South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, Latest Odds for Salute to Veteran Bowl

The Western Michigan Broncos will be the underdog in the first matchup of bowl season tonight. The Salute to Veterans Bowl is set to kick off from Montgomery, Alabama in a rare early bowl game as the Broncos take on the South Alabama Jaguars.

The Broncos haven't been to a bowl game in three years, dating back to their 52-24 win over Nevada in 2021. South Alabama is arriving to their third-straight bowl game, coming off of a 59-10 win last year against Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl. It is important to note, however, that they have a new coach in Major Applewhite who was not at the helm for those last two appearances.

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South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Odds

South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Date, Time, and Where To Watch

• Date: December 14, 2024
• Time: 9:00 pm ET
• Where To Watch: ESPN

South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Prediction for Salute to Veterans Bowl

Hayden Wolff leads this Western Michigan offense after throwing for 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns this year. He's part of a veteran group on the WMU offensive unit, and that experience will aid them in bowl season as many teams deal with transfers. On the other side, Gio Lopez is the quarterback for South Alabama, and is only a freshman. He will play in his first bowl game today. Many of his Jaguars' teammates were apart of the last two years though, and they know what it's like to find a bowl victory after last year's blowout in a similar matchup.

Part of bowl season is about who's coming into the matchup with momentum. Western Michigan had lost three games in a row before rebounding against Eastern Michigan in their final game of the regular season. They put up 26 points at home, and got a powerful performance from their two-headed monster in the backfield. Jalen Buckley and Zahir Abdus-Salaam both ran for over 100 yards on the day, with each scoring a touchdown and ending with exactly 19 carries apiece. That type of balance will play well today against South Alabama, who is giving up 154 yards per game on the ground. We aren't expecting to see a ton of defense today by either side, but whoever can execute better in the rushing game is going to control the game script.

This line has fallen down to +7.5 after opening at 10, dropping steadily throughout the week. The majority of the bets are on South Alabama according to our oddschecker+ Public Betting Splits, but the line continues to move away from the public side. We are going to roll with the underdog Broncos, who will look to play spoiler against a slightly more talented South Alabama squad.

South Alabama vs. Western Michigan Pick for Salute to Veterans Bowl

• Pick: Western Michigan +7.5 -110 Get oddschecker+ right now for just $9.99 per month. Don't miss out on this December deal!