Unranked Marshall heads to Lafayette to face unranked Louisiana at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday night. It’s the Sun Belt championship game on ESPN. Can the Thundering Herd cover the 6-point spread as road underdogs this weekend? Keep reading for our Marshall vs. Louisiana betting prediction.
Marshall is 9-3 straight up this season and 10-2 against the spread. Their best win came against James Madison and their worst loss came against Georgia Southern.
Louisiana is 10-2 straight up this season and 7-5 against the spread. Their best win came against Wake Forest and their worst loss came against South Alabama.
Marshall vs. Louisiana Matchup & Betting Odds
115 Marshall Thundering Herd (+6) at 116 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (-6); o/u 57.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 7, 2024
Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA
TV: ESPN
Marshall vs. Louisiana Public Betting Prediction
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 53% of bets are on Marshall. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Marshall Thundering Herd Game Notes
Thundering Herd wide receiver Elijah Metcalf will miss Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Metcalf has 20 catches for 197 yards and 3 touchdowns in 5 games of action this season.
Marshall quarterback Braylon Braxton was integral to his team’s 35-33 overtime win over James Madison last weekend. In that contest, the Tulsa transfer threw for 120 yards and a touchdown, ran for 15 yards and a touchdown, and completed the game-winning two-point conversion pass to provide the margin of victory. Braxton has a TD-INT ratio of 17-2 in 10 games this season.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Game Notes
Ragin’ Cajuns starting quarterback Ben Wooldridge (collarbone) and wide receiver Charles Robertson (eligibility) will both miss Saturday’s conference championship game against Marshall. Wooldridge had a TD-INT ratio of 17-5 and a QBR of 76.4 before going down. He’ll likely miss the rest of the season.
With Wooldridge out of the lineup, Louisiana has turned to redshirt senior quarterback Chandler Fields. Fields came in for the injured Wooldridge in the team’s November 16th game against South Alabama, and he’s started the team’s 2 games since then. Fields has 793 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 1 interception, and 74 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns in 6 games of action this year. He has a QBR of 77.8 on the campaign.
Marshall vs. Louisiana Betting Trends
Marshall is 4-0 ATS as an underdog this season.
The Thundering Herd are 6-2 ATS in conference games this year.
Louisiana is 7-10 ATS as a favorite since the start of last season.
Louisiana is 6-9 ATS after a win since the beginning of last season.
Marshall vs. Louisiana Betting Prediction
Marshall has been terrific against the number all season. The Thundering Herd are 10-2 ATS this year, which is tied with Arizona State for the best record against the spread in the FBS this season. The Thundering Herd have fared well under several different relevant scenarios in 2024. Marshall is 5-0 ATS when playing an opponent on equal rest and 5-1 ATS as the road team this year. What’s more, the Thundering Herd are 4-0 ATS as a road underdog and 6-2 ATS after a win this season.
Marshall senior quarterback Stone Earle led the Thundering Herd in passing yards in 4 of the team’s first 6 games. The team went 3-3 straight up in that span. Tulsa transfer and dual-threat quarterback Braylon Braxton emerged as the team’s primary starter following the team’s 24-23 loss to Georgia Southern. Braxton has led the team in passing in each subsequent game and has excelled in his role as the primary starter.
In 6 games with Braylon Braxton at the helm, the Thundering Herd are 6-0 straight up and 5-1 against the spread. I think Braylon Braxton and Marshall stay hot here. I’m taking the Thundering Herd and the points on the road in Lafayette on Saturday night.