by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Oct 09, 2022
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV
Where to watch: ESPN2
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Check back later
FanDuel: Marshall -7
BetMGM: Check back later
Caesars: Check back later
Season record
Louisiana-Lafayette: 2-3 (0-2 Sun Belt)
Marshall: 3-2 (0-1 Conference USA)
We're about to hit the fun part of college football season where games start getting a little tighter, performances start to become a little more noteworthy, and times at the books are fun for all. You don't believe me? Look at our own Kyle Hunter posting a 25-7-0 run over the last month in college football. That's even with all of the upsets and everything in between. Week 7 is upon us and we're near the point where college football is every day. You want to get back into the swing of things with this? Make sure to follow our Best Bets page and see what our champion handicappers are up to at bigal.com. Who knows? With a little bit of faith in us, you can be like Kyle, or even have as good a run as Sean Murphy at 32-16-1 over the last 30 days. The choices are yours!
Louisiana-Lafayette - Marshall preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
ULL: lost 20-17 vs. South Alabama
Marshall: won 28-7 vs. Gardner Webb
You know it’s the fun time in college football season when games are happening dead in the middle of the week. We call that MACtion around here, but this time, it’s not just the MAC that’s getting involved. We have a fun matchup this week in the Sun Belt and MAC between the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns against the Marshall Thundering Herd in a game where both teams could use a win to feel better about themselves.
You know it’s the fun time in college football season when games are happening dead in the middle of the week. We call that MACtion around here, but this time, it’s not just the MAC that’s getting involved. We have a fun matchup this week in the Sun Belt and MAC between the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns against the Marshall Thundering Herd in a game where both teams could use a win to feel better about themselves.
Lafayette has lost three straight after a 2-0 stat with wins over Southeast Louisiana and Eastern Michigan. What’s more, the Cajuns have failed to score more than 21 points in either of those games. They’ve been held to 17 points in back-to-back games after losing 20-17 to South Alabama on Oct. 1. Starting quarterback Chandler Fields left the game due to injury, and his replacement Ben Wooldridge was not any better on this day. Wooldridge completed 18 of 29 passes and threw a touchdown, but went just for 90 yards. You can’t make this stuff up even if you tried.
Lead running back Chris Smith carried the bal just 12 times for 107 yards and while Wooldridge ran for 36 yards on nine carries, there just wasn’t enough from the air that led for many to believe that they should’ve been in that game. ULL is known as being one of the powerhouses in the Sun Belt, but performances like this over the last couple of weeks should be concerning for the program. Even though they’re getting a struggling Marshall team coming in, I don’t feel confident with the Cajuns right now.
That doesn’t mean Marshall can take a game off here. The Herd need a better performance because the last three weeks have left a lot to be desired. Since that win over No. 8 Notre Dame on Sept. 10, Marshall followed that with an overtime loss to Bowling Green and a 16-7 loss to Troy. Marshall returned home to a 28-7 win over FCS Gardner Webb on Oct. 1, but it was hardly impressive for a team that was favored by 28. Marshall quarterback Henry Colombi threw for 138 yards and two touchdowns, but the star of the day was running back Khalan Laborn carrying the ball 35 times for 191 yards and two touchdowns. The capper was a 78-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to put the game away for the final score.
At the time of publishing, the odds have yet to be released so check back later in the week to find out how it opens, but my anticipation is Marshall opens as touchdown favorites. The under has also been a big play as of late with Marshall at home, cashing in six of the last seven times. If it becomes a defensive battle, that’s going to easily favor Marshall for an outright win.
Prediction
Marshall will be gearing up for conference season soon and needs another win to feel good before the bulk of the schedule becomes real. Poor Lafayette just hasn’t looked great and I don’t believe in them to get anything going for this one. Marshall by 17
Betting trends
Louisiana-Lafayette has covered their last seven against teams with a winning record.
The over is 4-1 in Louisiana-Lafayette's last five off an ATS win.
The under is 5-1 for Marshall in its last six following an outright win.
Statistical leaders
Louisiana-Lafayette:
Passing: Chandler Fields -- 608 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Chris Smith -- 264 yards, 2 TD
Receiving: Michael Jefferson -- 280 yards, 2 TD
Marshall:
Passing: Henry Colombi -- 875 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Khalan Laborn -- 731 yards, 8 TD
Receiving: Corey Gammage -- 196 yards, 3 TD
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns - Marshall Thundering Herd prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college football projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
