Akron Zips vs Utah State Aggies Point Spread Picks

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL: This Bowl is in Boise, Idaho, so it will be freezing outdoors -- not a great climate for offensive football or for Akron travelling a longer way. The strength for Akron is defense. They rank third nationally in rushing defense (89.8 yards per game) and 17th in total defense (328.5). Senior linebacker Jatavis Brown was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the team with 108 tackles, including 17.5 for loss, and 10.5 sacks. But the offense is a weak spot away from home, scoring 17 at UMass, 10 at Bowling Green and 3 at Oklahoma. Akron is on a 30-13 run UNDER the total, plus 2-5 ATS in their last seven non-conference games. This is the third time in five years that Utah State will play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, which is just a four-hour drive from campus in Logan, Utah. The Aggies will be making a school-record fifth straight bowl appearance, on a 4-0 UNDER the total bowl run. The Aggies have the two best linebackers in the Mountain West in 6-5 senior Kyler Fackrell, who led the nation in fumble recoveries (five) and is considered an NFL prospect, and junior Nick Vigil, who ranks fifth in the nation in tackles (11.7 per game) and is only the player in the nation to have at least nine tackles in every game. Utah State is16-5 ATS after allowing more than 40 points in the last contest. They are also a perfect 6-0 ATS since the arrival of head coach Matt Wells when given an extra week to prepare. Utah State forced eight turnovers and stunned then No. 21-ranked Boise State, 52-26, so grab the closer "home" team in a defensive battle.  Play Utah State + the UNDER.