Cure Bowl Betting Preview Includes Why The Dog Has The Edge
Will Miami-Ohio's Aveon Smith Continue High-Level Play In The 2023 Cure Bowl?
The Miami RedHawks are still prepared to use sophomore quarterback Henry Hesson for the Cure Bowl. Hesson came into the season as the No. 3 quarterback for the RedHawks.
However, starting quarterback Brett Gabbert is injured for the year, and Aveon Smith, who replaced Gabbert, has joined the transfer portal because Gabbert intends to return next season.
Hesson has thrown five pass attempts in his college career. Those five attempts came in last year’s NCAAF season.
The only other significant player from the RedHawks in the transfer portal is CB Jeremiah Caldwell, who played 87 snaps this season.
On the other hand, the Appalachian State Mountaineers won’t have their leading rusher in Nate Noel. Noel added 173 carries for a college football team-leading 834 yards. Due to the transfer portal, Noel and two wide receivers, Dashaun Davis and Millan Tucker, will all be unavailable for this game.
Appalachian State also won’t have edge rusher Donovan Spellman. He played 150 snaps this season and wasn’t an immediate starter.
Meanwhile, when the college football odds opened for this game, Appalachian State was at -4 with a moneyline of -166. The total was at 48.5.
That’s since changed. Appalachian State is now a 6.5-point favorite, -240 on the moneyline, and the total has plummeted to 41.5. Most bettors aren’t comfortable betting on Miami Ohio’s Hesson to have a big day for the 11-2 RedHawks.
Appalachian State is only 8-5 and wouldn’t be playing in this game if it weren’t for James Madison’s bowl ban. James Madison was just thrown into another college bowl because the NCAA needed them to fill a void.
Therefore, many bettors don’t have much confidence in Appalachian State to score points either. Still, while some offensive NCAAF players aren’t playing for the Mountaineers, they’ll still have starting QB Joey Aguilar under center.
Now, check out the rest of the Cure Bowl preview, originally published on December 8.
The MAC Champions will take on the Sun Belt runner-up in this year’s Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl.
The Miami-Ohio RedHawks finished the season 11-2 and won the MAC Championship against Toledo, 23-14, in an upset win. Now they’ll take their five-game winning streak and put it on the line against Appalachian State, who most recently fell to Troy in the Sun Belt Championship, 49-23.
However, although Miami-Ohio finished the regular season 11-2 with a MAC Championship, they’re underdogs against the Appalachian State Mountaineers in this college bowl game.
Appalachian State opened as 4-point favorites before jumping to five (-110), while the total is down to 47 after opening at 48.5.
The Mountaineers have five losses this season but had won five straight games before losing to Troy. The Mountaineers even shocked the world with a win over James Madison in late November.
We’ve got some 2023 Cure Bowl betting tips and trends heading into Saturday, December 16.
Redhawks vs Mountaineers 
Day/Time:
Location: FBC Mortgage Stadium
Streaming: ABC
Should Miami-Ohio Trust Back Up Aveon Smith At Quarterback?
The Miami-Ohio RedHawks watched Brett Gabbert go down in a 21-17 loss to Toledo earlier this year. He got sandwiched between two Toledo defenders on a rushing attempt near the goal line. That’s when his leg twisted incorrectly and took him out for the rest of the college football season.
Therefore, the RedHawks went with the sophomore quarterback, Aveon Smith. Smith has thrown for 638 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. However, his QBR is 26.9 since taking over.
Although Smith isn’t a great pocket passer and has limited accuracy, he can make a lot of noise with his legs. Smith ran for nearly 100 yards on 21 attempts against Toledo in a revenge game. He had an extended play of 50 yards and helped the RedHawks escape MIami-Ohio with no turnovers and just one sack.
To beat Toledo, Smith only completed six of 16 passes. So that’s a major concern for the quarterback, who is going up against a talented Appalachian State defense.
Miami-Ohio Departures & Injuries
When it comes to the MAC, few NCAAF players sit out of bowl games. That’s mainly for the power-five conferences with major talent falling into the first round of the next NFL Draft.
However, the RedHawks lost starting quarterback Brett Gabbert for the year due to a leg injury. He’s a fifth-year junior who could still play for the RedHawks next season in his sixth season.
While Gabbert is a tremendous loss, the RedHawks have relied being Smith. Aveon Smith is 4-0 since taking over for Gabbert.
Appalachian State’s Incredible Second Half Saved Some Jobs
The Appalachian State Mountaineers began the season 3-4. More than halfway through the season, many fans and analysts believed that the Mountaineers were in for a rude awakening this season.
Instead, the Mountaineers went from 3-4 to 8-4. They might’ve lost in the Sun Belt Championship, but the Mountaineers played in the game and will now get an opportunity to play postseason football against Miami- Ohio.
It’s no secret. Appalachian State has higher standards than most Sun Belt teams. The expectations are also among the highest among teams that aren’t in a Power-5 conference. Head coach Shawn Clark acknowledged that it’s hard on the family when things aren’t going well.
If Clark gets fired or is forced out of the program, the whole family has to change locations and leave behind family and friends as they go to the next location.
Instead of panicking, Clark and the Mountaineers came together and put together a positive season after all.
Appalachian State Departures & Injuries
There’s only one injury reported for Appalachian State.
Ryan Burger, the backup quarterback, has a finger injury. However, it’s even Joey Aguilar’s team. He’s a junior with more eligibility remaining for next year.
Read about our 2023 Cure Bowl betting preview below.
The Underdog Seems To Have The Edge
The Miami-Ohio RedHawks have allowed only 16.2 points per game. The defense has an incredible secondary and a run defense that has played at a very high level this season.
They’ve given up only 3.58 yards per game on the ground this year. They’ve also held teams to below 30% of third-down conversions.
On the other hand, Appalachian State has given up 28.4 points per game this year. Yes, Troy just added 49 in the Sun Belt Championship. But before that game, Appalachian State held Georgia Southern to 27, James Madison to 23, Georgia State to 14, and Marshall to nine points.
The defense is electric in the secondary and has a very respectable pass rush. They’ve also converted tackles at a high rate, just like Miami-Ohio.
However, the Mountaineers have allowed 5.82 yards per game on the ground. Appalachian State has been awful against the run this season.
With the RedHawks only looking to run the ball, this NCAAF matchup favors Miami-Ohio against Appalachian State.
There are many NCAA football bowl games on the slate. However, don’t sleep on the Cure Bowl. There will be some major 2023 Cure Bowl betting angles for this game.
Using the NCAAF odds as of December 4, we’ll back the NCAAF teams that have actually won their conference championship. We’re liking the RedHawks at +5 (-110).
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
