2024 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game Odds, Analysis, Preview, and Spread Prediction
The Marshall Thundering Herd will face the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the Sun Belt Conference title game in Lafayette, Louisiana at 7:30 pm EST on Saturday December 7th.
The Ragin’ Cajuns enter this game with a 10-2 record and are looking to secure their second Sun Belt Conference crown, while Marshall comes in with a 9-3 record and is trying to secure their first Sun Belt title and first conference title of any kind since 2014.
Marshall Thundering Herd vs Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Odds
Spread:
- Marshall +5.5 (-106)
- Louisiana -5.5 (-114)
Moneyline:
- Marshall: +168
- Louisiana: -205
Total:
- Over 56.5 (-115)
- Under 56.5 (-105)
Marshall Thundering Herd Analysis
The Thundering Herd live by the run game; averaging 200 yards per game (yds/g) which is the third most in the Sun Belt, and they are led by sophomore running back A.J. Turner who has 864 yards on the ground and he leads the Sun Belt with an average of 8.3 yards per carry.
Also contributing to the run game is dual-threat quarterback Braylon Braxton who is second on the team with 544 rushing yards. Braxton has put up 1,431 yards through the air and he has taken great care of the ball, throwing only two interceptions on the season to go with his 17 touchdowns.
Defensive lineman Mike Green leads a Herd defense that has posted 34 sacks on the season, with Green accounting for 15 of them. The Herd pass rush is complemented by a talented secondary that has held their opponents to only 198.8 passing yds/g.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Analysis
Contrary to the Herd, the Ragin’ Cajuns love to throw the ball, and they throw it well; leading the Sun Belt in passing yds/g with 265.7 is a Cajun offense that has been a buzz saw all season that scores an average of 35.8 points per game (ppg).
The only question for this offense is who is going to be throwing the ball? Ben Wooldridge leads the team with 2,392 passing yards but he has been out of action since leaving the loss to South Alabama with injury three weeks ago, and his status for this game has yet to be determined.
If Wooldridge can’t play then fifth year senior Chandler Fields will take the snaps. Fields has played well in relief, throwing five touchdowns to one interception this season, and he has started for the Cajuns in previous seasons.
The targets of those passes will be Lance LeGendre and Terrance Carter. LeGendre leads the team with 733 yards and six touchdowns, while Carter is enjoying a breakout season in his second year on campus with 689 yards and four touchdowns.
Marshall vs Louisiana Prediction and Pick
Despite the uncertainty at quarterback for Louisiana they still find themselves favored in this game, part of that is the home field advantage they will have in this game, which has played a factor in seasons past. In every Sun Belt title game played, the home team has won every game and for the most part they have been rather convincing victories.
I am not focused on an outright winner; I am looking at who is going to cover the spread. This season Marshall is 10-1-1 ATS, the best record ATS in the country, and ever since their loss to Georgia Southern where they squandered a 20-point lead, the Herd have looked like a different team. Additionally, they have won as a road underdog each of the last two weeks.
I believe the dual threat capabilities Braxton will expose some flaws in the Ragin’ Cajun defense and I like Marshall’s defense to find ways to at least slow down Louisiana’s offense and keep this game close enough to where covering the spread can be done.
Prediction: Marshall Thundering Herd +5.5 (-106)