook's the definition of a big play back, with his burst and ability to make defenders miss - he's No. 1 in the country in 15-plus-yard runs (15) and forced missed tackles (103). He should wear down a Troy defense that's allowed 21 rushing touchdowns in 13 games.
With Cook's workload (25 touches per game), he'll have every opportunity to score at least twice against the Trojans. He's scored multiple touchdowns in four games this season, and if he does again, a $10 bet pays a $20.50 profit.
An alternate option is to parlay Cook scoring at least once (-275), something he's done in 10 straight games, with the Jax State ML."