The 23rd-ranked Louisiana Ragin Cajuns and the Marshall Thundering Herd will square off on Saturday night in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The Ragin Cajuns are 12-1 this year and are riding a 12-game winning streak after defeating the Appalachian State Mountaineers 24-16. Senior quarterback Levi Lewis finished 15-of-30 for 210 yards with a touchdown. The Thundering Herd are 7-5 so far and are coming off a 53-21 loss to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Sophomore quarterback Luke Zban went 16-of-25 for 123 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Louisiana at Marshall Betting Preview
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns Preview: CS Leading the Way
Sophomore running back Chris Smith has been running the football well as he has recorded 153 rushing attempts for 855 yards (5.6 yards per carry) with eight rushing touchdowns as well as 14 receptions for 75 yards (5.4 yards per catch) with a receiving touchdown. In his last game against Appalachian State, he finished with nine carries for 21 yards (2.3 yards per attempt).
The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns have been playing very well on the defensive side of the football as they are giving up 18.3 points per game. In their previous game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers, Louisiana allowed 16 points on 290 total yards of offense (119 passing, 171 rushing). The Mountaineers were just 4-of-15 on third down tries and converted both of their fourth down opportunities. Louisiana needs to stop the run more effectively as they allowed five rushing yards per attempt.
Marshall Thundering Herd Preview: Ali Running Wild
Freshman running back Rasheen Ali has been running the football well for the Marshall Thundering Herd as he has 230 rushing attempts for 1,241 yards (5.4 yards per carry) with 20 rushing touchdowns and 45 receptions for 337 yards (7.5 yards per catch) with a receiving touchdown. In his last game against Western Kentucky, Ali finished with 24 carries for 99 yards (4.1 yards per attempt) as well as seven catches for 17 yards (2.4 yards per reception).
The Marshall Thundering Herd have been playing well on the defensive side of the game as they are allowing 22.8 points per game. In their previous game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Marshall gave up 53 points on 485 total yards of offense (328 passing, 157 rushing). The Thundering Herd need to force a turnover after not having any in their previous game. They struggled defending on the key downs as the Hilltoppers went 8-of-19 on third down and 2-of-3 on fourth down.
Who to Bet on Ragin Cajuns at Thundering Herd
The top sportsbooks in the entire United States are currently listing the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns as a five-point favorite in this game. Freshman quarterback Grant Wells has had just one game this season of at least three touchdowns so he is not going to dominate offensively while Louisiana can do just that. The Thundering Herd have not covered the spread in any of their previous four December games so go with the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns.