Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 2023 Future Odds
Blue Raiders a rare constant in ever-changing Conference USA
On the heels of back-to-back bowl appearances, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders remain among the favorites in an ever-changing Conference USA. There is talent needed to be replaced, but longtime head coach Rick Stockstill has proven adept at adjusting on the fly. This season should be no different.
Read on as we break down the MTSU Blue Raiders future odds in our team preview.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders At A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| National Championship | +100000 | +100000 |
| Conference | +360 | +500 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 6.5 (o-125, u-105) | 6.5 (o-125, u-105) |
| To Make Playoffs (if applicable) | N/A | N/A |
MTSU Remains a Constant in Ever-Changing Conference USA
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have been a model of consistency in Conference USA. Head coach Rick Stockstill has led them to seven bowl games over the last 10 NCAAF seasons. They’ve won at least eight games four times during that span, including last season. The Blue Raiders went 8-5 and beat San Diego State 25-23 in the Hawaii Bowl, their second bowl victory in as many years.
This offseason was undoubtedly turbulent for C-USA, as six schools departed in one of the latest waves of realignment. But Middle Tennessee remains poised to make a run at another bowl.
Stockstill will have his hands full replacing Chase Cunningham, who quarterbacked the country’s 62nd-ranked scoring offense in 2022. The Blue Raiders averaged 28.8 points a game, scoring 30 or more six times. Should they choose to go that route, Redshirt juniors Ren Hefley and Stone Frost are the most experienced quarterbacks on the roster. Fortunately, with nine starters returning on defense, the Blue Raiders shouldn’t have too much more to worry about.
While Middle Tennessee isn’t the favorite in C-USA, it isn’t far off. That should bode well, especially for a program almost always in the mix. The Blue Raiders have finished .500 or better 11 times in 17 seasons under Stockstill.
National Championship Odds: Not Even a Chance
Is that clear enough? It should be. Even if the Blue Raiders go undefeated — and let’s face it, with Alabama on the schedule to start, they won’t — they wouldn’t generate enough respect from the College Football Playoff committee to be under consideration.
Their +100000 odds match the longest in the country.
Conference Odds: Blue Raiders Trending in Wrong Direction
C-USA will look very different this season. Two-time defending champion UTSA is gone. So are North Texas, UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic and Rice. Four schools — Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston — were brought in to replace them, but there’s a noticeable drop in quality across the board.
Due to FBS transition rules, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston will be ineligible to compete for a C-USA title in 2023-24. Western Kentucky is a +125 favorite of the seven eligible schools, followed by Liberty at +250. The Blue Raiders are next in line at +500, but their odds have dropped from +360.
Middle Tennessee’s only appearance in the C-USA title game came in 2018, a 27-25 loss to UAB per college football scores. The Blue Raiders are back in the mix, but road games at Western Kentucky (Sept. 28) and Liberty (Oct. 17) may prove challenging.
Regular Season Wins: Brutal Start Will Make for Uphill Battle
Middle Tennessee is projected for 6.5 regular season wins, with the Under juiced to -105. The Blue Raiders have cleared this bar just twice over the last five seasons, including in 2022. Whether they can do so again will largely depend on their ability to bounce back.
Why? Just look at their schedule. The Blue Raiders open Sept. 2 at Alabama. The Crimson Tide, picked fourth on the initial Associated Press NCAAF rankings, are a 39-point favorite over Middle Tennessee, according to college football point spreads. The Blue Raiders will remain in the SEC the following week, albeit against a much more manageable opponent in Missouri. Regardless, there’s the chance Middle Tennessee opens 0-2.
In that case, the Blue Raiders would need to win seven of their final 10 regular season games to cash in the Over, now priced at -125. That’s doable, but it doesn’t leave much room for error. Keep that in mind as you assess the MTSU Blue Raiders future odds.
To Make Playoffs: No C-USA Team Has Ever Qualified
That’s right. C-USA has never put a team in the CFP. That won’t change this season, even if Middle Tennessee somehow smashes expectations by going undefeated.
The best UTSA could do last year amidst an 11-3 campaign was crack the CFP rankings. But it was never a serious contender to move up. That’s just the reality of being in C-USA. It’s partly why no MTSU Blue Raiders future odds are available in this market.
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