Memphis vs. Iowa State, Liberty Bowl: Pick, prediction, odds, live stream, watch online
Everything you need to know to watch and pick the Liberty Bowl on Saturday
By
Tom Fornelli
•
2 min read
Do you like offense? If so, the Liberty Bowl just might be the bowl game for you this season, as the offenses should find themselves having free reign. No. 20 Memphis takes on Iowa State in a battle of two offenses capable of putting points on the board in a hurry.
It's the first time in history the two schools will face one another.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Dec. 30 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Liberty Bowl -- Memphis, Tennessee
TV: ABC | Live stream: Watch ESPN, Watch ESPN apps
Storylines
Memphis: Bowl games are becoming the norm for this Memphis program, as the Tigers are playing in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season. Considering the Tigers have only played in 10 bowl games in their history before this season, it's quite the accomplishment. Also, this will be the first time Memphis plays in the bowl game that's held in the stadium it's named after. The stadium Memphis calls home during the regular season.
The Tigers were one of the most potent offenses in the country this season, averaging 47.7 points per game. The only team to score more was UCF (49.4), which also happens to be the team that beat Memphis for the AAC title a few weeks ago.
Iowa State: It has been a whirlwind season for the Cyclones, and not one many people could have seen coming. While Matt Campbell's team showed signs of improvement during his first season in 2016, there weren't many people predicting this team would jump from 3-9 to 7-5 in Year 2, picking up wins against both Oklahoma and TCU along the way.
This Liberty Bowl appearance is Iowa State's first bowl game since 2012 when it also played in the Liberty Bowl, losing to Tulsa 31-17. Iowa State's last win in a bowl game came in the 2009 Insight Bowl.
Prediction
While Memphis can score points as well as any other team in the country, it's not as if Iowa State's offense is ineffective, as it scored 30 points per game this season. While that's obviously a checkmark on the Memphis side of the ledger, Iowa State has a much larger advantage on the defensive side of the ball. Using S&P+, Iowa State's defense ranks 31st in the country while Memphis is at 109th. The Tigers racked up yardage and points all season long, but they did so against defenses that weren't exactly formidable. Iowa State won't stop Memphis entirely, but it will slow it down, and it will stay close, if not win outright. Pick: Iowa State +3.5
So what side do you need to be all over in the Liberty Bowl? Visit SportsLine now to get a strong pick for Iowa State vs. Memphis from an advanced computer model that went a red-hot 8-1 on Championship Week.
