UAB vs Marshall Picks and Odds for Conference USA Championship
- The UAB Blazers travel to Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 18th in the Conference USA Championship Game
- Marshall has never lost a conference championship game inside Joan C. Edwards Stadium going 6-0, with the last being a 26-23 win over Louisiana Tech in 2014
- See the odds, spread, and best bets below
The Marshall Thundering Herd haven’t played since December 5th due to COVID-19, when they were shutout by Rice 20-0. It was their first loss of the season.
UAB came from behind to beat that same Rice team on the road a week later, 21-16, to earn a birth in the Conference USA Championship Game.
The Thundering Herd have dominated the all-time series 8-2, and won the last meeting 23-18 in 2014. Marshall is favored by 4.5 points in this game.
UAB vs Marshall Conference USA Championship Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAB Blazers | +4.5 (-114) | +180 | O 41.5 (-114) |
| Marshall Thundering Herd | -4.5 (-108) | -225 | U 41.5 (-106) |
Odds as of December 15th at FanDuel
UAB Plays Defense
UAB turned a 13-7 deficit at the half into a 21-16 win over the Rice Owls in Week 15. It was their first game since Halloween after COVID-19 concerns caused them to shut down their football program. The win catapulted the Blazers to their third straight division title.
Quarterback Tyler Johnston III led the way for UAB with 217 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Both touchdown passes came in the first five minutes of the third quarter. One was a 63 yarder to Myron Mitchell, and the other a 47 yard catch and run by Samario Rudolph.
A dominant defensive performance and two touchdown passes from Tyler Johnston III leads UAB to a 21-16 victory over Rice and to its THIRD STRAIGHT divisional title!
You know what to do Blazer Nation – SHARE THE WIN‼️
🔗: https://t.co/JTMgBz9HIF pic.twitter.com/4WchewEd9L
— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 12, 2020
Defense has been the Blazers’ calling card all season, and the unit led the way against Rice. The only touchdown they gave up to the Owls came at the end of the first half on a drive that was aided by a pass interference penalty as well as a roughing the passer call.
Rice was held to a dismal 232 total yards in the contest even though they held the ball for over 37 minutes.
Marshall is Reeling
Form is important in college football, and the Thundering Herd are clearly not at their best heading into the title game. They have only played one game since November 14th, and it was a beatdown at the hands of the lowly Owls. It was the first time Rice has shutout a ranked opponent on the road since 1960, when they did it to Texas.
Marshall’s quarterback Grant Wells had about as bad of a day as a signal caller could, throwing five interceptions. Wells had only thrown four picks all season heading into this matchup.
The Thundering Herd offense as a whole could only muster 245 total yards after coming into the game averaging 450 yards per contest.
BELIEVE IT RICE FANS! Your Owls blank #15 Marshall on the road!#GoOwls👐 x #IntellectualBrutality pic.twitter.com/B6yM0E1Sgn
— Rice Football (@RiceFootball) December 5, 2020
The loss was exceptionally bad considering the fact that Rice was playing without their starting QB Mike Collins and wide receiver Austin Trammell. By kickoff, Marshall had swelled to 24.5 point favorites at most books.
Best Betting Angle
It will be cold in Huntington when this game kicks as the forecast calls for temperatures in the 30s. There should be no precipitation and very little wind, so offenses and kickers won’t be affected much. This is football weather.
The total is as low as they go in college football. What’s keeping this number so low is the fact that Marshall has the top ranked defense in the nation in yards per play at 4.0, and UAB is close behind at 4.5 – good for eleventh. That looks good on paper, but will it translate to keeping points off the board?
We’ve seen UAB give up 31 points in regulation to Louisiana Tech and 24 to UL in their two games before the Rice win. Louisiana is 28th in the nation at 6.2 yards per play, and Louisiana Tech is 125th at 4.1.
The Marshall offense averages 5.8 yards per play. From where I am standing, it looks like the UAB numbers came from playing horrific offenses. That they just gave up 16 points to a Rice team without a starting quarterback and leading receiver is a red flag.
If Marshall can drive the scoring in this one, we will only need UAB to contribute minimally. The Thundering Herd have only played one team that can move the ball offensively and that was Appalachian State way back in September. App State had a receiver fumble the ball through the end zone and their kicker miss a chip shot in that one so the seven points given up is a mirage. It’s not hard to imagine UAB getting on the board multiple times in this one.
Pick: Over 41.5 (-110)
John has spent the past 20+ years betting sports on a daily basis and is considered by many to be a walking sports betting encyclopedia. From obscure player props to sides and totals, if there is an angle, John will find it.
