The 2021 CFB bowl season continues Saturday, December 18, with the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, so we bring you the best Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Marshall betting pick and odds. 

The Ragin’ Cajuns and Thundering Herd lock horns for the first time ever. Louisiana-Lafayette is listed as a 4.5-point fave on MyBookie Sportsbook, while Marshall is a +165 moneyline underdog with a total of 55.5 points.

Louisiana aims for its 13th straight victory  

The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (12-1; 6-7 ATS) are coming off a 24-16 victory to the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game on December 4. It was their 12th win on the spin, as the Ragin’ Cajuns are undefeated since the opening week of the 2021 season and a 38-18 loss at the Texas Longhorns.

Louisiana-Lafayette outgained App State 398-290, holding the Mountaineers to only 119 passing yards. Freshman RB Emani Bailey led the way for the Ragin’ Cajuns with 14 carries for 117 yards and a TD, while senior signal-caller Levi Lewis completed 15 of his 30 passing attempts for 210 yards and a TD. Lewis also had nine totes for 43 yards and a touchdown.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are tallying 30.7 points per contest (50th in the country) on 192.0 rushing yards (34th) and 214.0 passing yards (85th). On the other side of the ball, they are yielding only 18.3 points (tied-9th) on 145.8 rushing yards (53rd) and 199.3 passing yards (tied-25th).

Marshall dropped two of its last three games  

The Marshall Thundering Herd (7-5; 6-6 ATS) wrapped up their regular-season action with a heavy 53-21 defeat to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on November 27. Playing as small 1-point home underdogs, the Thundering Herd couldn’t cope with Western Kentucky’s passing game, allowing Bailey Zappe to throw for 328 yards and four touchdowns.

Interestingly, Marshall had a 14-0 lead after 38 seconds of play in the second quarter. The Thundering Herd surrendered a whopping 47 second-half points. Freshman RB Rasheen Ali led the way for Marshall’s offense with 24 carries for 99 yards, while freshman QB Grant Wells went 10-of-14 for 76 yards and a TD and added three carries for one yard and a TD.

The Thundering Herd are scoring 34.0 points per game (26th in the country) on 160.2 rushing yards (70th) and 310.9 passing yards (12th). They are yielding 22.8 points in a return (tied-40th) on 188.8 rushing yards (105th) and 199.3 passing yards (tied-25th).

Trends:

Louisiana-Lafayette:

  • 4-2 ATS in the last six games overall

Marshall:

  • N/A

Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Marshall Pick

We should see a tight battle in this New Orleans Bowl, and I’m expecting the Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense to make the difference down the stretch. Marshall leans heavily on its passing game and rookie quarterback, while UL Lafayette ranks 20th in the country in the opponent passer rating (118.4).

Also, I’m expecting the Thundering Herd’s run defense to struggle in this matchup. The Ragin’ Cajuns are a run-heavy team. They average 4.9 yards per carry (tied-34th in the country), so Marshall will have a tall task to slow Louisiana’s ground game down.

Pick: Take Louisiana-Lafayette -4.5 at -110              

The Total:

The under is 8-2 in Louisiana-Lafayette’s previous ten games overall, and it is 4-1 in Marshall’s last five. Apart from that heavy loss to Western Kentucky, the Thundering Herd have done a good defensive job as of late, limiting their rivals below 22 points in five of their previous seven showings. On the other side, the Ragin’ Cajuns have yielded 21 or fewer points in six straight outings.

Hereof, I’m going with the under, though the line is a tricky one at 55.5 points. If you’re satisfied with slightly lower wages, buy a few points and then go with the under. 

Pick: Go under 55.5 points at -110