by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Dec 04, 2024
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, December 7, 2024
Venue: Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Marshall +5.5, ULL -5.5; Over/Under: 56.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Marshall +5.5, ULL -5.5; Over/Under: 56.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Marshall +5.5, ULL -5.5; Over/Under: 56.5 points
Season Record
Marshall Thundering Herd: 9-3 (7-1) (1st place, Sun Belt East)
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns: 10-2 (7-1) (1st place, Sun Belt West)
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Recent Form
Marshall Thundering Herd: won their last game on the road against the James Madison Dukes 35-33 in overtime.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns: won their last game on the road against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 37-23.
Marshall Thundering Herd vs Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Preview and Analysis
Marshall is entering this game with a 9-3 record overall and they have a 7-1 record in their conference games too. They are 6-0 in their home games, 3-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against James Madison 35-33 in OT. Braylon Braxton was the starting QB and he completed 13/24 passes for 120 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Jordan Houston led the team in rushing yards with 50. Bralon Brown led the receivers with 39 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Anthony Richard Jr. led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Mike Green and Braydin Ward each led the defense in sacks with 1. Jadarius Green-McKnight came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Louisiana-Lafayette is entering this game with a 10-2 record overall and they have a 7-1 record in their conference games too. They are 4-2 in their home games, 6-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against LA-Monroe 37-23. Chandler Fields was the starting QB and he completed 17/26 passes for 188 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Zylan Perry led the team in rushing yards with 150 and 2 TDs. Jacob Bernard led the receivers with 42 receiving yards on 3 receptions. K.C. Ossai led the defense in that game with 3 solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles while Jordan Lawson led the defense in sacks with 1.5. Kody Jackson came away with 2 interceptions for them while K.C. Ossai also came away with 1 interception in that one.
Marshall vs Louisiana Prediction
The current betting odds have Louisiana listed as a 5.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Louisiana has looked great in their games this season with their 10-2 record overall and their 7-1 conference record which has them right at the top of their division in the Sun Belt. They led their division, but they also had the best overall record in the SBC too. Meanwhile, Marshall has looked good in their games this season with their 9-3 record overall and their 7-1 conference record which has them at the top of their division in the Sun Belt. They have looked good all season, but they needed to win their game last week to get here and they had to pull off a big comeback to win that game in OT, almost losing to JMU. They showed their cracks in that game and it has been a common theme for them in road games this season as they have struggled more in those all year, going 3-3 in their road games. Louisiana was better in their road games than they were at home, but they were still 4-2 in their home games this season and having the home advantage is going to help them out here. Their only conference loss was in a tight game against South Alabama while their only other loss was against Tulane who also made their Conference Championship game in the AAC. Marshall only lost 1 conference game in a tight one too, but their road troubles this season have been really apparent, especially after their game last week, and Louisiana has blown out their last 2 opponents in the conference. The best way to place a bet here is on Louisiana to cover the spread in this game.
Marshall Louisiana Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, December 7, 2024 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Louisiana 34 Marshall 28.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Marshall Thundering Herd: 7-0 ATS versus good rushing teams - averaging 4.75 rushing yards/carry or more. 9-5 1H ATS as an underdog. 9-4 1H ATS off a win against a conference rival. 6-2 UNDER when the total is between 56.5 and 63. 8-4 UNDER vs. good passing teams averaging 8 or more passing yards/att. 10-5 UNDER versus good offensive teams - averaging 5.9 yards/play or more.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns: 3-6 ATS off a road win. 3-8 ATS after scoring 37 points or more last game. 4-1 UNDER as a home favorite of 7 points or less. 7-3 UNDER versus good rushing teams - averaging 4.75 rushing yards/carry or more. 8-3 UNDER vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game.
Key Injuries
Marshall Thundering Herd: E. Metcalf (WR) Out - Undisclosed.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns: B. Wooldridge (QB) Out - Collarbone. C. Robertson (WR) Out - Eligibility.
Notable Quotes
"That's what happens when everyone pulls the rope in the same direction. Even when it gets rocky, even when things don't seem to be going your direction, you keep believing, praying and working. That's what these guys have done!" - Charles Huff after his team’s win against JMU in their last game.
"It's been a year's worth of work to get here and I am proud of our team with really the consistency and the focus they have had all year. It is hard to win games. Certainly, it is hard to win 10 of them." - Michael Desormeaux on his team getting to the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
Starting Lineups
Marshall Thundering Herd
WR Fitzpatrick, Christian
WR Robinson, Bryan
WR Metcalf, Elijah
TE Payne, Toby
QB Braxton, Braylon
RB Houston, Jordan
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
WR Broussard, Harvey
WR Bernard, Jacob
WR LeGendre, Lance
TE Carter, Terrance
TE Jensen, Caden
QB Wooldridge, Ben
RB Perry, Zylan
Statistical Leaders
Marshall Thundering Herd
Passing: B. Braxton (1431)
Rushing: A. Turner (864)
Receiving: C. Fitzpatrick (569)
Touchdowns: A. Turner (8)
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Passing: B. Wooldridge (2392)
Rushing: B. Davis (777)
Receiving: L. LeGendre (733)
Touchdowns: B. Davis (10)
Coaches:
Marshall Thundering Herd: Charles Huff (4th season)
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns: Michael Desormeaux (4th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
