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This weekend’s bowl slate concludes with a highly-anticipated matchup with C-USA’s Marshall Thundering Herd and the Sun Belt Champion Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.
Our friends at DraftKings anticipate a close game with Louisiana tabbed at -5 and the Over/Under set at 55.5.* Two experienced quarterbacks, two head coaches with something to prove, and two (technically) freshman running backs with still more to prove after productive campaigns.
Here are three last minute bets we think are worth considering as you wind down your evening.
*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
First Quarter Points - O/U 10.5 - Bet the Over
Marshall enters this game scoring an average of 6.5 points in the first quarter with an average of 4.7 points in their last three games. Louisiana enters this game scoring an average of 7.2 points in the first quarter with an average of 9.3 points in their last three games. Put those numbers together, and you’ll understand our recommendation.
With both teams converting roughly 80% of their trips into the red zone into points, we’re expecting these teams to make the most of their early opportunities to score.
First Half Moneyline - Louisiana -160 - Take It
Louisiana led at the half in all but two of their games this season (Texas and Georgia State). The Cajuns simply seem to have it together out of the gate, in most cases.
Total Points - O/U 55.5 - Bet the Under
Per DraftKings, 14 of Louisiana’s last 16 games in Louisiana have gone UNDER the total points line.
Nobody’s saying that the Cajuns don’t close games. They barely turn the ball over and respond well to pressure. However, eight of the Cajuns’ wins this year were by one score or less. With that combined with both of these teams having strong, physical running games that could potentially make that clock go faster, you can see why we make this suggestion.
Additionally, the Cajuns have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four Bowl games.