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USATSI

The South Alabama Jaguars will look to match the program's longest winning streak since becoming a FBS program in 2012 when they host the Troy Trojans in a Sun Belt Conference game on Thursday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The Jaguars (5-1, 2-0 in Sun Belt) have won three consecutive games, over Louisiana Tech, Louisiana and Louisiana-Monroe. The longest winning streak in program history is four, which South Alabama has done twice, the most recent coming in September and October 2014. Meanwhile the Trojans (5-2, 3-1) have won four consecutive games, the second-longest active streak among Group of Five teams. 

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET. The Jaguars are 3-point favorites in the latest South Alabama vs. Troy odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 47. Before making any Troy vs. South Alabama picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now the model has dialed in on South Alabama vs. Troy and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of the model's college football picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Troy vs. South Alabama:  

  • South Alabama vs. Troy spread: Jaguars -3 
  • South Alabama vs. Troy over/under: 47 points 
  • South Alabama vs. Troy money line: Jaguars -160, Trojans +135
  • USA: The Jaguars rank fifth in the country in turnover margin (+8) 
  • TROY: The Trojans are second in the Sun Belt in passing yards per game (312.7) 
  • South Alabama vs. Troy picks: See picks here

Why South Alabama can cover

South Alabama's defense figures to have a big edge when Troy attempts to run the ball. The Jaguars give up just 95.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 12th in the country. That bodes well against a Trojans offense that averages just 86.7 rushing yards per game, which is 125th in the FBS.

In addition, South Alabama has a trusty kicker in Diego Guajardo. A junior from Spanish Fort, Ala., Guajardo has converted all nine of his field goal attempts this season and is one of just 11 FBS players to have not missed a field goal attempt this year. (Just five kickers have more attempts than Guajardo without a miss.) Three weeks ago he nailed a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give South Alabama a 20-17 victory over Louisiana.

Why Troy can cover

Troy has a tackling machine in Carlton Martial. A 5-foot-9 senior linebacker from Mobile, Ala., Martial averages 10.5 tackles per game this season, which ranks 10th in the country. He also is the only player at the FBS level since at least 2000 to have at least 405 tackles, six interceptions and 41 tackles for loss in his career.

In addition, the Trojans have dominated the series against South Alabama recently. Troy has won the last four meetings against the Jaguars, including a 31-24 over South Alabama last year. The average score across those four games has been 34-14.

How to make South Alabama vs. Troy picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 44 points. It also has an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's Troy vs. South Alabama picks at SportsLine.

So who wins South Alabama vs. Troy? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Troy vs. South Alabama spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $3,000 on top-rated picks over the past six-plus years, and find out.