Marshall Thundering Herd at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Free Betting Matchup

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and Marshall Thundering Herd will collide on the turf at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. This pivotal conference showdown kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and interested parties can view the action live on CBS Sports Network.

Betting Preview: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Marshall Thundering Herd

In this Friday Conference USA matchup, Marshall is projected as the favorite and the team’s currently giving up 8 points. The Blue Raiders are also receiving +250 moneyline odds while the Thundering Herd are -330. If one school finds paydirt early, it’ll likely create a nice live betting opportunity.

The game’s line opened at -7, but has shifted recently.

The Blue Raiders have gained 1.4 units so far in 2018 and are 2-2 against the spread (ATS). They’ve been a good under bet and have posted an O/U record of 1-3.

The Thundering Herd have gained 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 1-3 ATS and have an even O/U record of 2-2.

The Blue Raiders have gone 2-2 straight up (SU), including 1-0 SU against conference opponents. The Thundering Herd are 3-1 SU overall and are also 1-0 SU in conference play.

These two squads faced off a year ago with the final result being a 38-10 victory for Marshall.

The Blue Raiders are coming off a 25-24 win over Florida Atlantic last week. Brent Stockstill completed 27 passes for 259 yards, as well as a TD and an interception. Stockstill (56 yards on 14 rush attempts) also mounted the ground attack and was complemented by Tavares Thomas (30 yards on 12 carries, one TD). Ty Lee (six receptions, 62 yards) and Patrick Smith (five catches, 89 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.

Marshall just earned a 20-17 win over Western Kentucky. The team’s defensive secondary allowed the Hilltoppers to air it out for 263 yards. Jacquez Sloan had a good outing in the defeat, posting 87 yards on four catches for Western Kentucky. For Marshall, Isaiah Green completed 18-of-39 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Keion Davis (65 rushing yards on 16 attempts) spearheaded the running game while Tyre Brady (eight receptions, 162 yards, two TDs) and Obi Obialo (four catches, 80 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.

Middle Tennessee has run the ball on 50.0 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Marshall has a rush percentage of 43.4 percent. The Blue Raiders have rushed for 122.0 yards per game and have four scores on the ground this year. The Thundering Herd are logging 106.8 rushing yards per game and have four total rush TDs.

If the numbers so far this season can translate to this game, then it’s looking like the Thundering Herd could hold an edge when it comes to quarterback protection, as their offensive line has given up just five sacks while their D-line has registered 12 sacks. The Blue Raiders offensive line has allowed 11 sacks and their defense has got to opposing signal-callerss on just eight occasions.

The Blue Raiders offense has logged 243.5 yards per contest in the air overall and has eight passing TDs so far. The Thundering Herd have recorded 277.0 pass yards per contest and also have eight total pass scores.

Defensively, Middle Tennessee should have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed 202.8 rush yards and 226.3 pass yards per game. The Marshall D has allowed 261.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 103.0 yards per game on the ground. The Thundering Herd are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.83 to opponents, while the Blue Raiders have allowed a 7.05 ANY/A.

Green has completed 65-of-115 passes for 838 yards, seven TDs and four INTs. Green’s adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 6.59 for the year and 4.64 over his last two outings. In the other locker room, Stockstill is up to 844 passing yards on the year, and has completed 76-of-110 attempts with seven passing touchdowns and only two interceptions. Stockstill’s got a 6.99 ANY/A for the year, though that number is 4.89 over the last two games.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Marshall Thundering Herd NCAA Prediction

SU Winner: Marshall, ATS Winner: Marshall

Team Betting Notes

Middle Tennessee was getting 3 points in its last game and the O/U was set at 65. The under cashed and Middle Tennessee covered in the 25-24 victory over Florida Atlantic.

Middle Tennessee has averaged 3.54285714285714 yards per carry across its past three games and 4.0 over its last two.

Marshall has averaged 3.1 yards per carry over its last three outings and 3.0 over its past two.

The Marshall offense has lost five fumbles this season while Middle Tennessee has lost four.

In its last three matches, Middle Tennessee is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.

Marshall was the underdog by 4 points in its previous game and the O/U was set at 51.5. The under cashed and Marshall covered in the 20-17 victory over Western Kentucky.

Over its last three contests, Marshall is 0-3 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.

The Blue Raiders offense has created four pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Thundering Herd have put up three such plays.

Both defenses have allowed four pass plays of 40 or more yards. The Middle Tennessee defense has given up six pass plays of 30+ yards while Marshall has permitted eight such plays.

The Middle Tennessee offense has created five rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Marshall has created two such runs.

The Blue Raiders defense has allowed eight rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Thundering Herd have given up zero such runs.

The Marshall defense has sacked opposing QBs 12 times this year. Middle Tennessee has registered eight sacks.