Middle Tennessee vs. Liberty picks, best bets for Tuesday night college football

The Liberty Flames take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a Week 8 Conference-USA matchup on Tuesday, October 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET from Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Liberty (6-0, 4-0 CUSA) notched a major win last week over Jacksonville State to gain the sole top spot in the conference standings. Still undefeated, the Flames beat the Gamecocks 31-13. Quarterback Kaidon Salter passed for two touchdowns in the win, but running back Quinton Cooley is the star of the show for the Liberty offense. He had 28 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

MTSU (2-5, 1-2 CUSA) finally grabbed a second win in Week 7 after several weeks in a row of losses to conference opponents. They defeated Louisiana Tech, 31-23. Quarterback Nicholas Vattiato passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and running back Jaiden Credle added 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the game.

SP+ Rankings

MTSU: 113 overall, 112 offense, 104 defense
Liberty: 57 overall, 51 offense, 59 defense

Injury update

MTSU

WR Kellen Stewart - Questionable (concussion)
RB Frank Peasant - Questionable (undisclosed)

Liberty

RB Vaughn Blue - Out indefinitely (lower body)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread in 2023

MTSU: 2-5 ATS
Liberty: 5-1 ATS

Total in 2023

MTSU: Over 3-3-1
Liberty: Over 2-4

Team Pace (through Week 7)

MTSU: 2.37 plays per minute of offense
Liberty: 2.05 plays per minute of offense

Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Liberty -14.5
Total: 56.5
Moneyline: Liberty -675, MTSU +490

Weather

57°F, Mostly cloudy, 1% chance of precipitation, 2 MPH winds

Our Best Bet for MTSU vs. Liberty

Liberty -14.5

Liberty is unstoppable right now, and with the rest of their schedule, I would not be shocked if they went undefeated. They’ve been dominant on both sides of the ball and should be able to make quick work of an MTSU team that has struggled to eke out wins over much lesser teams this season.