Camellia Bowl 2017: Middle Tennessee vs. Arkansas State TV Schedule, Time, Odds

The 2017 Camellia Bowl pits former Sun Belt rivals Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State against one another as college football kicks off the bowl season. 

It's a bowl that has become known for producing quality games. Since its latest inception in 2014, every game has been decided by five points or fewer. This matchup might just feature a similarly closely contested battle. 

The oddsmakers like the Red Wolves of Arkansas State. The Sun Belt representative have the better record, riding the nation's 15th-highest scoring offense to a 7-4 record with a close loss to Nebraska while the Blue Raiders went 6-6 with a win over Syracuse and a fourth-place finish in Conference USA's East Division. 

Here's a look at the game including the latest odds from OddsShark and what to expect from each team, along with a prediction. 

Odds via OddsShark.

Date: December 16, 2017

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Odds: Akransas State -3.5

How Middle Tennessee Can Win

Shaban Athuman/Getty Images

The Blue Raiders' season didn't look like one that would end in bowling for the majority of the year. They were 3-5 after eight games before winning three of their last four to get to the postseason. 

That end-of-the-year uptick coincided with the return of junior quarterback Brent Stockstill. The son of head coach Rick Stockstill, the signal-caller is a three-year starter with 14 touchdowns to just five interceptions in limited action. 

That's a marked upgrade from sophomore quarterback John Urzua, who threw seven touchdowns to nine interceptions in six games. As the Wuerffel Trophy Twitter account notes, Stockstill is a program-defining player for Middle Tennessee:

With Stockstill at the helm, the offense is much more explosive than it has been for the entire season. In the six games he has played quarterback, the Blue Raiders are averaging 30 points per game. That still isn't quite the 38.6 points per game that the Red Wolves put up, but the Blue Raider defense is statistically better than Arkansas State's. 

Middle Tennessee has won with a defense that is top-25 in both yards allowed per play and yards allowed per rush. 

If Stockstill continues to open up the offense and the defense plays at the level it has all season, the Blue Raiders have a good chance to pull off the minor upset. 

How Arkansas State Can Win

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

While Stockstill has the ability to light up the scoreboard, his counterpart in Justice Hansen is equally adept at carving up defenses. Blake Anderson's offense has been one of the best in the Group of Five all season thanks to the aerial attack. 

Stopping the Red Wolves won't be an easy task for Middle Tennessee. They have remarkable balance and depth, three receivers enter the bowl game with more than 600 receiving yards. Wide receivers Justin McInnis, Chris Murray and tight end Blake Mack's success means that the Blue Raiders can't key on any one offensive threat. 

Arkansas State's defense as a whole might not be impressive, but they'll have the best defender in the game. Senior defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones is one of the nation's most productive pass-rushers. He has 13 sacks with 18.5 tackles for a loss. 

Rolland-Jones is the kind of player that can take over a game, which might be enough to make up for the fact that the Arkansas State defense has not been a strong unit as a whole. They are 22nd in yards allowed per carry but struggle to stop the pass, as they are 73rd in yards allowed per pass attempt. 

If Hansen is able to find a rhythm early, the Blue Raiders defense isn't infallible. The unit gave up 485 passing yards to Western Kentucky in the penultimate game of the season. The Red Wolves could have similar success and find a way to win the bowl game. 

Prediction

In a game between two potent offenses, it generally comes down to two things. 

1. Quarterback play; and
2. Which defense can get a timely stop

This by no means will be a defensive battle, but whichever team is capable of getting a crucial stop is going to have the advantage. All things considered, the battle of quarterbacks appears to be even. Stockstill has the experience as Hansen is in his second year of action for the Red Wolves while the coach's son is a third-year starter. 

The difference could come down to which defense is more prepared to stop the other, and that's an advantage that Middle Tennessee has. 

Expect a shootout-type game where the Blue Raiders are able to get the stops and/or turnovers they need to pick up their first bowl win since 2009.

Prediction: Middle Tennessee 38, Arkansas State 35