The 2023 Camellia Bowl will take place this afternoon as the Arkansas State Red Wolves will duke it out with the Northern Illinois Huskies at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, AL. This game will kick off at noon ET and will air on ESPN.
Arkansas State (6-6, 4-4 Sun Belt) had an atrocious start to the regular season, but fought its way through the Sun Belt to reach bowl eligibility. Offensively, quarterback Jaylen Raynor earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors, throwing for 2,300 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also added an additional five scores on the ground. On the defensive front, Nate Martey and Keyron Crawford combined for 11.5 sacks during the campaign.
Northern Illinois (6-6, 5-3 MAC) was able to win its final two games of the regular season to reach bowl eligibility, a nice bounce back after a down 3-9 campaign in 2022. Running back Antario Brown was the engine of the offense, earning First Team All-MAC honors by breaking off 1,164 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. On defense, cornerback Javaughn Byrd did an effective job patrolling the secondary, ending the year with 28 tackles, five passes defensed, and two interceptions.
SP+ Rankings
Arkansas State: 93 overall, 72 offense, 108 defense
Northern Illinois: 85 overall, 109 offense, 47 defense
List of injuries and players opting out of game
Arkansas State
QB Christian Hunt – Out (Transfer Portal)
RB Mike Sharpe – Out (Transfer Portal)
RB Zak Wallace – Probable (Tailbone)
Northern Illinois
RB Kendrell Flowers – Out (Transfer Portal)
TE Bryce Harrison – Out (Transfer Portal)
WR Trey Urwiler – Out (Transfer Portal)
WR Kacper Rutkiewicz – Questionable (Undisclosed)
WR Davis Patterson – Questionable (Undisclosed)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
Arkansas State: 7-5 ATS
Northern Illinois: 5-7 ATS
Total in 2023
Arkansas State: Over 6-6
Northern Illinois: Over 6-6
Team Pace
Arkansas State: 2.40 plays per minute of offense
Northern Illinois: 2.06 plays per minute of offense
Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Arkansas State -3
Total: 54.5
Moneyline: Arkansas State -148, Northern Illinois +124
Opening line: Arkansas State -1.5
Opening total: 51.5
Weather
69 degrees, cloudy, 6 MPH winds ESE
Our Best Bet for the Camellia Bowl
Under 54.5
Both offenses move at relatively slow paces, so we could be in for a handful of lengthy drives in this one. I don’t expect this bowl to be the biggest of offensive showings, so I’ll lean towards the under cashing here.