New Orleans Bowl Odds and Predictions – Louisiana vs Marshall

• Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns take on the Marshall Thundering Herd in the New Orleans Bowl
• Louisiana riding a 12-game win streak since losing opening game to Texas
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

Louisiana may not have their head coach, but they ride a 12-game win streak and a legit defense into bowl season.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (12-1) will be in their own backyard when they host the Marshall Thundering Herd (7-5) in the 2021 R+ L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

It all gets underway Saturday, Dec 18 at the Caesars Superdome. Kickoff is slated for 9:15pm ET.

The game can be seen live on ESPN. The Cajuns enter this one as a 5-point favorite.

New Orleans Bowl Odds

Odds as of December 15 at DraftKings 

Ragin Cajuns’ Outlook

It’s one of the ugly parts of college football: a head coach, whose mantra to players will always consist of some form of dedication and commitment, bolts before bowl season for greener pastures.

https://twitter.com/FTB_Vids_YT/status/1467246226726817793

Billy Napier is one of the newest batch this season, as he accepted the head coaching position at the University of Florida. He leaves behind a squad that suffered a Week 1 loss to the Texas Longhorns and never looked back, ripping off 12 straight wins to claim the Sun Belt Conference title.

It hasn’t been a romp, however. No less than seven games have been decided by one possession, including the title game win, a 24-16 win over Appalachian State.

When it comes to the game, the 2nd half MVP for the #Cajuns was running back Emani Bailey (@EmaniBtheBeast). After having only 1 carry in the 1st half, Bailey finished with 117 yards and 1 touchdown (plus one crazy catch 😲)@SunBelt | @KATCTV3 https://t.co/I8Xklx2vGw pic.twitter.com/KLltqsyOaJ

— Seth Lewis (@SethLewisInc) December 5, 2021

Quarterback Levi Lewis was 15-for-30 for 210 yards and a TD pass, adding another running score. Running back Emani Bailey did much of the heavy lifting, carrying 14 times for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Their defense came to play again, holding the Mountaineers to 119 yards passing and 290 yards of total offense. On the year,  they’re allowing just 18.3 points (11th), and they’re 25th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game at 191.7, and 50th in run defense, giving up 141.2 yards.

Thundering Herd Outlook

They may be inconsistent but Marshall is surely entertaining. They backed into a bowl berth, losing two of their last three games of the season, but they have put up respectable numbers all year.

The Thundering Herd are 27th in the nation in points per game, piling up 34 per contest. They are 12th in passing, putting up 310.7 yards per game, and their 160.3 rush yards ranks 70th.

Grant Wells' ball placement is 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/jCsTYCT6we

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 4, 2021

Some solid play from QB Grant Wells could go a long way in this game. He’s thrown for more than 3,400 yards and 16 touchdowns, but also has 12 interceptions on the season. That’s a large number, considering he completes passes at a 66.8% clip.

They’ll look to establish the run game as well against Louisiana, with Rahseen Ali. He’s piled up 1,241 yards on the ground this season,  with 20 TD’s on the year.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for Rasheen Ali (@fsosheen1), the leading scorer in FBS. And here's a quick look at every time he lit up the scoreboard this year… pic.twitter.com/EL1dLHksef

— Herd Thoughts (@HerdThoughts) November 25, 2021

Marshall will be looking to bounce back from a 53-21 thumping at the hands of Western Kentucky last time out.

Wells completed his first 10 passes but left the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

Louisiana vs Marshall Pick

History is definitely against Louisiana — they haven’t covered a bowl game in four years, and despite winning 12 straight, they’re just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games as betting favorites.

Marshall, meanwhile, has been a safer pick for bettors in recent years, as they run a 7-2 ATS mark in their last nine appearances.

Still, this Louisiana squad will have something to play for, after being abandoned by Napier in what has been a dream season.

Look for the Ragin’ Cajuns to dictate the terms of this matchup on both ends of the ball, and win going away.

Pick:  Louisiana -5 (-115)