The UAB Blazers (5-3, 3-1 C-USA) and the Marshall Thundering Herd (7-1, 4-1) meet Friday for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W.Va., for the Conference USA Championship Game. Below, we analyze the UAB-Marshall college football betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
UAB at Marshall: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:11 p.m. ET.
- Money line: UAB +170 (bet $100 to win $170) | Marshall -210 (bet $210 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: UAB +4.5 (-120) | Marshall -4.5 (+100)
- Over/Under: 42.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
UAB at Marshall: Three things to know
- The Blazers won the West Division of the Conference USA despite losing two of their final three regular-season games, including one non-conference tilt against bowl-bound Louisiana. They also had COVID-19 wipe out the entire month of November, not playing from Oct. 31 to Dec. 12, so they understand adversity.
- Marshall wrapped up the East Division and had a high ranking heading into its regular-season finale Dec. 5 against Rice. The Herd were also a tad rusty, having not played since Nov. 14. It showed, as they were blanked 20-0 by the Owls. They ended the regular season 1-3 ATS across their final four after opening 4-0 ATS.
- These teams haven’t met since Nov. 22, 2014, in Birmingham. The Thundering Herd registered a 23-18 win as the Under connected that afternoon.
Get some action on this game or any other matchup with a legal, online bet at BetMGM in CO, IN, NJ, TN and WV. Risk-free first bet up to $500, paid in free bets. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
UAB at Marshall: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Marshall 24, UAB 13
Money line (ML)
Marshall (-210) will cost you more than two times your potential return, and the Herd are a risky play since they’re coming off a shutout loss last time out.
PASS.
Against the spread (ATS)
MARSHALL -4.5 (+100) has been champing at the bit to get back on the field after its shutout loss against Rice. Despite that goose egg, the Herd still racked up 424.6 total yards per game for the season, including 190.0 rushing yards per outing, and they were good for 32.8 points per game to rank 37th in the nation.
Defensively is where it’s at for the Herd, as they were No. 2 in the country with 253.9 total yards per game allowed and just 73.0 rushing yards yielded to rank second, too. They were first in the country giving up just 11.4 PPG. The defense is what will get the Thundering Herd to another conference championship.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 42.5 (-110) is a rather low line in this day and age of college football, but Marshall’s defense is sturdy and UAB will have a difficult time moving the ball, especially in Huntington.
The Under is 12-3-1 in UAB’s past 16 as an underdog, including 8-3 in its past 11 as a road dog. The Under is also 5-2 in the past seven head-to-head meetings in this series.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]