2023 Bahamas Bowl Betting Picks, Predictions, Odds

The UAB Blazers defeated the Miami (OH) RedHawks 24-20 in the 2023 Bahamas Bowl.

Check out last year's coverage here below and tune back in with us soon for the 2023 Bahamas Bowl Odds, Picks and Predictions.

The 2022-23 bowl season will kick off with the UAB Blazers and Miami (OH) RedHawks squaring off in the Bahamas Bowl. Both teams finished the regular season 6-6, so the winner of this game can lock up a winning campaign. This game will be played on Friday, December 16, 2022, at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN from Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas.

UAB Blazers vs. Miami (OH) RedHawks Betting Prediction

The big question coming into this game is whether or not Brett Gabbert will suit up for the Miami (OH) RedHawks. Gabbert announced that he was entering the transfer portal at the end of the regular season, but he withdrew his name from the portal and showed his intention to return to campus last Friday. It’s unclear whether or not he’ll play in this game, yet the potential for him to play makes the RedHawks a dangerous underdog that could pull off the outright upset.

Score Prediction: UAB 26, Miami (OH) 23
Best Bet: Miami (OH) +11 (-110)

UAB Blazers vs. Miami (OH) RedHawks Betting Odds

UAB Blazers vs. Miami (OH) RedHawks Betting Resources

• Date: Friday, December 16, 2022
• Venue: Thomas Robinson Stadium
• Location: Nassau, Bahamas
• Time-TV: 11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN
• Expert Picks

UAB Blazers Betting Analysis

UAB made one of the most curious coaching hires of the offseason when the Blazers tabbed former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer to be their new head coach. Dilfer has no collegiate coaching experience, as he has been the head coach for Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee for the last four years, and he is one of the most prominent names involved in the Elite 11 quarterback camps.

The job had been open since Bill Clark resigned in June due to health issues. Clark literally rebuilt this program from the ground up after it was shuttered, and the players expected interim head coach Bryant Vincent to replace Clark on a permanent basis. The administration’s decision to bring in Dilfer instead has reportedly created a rift in the program, especially considering the rumor that five or six more established head coaches turned down the gig.

UAB runs the ball very well with First Team All-CUSA selection DeWayne McBride leading the way. McBride ran for 1,713 yards and 19 touchdowns during the regular season, averaging 7.4 YPC. Jermaine Brown Jr. was awesome as his backup, running for 832 yards (5.9 YPC) and six TDs. The offensive line did an excellent job in run blocking with Sidney Wells and Kadeem Telfort both named First Team All-CUSA picks too.

Dylan Hopkins was a more effective signal caller than Jacob Zeno and should get the start in the Bahamas Bowl. Hopkins completed 62.8% of his passes for 1,709 yards (8.9 YPA) with nine touchdowns and three interceptions this season, and he was also a mobile threat. Trea Shropshire is the top receiver on the team with 35 receptions for 740 yards and five TDs.

The Blazers are ranked 55th in Defensive SP+. They have a very good secondary, allowing 6.4 YPA and 202.3 YPG through the air, but the run defense has been a problem. Teams are averaging 4.9 YPC against this front seven. Linebacker Noah Wilder led the Blazers in tackles and was a First Team All-CUSA pick, and cornerback Starling Thomas V had 14 passes defensed and was also a First Team All-CUSA selection.

Miami (OH) RedHawks Betting Analysis

Aveon Smith was the starting quarterback for most of the season after Brett Gabbert was injured in the Week 1 loss to Kentucky. Smith wasn’t nearly as effective as Gabbert, as he completed just 48.9% of his passes for 6.0 YPA with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Meanwhile, in Gabbert’s four games, he completed 64.3% of his passes for 816 yards (7.1 YPA) with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Smith is a much bigger mobile threat than Gabbert though. Smith led the RedHawks with 503 rushing yards (5.0 YPC) and six touchdowns. Top running back Keyon Mozee hasn’t played in more than a month though, so Tyre Shelton and Kevin Davis seem likely to split the load in the Bahamas Bowl. Mac Hippenhammer is the top receiver by a mile with 52 receptions for 726 yards and eight touchdowns on the year. Starting guard Caleb Shaffer announced that he was entering the transfer portal, so he won’t be involved in this game.

The RedHawks’ offense ranks 37th in Defensive SP+. Teams are averaging 5.3 yards per play against this unit, and only three teams were able to score more than 24 points against Miami all season long. Second Team All-MAC linebacker Ryan McWood leads the team with 121 tackles and has made a huge impact this season.

Bahamas Bowl History

The Bahamas Bowl began in 2014, and the matchup currently features schools from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The game takes place at Thomas Robinson Stadium from Nassau, Bahamas.

Western Kentucky captured the inaugural Bahamas Bowl with a 49-48 victory against Central Michigan. This outcome was considered as one of the worst "Bad Beats" in college football history. The Hilltoppers led 42-14 at halftime and by as many as 35 only to see the Chippewas score 34 unanswered points to pull within one point. CMU decided to go for the win instead of overtime and lost in regulation as the conversion failed, but they covered as short underdogs.

The MAC avenged that loss in 2015, as Western Michigan captured a 45-31 victory. The 'over' cashed for the second consecutive year.

Conference USA won three of the first five meetings in the Bahamas Bowl, which includes Old Dominion's 24-20 victory over Eastern Michigan in the 2016 installment. UAB fell short in a 41-6 blowout to Ohio in 2017 as neither conference has won in consecutive years since the inception of this bowl.

C-USA was back at it again in 2018, as Florida International upended Toledo 35-32 as seven-point underdogs despite the fact they were missing their starting quarterback. The high-scoring victory by FIU also snapped a two-year 'under' run, getting back to the first two installments of this game which went well over.

The 2019 installment was affected by wind gusts as Buffalo captured a dominating 31-9 win over Charlotte while the 'under' (52) was never in doubt.

The COVID-19 global pandemic wiped out this game in 2020 due to international travel restrictions, but the game returned in 2021.

On Dec. 17, 2021, the Bahamas Bowl was back to kick off the postseason, with Middle Tennessee posting a 31-24 victory over Toledo as 10.5-point underdogs, earning Conference USA the first victory of bowl season, and the MAC opening with the first loss. C-USA exacted a little revenge for the embarrassing 2019 loss.

For more coverage of bowl season, check out our College Football Bowl Central!