The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns look to defend their home turf in 2024 Sun Belt Championship Game as they host the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday evening. Louisiana (10-2) enters off a 37-23 win at rival Louisiana-Monroe in Week 14, while Marshall (9-3) overcame a 17-0 halftime deficit at James Madison, winning in double overtime, 35-33. Louisiana is 2-0 in the series, having won both matchups in 2021 and 2022. The Thundering Herd are the best in the country with an 11-1 record against the spread, while the Ragin' Cajuns are 7-5 ATS in 2024.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET from Cajun Field in Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Louisiana vs. Marshall odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 58.5. Before making any Marshall vs. Louisiana picks or college football predictions, make sure you check out what SportsLine college football expert Eric Cohen has to say.
Cohen, host of the weekly Early Edge College Football Picks Show on CBS Sports Network, is also a top expert posting a 62-39 (+20.23 units) on college football betting picks this season. Over the last two seasons, he has destroyed the sportsbooks with a combined 69-44 record against the spread (+19.64 units). Anyone who has followed him is way up on the sports betting apps.
Now Cohen has set his sights on Marshall vs. Louisiana and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Cohen's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Louisiana vs. Marshall:
- Louisiana vs. Marshall spread: Louisiana -5.5
- Louisiana vs. Marshall over/under: 58.5 points
- Louisiana vs. Marshall money line: Louisiana -208, Marshall +172
- Louisiana vs. Marshall picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Louisiana vs. Marshall streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Marshall can cover
The Thundering Herd are a cover machine, winning their backers money in 11 of 12 contests thus far this season. But Marshall has been even more potent with Braylon Braxton at quarterback. In his seven starts this season, the team is undefeated and averaging 37 points per game. In 2024, Braxton has thrown for 17 touchdowns and rushed for four, while only turning the ball over twice via interception.
On defense, edge rusher Mike Green leads the nation in tackles for a loss (21) and the Sun Belt in sacks (16). Overall, the Thundering Herd have been victorious on the road each of the last two weeks and should be unafraid of facing a difficult road environment. After all, the Thundering Herd are 5-0 ATS as underdogs in 2024. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Louisiana can cover
The Ragin' Cajuns are looking for their first conference championship since 2021, as they make their fifth Sun Belt Championship Game appearance on Saturday. With quarterback Ben Wooldridge out for the third consecutive game, veteran Chandler Fields takes his place vs. Marshall. In victories the last two weeks, Fields has averaged more than 250 yards passing and thrown for four touchdowns against one interception.
Louisiana will lean on running backs Bill Davis (150 carries, 777 yards, nine touchdowns) and Zylan Perry (95-621-4) to spearhead their offense this week. Wide receiver Lance LeGendre leads the team with 733 yards receiving and six scores on 44 catches, while tight end Terrance Carter has a team-leading 48 receptions for 689 yard and four scores. In what is projected to be a high-scoring contest, Louisiana's offense must play at a high level against a good Marshall defensive unit. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Marshall vs. Louisiana picks
Cohen has analyzed this matchup from every angle. He's going Over on the total and he's found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.
Who wins Marshall vs. Louisiana, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the expert who is 62-39 (+2023) on his college football picks this year.