Samford vs Auburn Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for Week 3
Week 3’s Samford vs Auburn matchup will be a few things: a homecoming for AU alumni, the first game under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and the final tune-up matchup for the Tigers before SEC play.
What it won’t be? Close. With AU taking on FCS program Samford of the SoCon, the Tigers will be massive favorites and figure to have a distinct physical advantage across the field on the Birmingham-area school.
There are some kinks needing to be worked out by Hugh Freeze and his coaching staff; particularly on the offensive side of the ball, where there’s been somewhat of a crisis at the QB position. Will those kinks keep the Tigers from covering the second-biggest spread of the season thus far?
Samford vs Auburn Odds, Spread and Total
Auburn is a -33.5-point favorite at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The over/under total for the matchup has yet to be revealed as of this writing. All lines are courtesy of BetRivers and are subject to change.
Samford vs Auburn How to Watch
Date: September 16, 2023
Game Time: 6 Central Time
Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama
How to Watch: ESPN+
Samford Record: 1-1
Auburn Record: 2-0
Samford vs Auburn Key Players to Watch
Samford
Michael Hiers: The reason why Samford has a smaller spread differential than UMass is because of the presence of Michael Hiers under center for the Bulldogs. The big-armed Birmingham native has 690 passing yards through two games with six touchdowns and no interceptions yet.
Ron Roberts’ defense can make a serious statement by containing Hiers on September 16.
Noah Martin: Third-year veteran Noah Martin already has 20 tackles, looking likely to surpass his total of 86 from a season ago. He won’t change the game, but he is someone who can garner transfer consideration from schools moving forward.
Who knows? Maybe Freeze and Roberts will like what they see and give the Chattanooga product a call down the road.
Auburn
Payton Thorne: “Hopefully he’ll [Payton Thorne] start taking hold of that and showing that and improving that,” Freeze said of Thorne on September 13 (h/t AL.com). “But at the same time, Holden (Geriner) and Robby are sure nipping at his heels wanting their chance too. I think these next few weeks will play out and we’ll kinda know where we are for sure.”
It sounds like Payton Thorne’s job is not 100% secure going by Freeze’s words. Samford is the type of confidence-building opponent Thorne needs to capitalize on in order to quell these quarterback questions.
Robby Ashford: Robby Ashford has been the most dynamic playmaker thus far for the Tigers, but that was because of his massive Week 1 showing against UMass. Against Cal, the Hoover product was mostly quiet, with just eight rushing yards and no passing yards on a 1/3 passing day.
If there’s going to be an extended QB battle, Ashford will have to show out against Samford in Week 3.
Samford vs Auburn Prediction and Pick
Auburn has its typically grueling SEC West + Georgia slate ahead, with just a Week 12 reprieve against New Mexico State as a breather. Beating the breaks off the Bulldogs of Samford would be the best way to have the confidence to take that challenge head-on in the first year on the Plains for a good deal of AU’s roster.
Freeze won’t let this opportunity pass Auburn by. Lay those nearly seven touchdowns.