Middle Tennessee vs Jacksonville State Prediction & Betting Tips - Oct. 23 | College Football Week 9

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders go on the road to play the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Middle Tennessee (2-5, 1-2 CUSA) is coming off a 14-5 win over Kennesaw State to snap its five-game losing streak. Jacksonville State (3-3, 2-0 CUSA) is coming off a 54-13 win over New Mexico State.

Middle Tennessee vs Jacksonville State: Preview

Middle Tennessee is a 21-point underdog while the over/under is set at 63.5 points.

The Blue Raiders are coming off a 14-5 win over Kennesaw State. It was a lackluster win for Middle Tennessee, but cornerback De'Arre McDonald believes this performance should help the defense.

"It's been rough the majority of the season," McDonald said of the defense's performance, via the team's website. "To go out and put a game like this together, it's going to really help us moving forward... This game is one of the games where you look after the season and say, 'That's what started it all.'"

Coach Derek Mason also said the game should give Middle Tennessee confidence going forward.

"I think at the end of the day, this football team laid some foundation for itself tonight," Mason said. "Because, believe me, it's hard to stop some of the bleeding when you don't necessarily know what one fix is going to make it happen."

The Blue Raiders are led by quarterback Nicholas Vattiato who has thrown for 1,760 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Omari Kelly leads the way with 651 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, Middle Tennessee is led by John Howse IV has two picks. He also leads the team with 36 tackles.

Jacksonville State, meanwhile, is coming off its bye week but before that, beat New Mexico State 54-13. Gamecocks coach Rich Rodriguez was thrilled with his team's performance in the win.

"I thought our guys seemed really dialed in and our defense was outstanding," Jax State coach Rich Rodriguez said, via the team website. "The first half of the season is over and we've gotten better. We still think there's another step or two we can take. We've started off 2-0 in the conference and that's a good thing."

This season, Jacksonville State has been led by Tyler Huff who has thrown for 1,269 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He's also rushed for 503 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensively, the Gamecocks are led by Zechariah Poyser who has three picks, Reginald Hughes has three sacks and Antonio Carter leads the team with 50 tackles.

Jacksonville State should cruise to a lopsided win with the Blue Raiders offense likely to struggle against the Gamecocks defense.

Prediction: Jacksonville State 44, Middle Tennessee 21

Jacksonville State vs Middle Tennessee: Betting Tips

Tip 1: Jacksonville State -21 (-112)

Tip 2: Over 63.5 points (-110)

Tip 3: Tyler Huff anytime touchdown scorer