Bethune-Cookman vs Miami Odds, Picks & Prediction | NCAAF Betting Preview (Thursday, September 14)

Bethune-Cookman vs Miami Odds

Saturday September 16

7:30 pm Eastern Time

CAC Network

Bethune Cookman Odd
Spread	Total	money line
+XX -110	XX -110o / -110u	+XX

Miami Odd
Spread	Total	money line
+XX -110	XX -110o / -110u	+XX

The Miami Hurricanes just earned their signature first victory of the Mario Cristóbal era with a 48-33 victory over Texas A&M.

After a painful 5-7 campaign last fall, the Canes looked like a Miami team of yesteryear, putting up 48 points and 451 total yards against a ranked SEC opponent. Now comes the hard part: the AP Top 25 ranking and expectations.

The Hurricanes have been nothing but a mediocre ACC program over the past five years, posting a straight-up 35-28 record and a humiliating 26-37 mark in the window dating back to 2018.

Therefore, bettors should approach Miami and Cristobal with caution.

Speaking of Super Mario, he’s been nowhere after a big win. Going back to his time at Oregon, after a Cristobal-led team defeats a nationally ranked opponent, his teams go just 2-4 against the spread in the next game.

Can Bethune-Cookman maintain that trend with new head coach Raymond Woodie Jr. at the helm, or will the Canes cover this massive number at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday night?

Let’s dig into the odds and find a pick for Bethune-Cookman vs. Miami in this Thursday night NCAAF betting preview.

Call this my FCS PSA, but it’s important to note the huge difference between a nationally ranked team at that level and everyone else. From an overall quality standpoint, a ranked FCS team is similar to a minor bowling team at the FBS level.

But once you start venturing outside of the FCS Top 25, things get complicated. Enter Bethune-Cookman, an HBCU in the midst of a rebuild.

The last time the Wildcats finished a season ranked was in 2015, and the program was essentially torn down by former coach Terry Sims. In his final two seasons in Daytona Beach, Sims finished with a 4-18 record.

Raymond Woodie Jr. arrived after years of coaching experience in the FBS. Most recently, he coached linebackers at Oregon and Florida State and was an assistant head coach at FAU.

Woodie earned this opportunity, and after a humiliating 56-14 opening loss to Memphis, his Wildcats bounced back with a 31-6 home win over Savannah State.

While the Wildcats have reason to be optimistic offensively, namely JUCO transfer Luke Sprague at quarterback, their defense is in the pits. Against Memphis, a high-functioning FBS offense, they allowed 551 total yards and 56 points. The Tigers moved the ball at will from the start, scoring points on five of their first six drives.

I’ll give Bethune credit for betting on the defensive backfield, twice taking out veteran quarterback Seth Henigan. The Cats also returned one of those interceptions for touchdowns.

But overall, this defense is at best a patchwork and at worst a complete sieve.

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There were hopes that Miami could turn things around quickly after making splashy moves at both coordinator positions.

Shannon Dawson spent three years calling plays and two as a true offensive coordinator in Houston under Dana Holgorsen. Her offenses were known as quarterback-friendly, which helped Clayton Tune steadily improve from a game manager to a 40-touchdown superstar who is now on an NFL roster.

Early returns with Tyler Van Dyke indicate Dawson is working his magic again. Last season, TVD was the definition of a JAG, just a guy, as he racked up a 51.7 QBR to rank 82nd nationally. In two games with Dawson, he’s already ranked in the top 10 in that metric (87, eighth), and he looked absolutely masterful against Texas A&M with 374 yards and five touchdowns.

Suffice to say, the offense is clicking and should continue to destroy its opponents until Clemson and Florida State arrive later in the season.

Defensively, the Canes also made a coordinator change, bringing in Lance Guidry. He arrived from Marshall after a tremendously successful season with the Thundering Herd.

Marshall finished last season in the top 10 in 12 different defensive categories. He was stripped of the ball 29 times (fifth), allowed just 15 red zone touchdowns (seventh) and featured the best third-down defense in the country.

Against Miami (OH) in the opener, the Canes defense was suffocating and came off the field on 10 of the RedHawks’ 12 third-down opportunities.

Now, their performance against an A&M team with Bobby Petrino calling the shots was much less impressive, as they allowed 433 yards. But in typical Guidry defense, they won the day with three turnovers.

Games like this come down directly to motivation.

Last season, Miami opened its season and the Cristobal era against Bethune-Cookman and defeated the Wildcats, 70-13. That game was to send a message that there was a new sheriff in town. It also came against a 2-9 Wildcat team with an outgoing head coach.

The Wildcats’ roster is better offensively this time around and Miami won’t have the same desire to send a message.

Add to that a short week for the Canes, and we’re likely to see disappointment as they go from a season-defining win over an SEC team to playing in front of a sparse Hard Rock crowd that empties after see the legendary Bethune-Cookman band. “Pride”, at halftime.

Give me the points here.

Choose: Bethune-Cookman +53 (Play up to 50)

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