Blake Krass breaks down the college football Salute to Veterans Bowl between the Troy Trojans and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

The Troy Trojans take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Tuesday in the Salute to Veterans Bowl. The game kicks off at 9:00 p.m. ET in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Trojans are listed as three-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 46.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and best bet for the Salute to Veterans Bowl.

Troy vs. Jacksonville State prediction, preview

Troy Preview

It was a solid season for the Trojans, making it to the Sun Belt Championship Game, but coming up short against JMU. It was a great accomplishment for Troy to even make it that far with the major quarterback injury it suffered in the middle of the season. Starting quarterback Goose Crowder was playing great football for Troy prior to suffering a serious shoulder injury that sidelined him for seven weeks. Tucker Kilcrease did a great job of keeping the ship afloat, but he was not on Crowder’s level as a playmaker. Crowder returned for the team’s final three regular-season games, but then got injured again in the third quarter of the Sun Belt title game. This time around, it was a lower-body injury for Crowder that has him on crutches days ahead of this bowl game, meaning he is likely out, and Kilcrease will be starting the bowl game.

Jacksonville State Preview

Jacksonville State was also the runner-up in its conference, C-USA. The Gamecocks lost in the final minutes against Kennesaw State in the C-USA title game. Despite that loss, it has been an incredible rise to the FBS level for Jacksonville State. Rich Rodriguez took them up from the FCS in 2023, and they won nine games, including the New Orleans Bowl against Louisiana. The following season, they won C-USA in just their second season at the FBS level. Rich Rodriguez left for West Virginia, but in his first season with the program, Charles Kelly took the Gamecocks back to the conference championship game, proving that they are here to stay. Jacksonville State has one of the most electric running backs in college football, Cam Cook, and he could be the difference maker in this bowl game.

Troy vs. Jacksonville State pick, best bet

My best bet for this game is for Jacksonville State to cover the three-point spread as underdogs. It seems unlikely that Troy quarterback Goose Crowder will play in this game. Tucker Kilcrease did a solid job in relief this season, but he is not quite up to Crowder’s level. Troy’s running back, Tae Meadows, also announced that he is hitting the transfer portal. It hasn’t been confirmed if he is playing in this game or not, but if Troy is missing Meadows and Crowder, this offense will not be the same. Meanwhile, Jacksonville State has the best player on the field between the two teams. Gamecock running back Cam Cook led the nation in rushing this season, with over 127 rushing yards per game. Cook should control the game for Jacksonville State and allow the Gamecocks to dictate the pace, which should lead to them winning the game.

Best Bet: Jacksonville State +3 (-105)