Memphis vs. Utah State picks and best bets for First Responder Bowl

The Memphis Tigers and Utah State Aggies will close out their seasons in the First Responder Bowl from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Tuesday, December 27th. Both programs are coming off losses in the regular season finale as they look to finish 2022 with a record above .500.

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Memphis -7.5
Total: 60.5
Moneyline: Memphis -320, Utah State +265

Key players that have opted out, injuries for First Responder Bowl

Memphis

WR Kobe Drake - Questionable (undisclosed)
WR Joseph Scates - Questionable (undisclosed)
RB Brandon Thomas - Out (undisclosed)
DB Julian Barnett - Out (undisclosed)

Utah State

QB Levi Williams - Out (ankle)
QB Logan Bonner - Out (lower body)
DT Phillip Paea - Out (knee)
WR Kyle Van Leeuwwen - Out (knee)

Weather

Mostly sunny skies. High of 55 degrees. 10-15 MPH wind.

The Pick: Under 60.5

The worst unit on the field in this matchup is the Utah State offense, which ranks 104th in yards per play (4.9). The Aggies have gone through plenty of quarterback injuries during the regular season, and they ran the ball on 57.3% of snaps, which is the 25th-most often. This combination leads me to think the under is the play here.