Auburn Game Tonight: Tigers vs Mercer Line, Predictions, Odds, for Football Game Sept. 3rd
The 2022 Auburn football season begins tonight, and after the offseason the Tigers just went through, it couldn’t come soon enough.
Where to begin? Well, there’s the February inquiry into the program that nearly sent a second coach packing in as many offseasons. Bryan Harsin survived it, but the unrest in the program led to a slew of transfers and new coaches at seven different positions on the staff.
Then there was the resignation of Athletic Director Allen Greene last week, just eight days before the start of the new year. It’s unclear why Greene didn’t at least wait to see if the 2022 Auburn football team was improved in the second year of the Harsin era, but perhaps new Auburn University President Christopher Roberts had his mind made up about the AD when he came onboard in May.
Sandwiched between that craziness was a three-way quarterback battle that saw the heavy favorite for a large majority of the offseason, Zach Calzada, fall far behind his competitors, and saw T.J. Finley take control late in the race to hold off A-Day MVP Robby Ashford.
With Finley now the chosen one under center and impact contributors like RB Tank Bigsby, TE John Samuel Shenker, EDGE Derick Hall, and LB Owen Pappoe all choosing to return after some doubt following the 2021 season, the Tigers are ready to rock as a major favorite against a Week 1 FCS opponent. (All lines courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook)
Mercer vs. Auburn football Odds, Spread and Total
Spread:
Auburn: -31.5 (-110)
Mercer: +31.5 (-110)
Total:
54 (Over -110/Under -110)
Mercer vs. Auburn Pick and Prediction
Mercer, despite being from the SoCon, are far from a pushover relative to 2021 Weeks 1&2 opponents Akron and Alabama State, who both lost by 50+ points. They covered the spread against Alabama last year, losing by just 34, and just defeated their 2022 Week 1 opponent Morehead State 63-13.
There is a ton of returning talent from last year on this squad, and they did well to replace All-American Fred Davis at running back with Brandon Marshall — obviously not that Brandon Marshall. QB Fred Payton threw for 1,661 yards and 12 touchdowns during his senior season last year and went for 248 yards and four touchdowns last week while Isaac Dowling returns to the LB room after recording a team high 73 tackles.
A spread cover may not come Week 1 as the Tigers integrate new play-caller Eric Kiesau’s offense and contend with a high-powered Bears multi-level offensive attack on the other end of the football, but the over appears a safer bet.