A couple of teams that prefer to keep the ball on the ground, Head Coach Skip Holtz and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+3) are taking on their CUSA nemesis Marshall Thundering Herd (-3) at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Kickoff for this keygame is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and fans can witness the action live on CBS Sports Network.
Betting Preview: Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Louisiana Tech is playing the role of underdog and is currently getting 3 points in this CUSA game. The Bulldogs are also receiving +120 moneyline odds while the Thundering Herd are -140. Some good live betting scenarios may be unveiled during this game, and Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 56 points.
Both of these teams have been profitable this season as the Bulldogs have gained 5.3 units and the Thundering Herd are up 1.6 units.
The Bulldogs are 8-1 straight up (SU), including 5-0 SU against conference opponents. The Thundering Herd are 6-3 SU overall and 4-1 SU in conference play.
The Bulldogs are coming off a resounding 52-17 victory over North Texas last week where J’mar Smith completed only 21 passes on 38 attempts for 263 yards, along with one TD and an interception. Smith (44 rushing yards on 16 attempts) also led the running attack and was complemented by Justin Henderson (58 yards on 15 carries, two TDs). Adrian Hardy (nine receptions, 104 yards) and Smoke Harris (three catches, six yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Marshall is coming off of a 20-7 win over Rice. Isaiah Green completed 17-of-22 passes for 269 yards and one touchdown. Brenden Knox (130 yards on 27 rush attempts, one TD) led the running game as Armani Levias (seven receptions, 96 yards) and Willie Johnson (two catches, 47 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Louisiana Tech has run the ball on 50.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Marshall has a rush percentage of 57 percent. The Bulldogs have produced 187 rush yards/game (including 185.2 per game against Conference USA opponents) and have 24 scores on the ground this year. The Thundering Herd are putting up 201.2 rush yards per game (197 in conference) and have 14 total rushing TDs.
It appears that the Thundering Herd should hold an advantage when it comes to quarterback protection, since their offensive line has yielded only 16 sacks while the D-line has logged 32 sacks. The Bulldogs O-line has allowed 18 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing signal-callerss on just 17 occasions.
The Bulldogs offensive scheme has tallied 292.1 yards per game in the air overall (288.2 per game versus conference opposition) and has 15 passing scores so far. The Thundering Herd have produced 224.7 pass yards per contest (258 against CUSA competition) and have 13 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Louisiana Tech has allowed 135.3 rush yards and 254.8 pass yards per game. The Marshall defense has allowed 237.1 yards per game to opposing passers and 134.3 yards per game on the ground. The Bulldogs are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.51 to opponents, while the Thundering Herd have given up a 6.26 ANY/A.
Green has completed 131-of-219 passes for 1,646 yards, 11 TDs and six INTs for Marshall. His adjusted net yards per pass attempt stands at 6.47 for the year and 9.04 across his last two games. In the other huddle, Smith has put up 2,145 passing yards this season, and has connected on 169-of-269 attempts with 11 passing touchdowns and four interceptions. Smith has a 7.37 ANY/A, including 7.69 over the last two outings.
These two CUSA foes did not get a chance to face each other a year ago.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. Marshall Thundering Herd Free Prediction
SU Winner: Louisiana Tech, ATS Winner: Louisiana Tech, O/U: Under
Team Betting Trends
- The Marshall defense has sacked opposing QBs 32 times this season. Louisiana Tech has produced just 17 sacks.
- The Marshall offense has lost three fumbles this season while the Louisiana Tech offense has let six get away.
- The Bulldogs offense has registered nine pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Thundering Herd have put up 10 such plays.
- The Louisiana Tech defense has allowed six pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Marshall has given up eight such plays.
- The Louisiana Tech offense has created 13 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Marshall has created 17 such runs.
- The Bulldogs defense has allowed eight rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Thundering Herd have given up 10 such runs.
- Louisiana Tech, as a team, has averaged 4.5 yards per carry across its last three games and 4.8 over its last two.
- Marshall has averaged 4.5 yards per carry over its last three contests and 3.8 over its last two.
