The Tulane Green Wave will visit the Mississippi Rebels on Saturday in a first-round college football playoff matchup that is unique in a bunch of ways.
One: It’s a rare non-conference rematch. And two: both coaches have accepted new jobs.
While Tulane’s Jon Sumrall will finish out the season, Lane Kiffin has already moved on to LSU, but the Rebels still have their offensive and defensive coordinators in place for this matchup.
That means we have a clear idea of what to expect in terms of play calling and, in turn, player props. I’ve also found my three favorites for this playoff showdown.
For even more college football picks for this first-round CFP matchup, check out our Tulane vs. Mississippi predictions.
Tulane vs Mississippi props for CFP First Round
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Trinidad Chambliss |
Over 18.5 completions | -114 |
| Kewan Lacy |
Over 117.5 rushing yards | -114 |
 Jamauri McClure |
Over 52.5 rushing yards | -114 |
Trinidad Chambliss Over 18.5 completions
There’s a lot of talk about whether Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will follow Lane Kiffin to LSU. But for now, he’ll be leading the Rebels throughout their stay in the College Football Playoff.
Chambliss is coming off a great season, which he started as Mississippi’s backup. He took over the job in the Rebels’ third game and never looked back. He ended the regular season with 3,016 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and just three interceptions.
Chambliss also rushed for 449 yards and six scores, but for this matchup against the Tulane Green Wave, I’m focused on his arm.
This is an unlikely rematch from a non-conference early-season meeting. Mississippi won that game in a blowout, beating Tulane 45-10 in Chambliss’ second-career start.
Chambliss went 17-for-27 for 307 yards and two touchdowns. And frankly, good passers have been a problem for the Green Wave all season long. Tulane enters the CFP ranked 97th in defensive success rate on dropbacks.
So, there is no reason to think Chambliss will slow down now, particularly with offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. back throughout the CFP.
The key here is finding Chambliss’ best passing prop. My eyes are on Over 18.5 completions. While he only went for 17 vs. Tulane, he eclipsed this number in eight of his 10 starts this season.
Kewan Lacy Over 117.5 rushing yards
Chambliss is just one half of the Rebels' dynamic backfield, with the other being running back Kewan Lacy.
Lacy is also rumoured to be hitting the transfer portal to join Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge following a massive season. The star running back rushed for 1,279 yards at 5.0 yards per carry and a whopping 20 touchdowns.
That included 68 yards and two scores in that early-season meeting with the Green Wave, and don’t be shocked if Lacy finds the end zone multiple times in this playoff game as well. It was one of the six times in 12 games that he scored two or more touchdowns in a single game.
While two touchdowns are listed at a crazy -120 for Lacy, I like him to improve on his rushing yards against Tulane this time around. The Green Wave is a little better against the rush, but not by much, ranking 80th in success rate on rushing plays.
Lacy’s rushing total may look a little lofty at 117.5, but it’s a number he’s topped in five games this season and in three of his last four overall. Take him to ride the wave and run over this number.
Jamauri McClure Over 52.5 rushing yards
Lacy won’t be the only one running in this one. If Tulane wants to have any shot in this one, they’re going to need a balanced attack.
That means getting something out of the run game in order to alleviate some of the pressure on QB Jake Retzlaf, and you can run on the Rebels a little bit. Mississippi enters the playoff ranked 66th in success rate vs. the rush and 45th in EPA per rush.
So, it looks like the Green Wave’s best bet for success is Jamauri McClure. The sophomore running back has come on strong late in the season, rushing for 406 yards over Tulane’s last four games, going for no fewer than 68 yards in each.
McClure’s rushing yard prop for this first-round playoff matchup is a modest 52.5. He looks like a great bet to go Over that number on Saturday.
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