Taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, the Cricket Celebration Bowl is essentially the HBCU national championship as the MEAC and SWAC champions face off. For the second time over the last four seasons, the Jackson State Tigers and South Carolina State Bulldogs will be the two to battle for the HBCU honors.
Each team is streaking coming into this matchup as Jackson State has won nine straight while South Carolina State is riding an eight-game winning streak. The Tigers are chasing their first win in the Cricket Celebration Bowl while the Bulldogs could nab their second win in the highly anticipated game. This is a rematch of the 2021 contest, which featured South Carolina State rolling to a 31-10 win over Jackson State. What can we expect for Saturday’s kickoff at 12 p.m. ET?
Using the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, here is the best bet for Jackson State against South Carolina State in the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
All college football odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.
Jackson State vs. South Carolina State Betting Picks
South Carolina State Moneyline (-110)
There isn’t a whole lot of nitpicking about either one of these teams. Jackson State scores 37.1 points per game (PPG) while giving up only 17.9 PGG, and South Carolina State logs 35.5 PPG and surrenders 20.9 PPG.
Focusing on the Tigers, they look to run the rock while playing outstanding defense. Jackson State averages 40.0 rushing attempts per game compared to 22.0 passing attempts per contest. The rushing attack is lethal, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 218.5 rushing yards per game. It’s led by star running back Irv Mulligan — who is recording 106.7 rushing yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry. Mulligan finished second for the first ever HBCU+ National Player of the Year award, behind SC State’s Eric Phoenix.
On defense, the Tigers are stingy, allowing only 3.5 yards per carry and 5.9 yards per passing attempt. Defensive linemen Joshua Nobles and Tru Thompson each have double-digit tackles for loss while Nobles leads the squad with 10 sacks. Robert McDaniel and Ke’Vric Wiggins Jr. are also a daunting defensive back duo, combining for 13 PBUs on the season. Overall, this will be a tough defense to crack.
JSU’s exceptional defense is tasked with slowing the HBCU+ National Player of the Year, quarterback Eric Phoenix, who has logged 246.0 passing yards and 1.8 passing touchdowns per game paired with a 65.1% completion percentage. The Bulldogs bring a more balanced offense than the Tigers do, totaling 29.0 passing attempts per game compared to 36.3 rushing attempts per game.
South Carolina State has a great rush defense, allowing only 3.5 yards per carry and 114.9 rushing yards per game. This is a pretty favorable matchup for the Bulldogs as their pass defense is slightly weaker, surrendering 6.5 yards per passing attempt. However, Jackson State has a low pass-play rate, and quarterback Jacobian Morgan logs only 154.1 passing yards per game.
This could be our angle for taking the favorite to pull off the win. This is viewed as virtually a toss-up with SC State favored by 1.5 points. The Bulldogs simply feature more balance, giving them a better shot of finding success against a quality defense. Plus, South Carolina State has the HBCU+ Player of the Year on its side.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson State ranks 12th in rush defense among 129 FCS squads. Its pass defense looks slightly more susceptible with the 21st-highest coverage grade, giving Phoenix a chance of taking this game over. As previously mentioned, the Tigers’ offense looks lopsided with the 13th-best rushing grade and 86th-best passing grade. Once again, this plays into the Bulldogs’ paws (30th in rush defense grade; 51st in pass defense grade).
Additionally, the turnover battle could prove to be a deciding factor. The Bulldogs’ defense has a nose for the ball, forcing 2.2 takeaways per contest; this has led to a +0.7 turnover margin. Meanwhile, the Tigers tout a +0.2 turnover margin, with the defense forcing 1.6 takeaways per contest while the offense gives up 1.4 turnovers per game.
Ultimately, SC State’s defense is getting a sound matchup thanks to its elite run defense. Plus, a potential advantage in the turnover game could certainly be the deciding factor in a tight game. Give me the Bulldogs to take out Jackson State in the Cricket Celebration Bowl, just like 2021’s result.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.
