College football picks, Week 9: Florida Atlantic vs. Charlotte prediction, odds, spread, game preview, more

The Florida Atlantic Owls take on the Charlotte 49ers in an AAC matchup in Week 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, October 27.

FAU (3-4, 2-1 AAC) fell to UTSA last week, 36-10. Quarterback Daniel Richardson struggled through the game, passing for just 134 yards and two interceptions. Before that loss, the Owls grabbed wins over USF and Tulsa. Richardson threw an interception in both games, but added three touchdowns as well over USF. Larry McCammon III leads the rushing attack and has amassed 628 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns this season.

Charlotte (2-5, 1-2 AAC) defeated East Carolina in Week 8 for their second victory of the season. In the 10-7 win, quarterback Jalon Jones passed for 144 yards and an interception and rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown. The Niners defense was able to completely stifle the Pirates. Before that, Charlotte was shut out 14-0 by Navy.

Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the game.

SP+ Rankings

FAU: 100 overall, 109 offense, 80 defense
Charlotte: 124 overall, 130 offense, 96 defense

Injury update

FAU

N/A

Charlotte

RB Durell Robinson - Out for season (undisclosed)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread in 2023

FAU: 3-4 ATS
Charlotte: 4-3 ATS

Total in 2023

FAU: Over 3-4
Charlotte: Over 2-5

Team Pace (through Week 7)

FAU: 2.42 plays per minute of offense
Charlotte: 2.05 plays per minute of offense

Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: FAU -3.5
Total: 44.5
Moneyline: FAU -170, Charlotte +142

Weather

Our Best Bet for Florida Atlantic vs. Charlotte

Charlotte +3.5

This is a tough matchup for FAU. They like to throw the ball a lot, and Charlotte brings an excellent secondary to the field. Charlotte likes to run the ball on offense (38.6 rushes per game vs. 25.3 passes), and FAU struggles to defend on the ground (43 carries, 176 yards for UTSA last week). With a home field advantage on Friday, I like the 49ers to cover.