The upcoming Frisco Bowl showdown exclusively features the Marshall Thundering Herd and the UTSA Roadrunners. We're providing our top prediction for the UTSA vs. Marshall clash, factoring in the best college football odds.
This Tuesday's game marks only the fourth encounter between UTSA and Marshall, with the last match dating back to 2018 when both schools were briefly C-USA rivals.
UTSA, standing at 8-4, missed out on contending for a third consecutive C-USA title due to a setback in its final regular-season game against Tulane, halting a seven-game winning streak with a 29-16 defeat. This loss marked UTSA's sole stumble (7-1) in conference play this season.
Marshall, despite starting strong at 4-0, unexpectedly found themselves in a position where winning the last regular-season game was crucial for bowl eligibility. Following their blazing start, they stumbled with six losses in their next eight games. Seeking a back-to-back bowl victory after triumphing over UConn 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl last year, the Thundering Herd are striving to finish strong.
As part of our look at all college bowl game odds, here is our best UTSA vs. Marshall prediction and our college football picks for Tuesday's Frisco Bowl (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
UTSA vs. Marshall prediction: Frisco Bowl
Editor's note: This team total has dropped to 28.5 with rumors circulating about the status of UTSA quarterback Frank Harris on Tuesday.
When it comes to placing wagers on bowl games, which team is the more motivated team is always a key piece of analysis, as three weeks between a team's final regular-season game and a bowl game is a long time to keep players sharp and focused.
< p class=''>That edge should decidedly belong with the Roadrunners, who are 0-4 in their bowl history and should be motivated for their first bowl win in a semi-home environment in Frisco, TX. And with the point spread ballooning to a number too high to back, we are wagering on the Over on UTSA's team total instead.
UTSA's offense sputtered in last year's 18-12 loss to Troy in the Cure Bowl, getting shut out in the second half. However, the team was put in a precarious spot as star wide receiver Joshua Cephus, who had 985 receiving yards, was charged with DWI and was suspended from the team just a week before the game.
Now Cephus is back and coming off a regular season where he totaled 1,049 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He's a big reason why quarterback Frank Harris broke the school record for total offense this season.
UTSA has a huge edge over Marshall in the trenches, as it ranks f ifth in rushing explosiveness, while the Thundering Herd defense is 129th. Thus, UTSA's running back tandem of Kevorian Barnes and Robert Henry, who each averaged at least 4.9 yards per carry, should run wild, especially with the Thundering Herd having to respect Harris' 5.5 yards per carry average and top 32 EPA ranking.
We were tempted to back the Over in this game, but have instead limited our play to just wagering on UTSA's team total due to AAC Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Trey Moore, entering the transfer portal, along with cornerbacks Xavier Spencer and Syrus Dumas' availability in question given their intent to transfer.
This is a four-star play, as we do not expect many sustained drives from a Marshall offense that ranks 110th in Rushing Success Rate, facing a UTSA front that is top 45 in Line Yards and Stuff Rate.
Not intended for use in MA
Affiliate Discl osure: Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook
Visit our Google News page and click “Follow” (?) for the latest odds, picks and news!
UTSA vs. Marshall best odds
DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 |
---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 33.5 | N/A | N/A | 34 |
N/A | -111 | N/A | N/A | -105 |
At the time of this writing, only two of our best sportsbooks were offering team totals, and we didn't mind paying up slightly at FanDuel to get a team total a half-point lower than the one offered at bet365.
Editor's note: As of now, UTSA's team total is hovering just above four full touchdowns.
Editor's note: Get ready for the launch of Vermont sports betting with our best Vermont sportsbook promos, and be sure to download the best Vermont sports betting apps! 21+ and present in VT. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
UTSA vs. Marshall odds
UTSA vs. Marshall odds analysis
FanDuel is the only shop offering a point spread of UTSA -12.5, as all of our other best sports betting apps are at -13. The spread has moved decidedly in UTSA's favor, as all our top sportsbooks opened as low as -8.5.
Editor's note: The spread has moved to UTSA -7.5 as of Tuesday afternoon due to the rumors about Harris.
UTSA is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games against non-conference opponents.
All of our best sports betting sites offer a total of either 52.5 or 53, with BetRivers the only shop differing from those with an O/U of 53.5. Almost all opened much higher at 56.5, while DraftKings was the only shop with a slightly lower opening total (56).
Editor's note: The total has dropped to 47.5.
UTSA is a profitable Under team this year, cashing it in seven of 11 games, while the Over is 7-0 in Marshall's previous seven games against AAC opponents.
Frisco Bowl game info
- When: Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
- How to watch: ESPN/ESPN+
- Weather: 61 degrees, 6% chance of precipitation, wind 10 mph SSE
UTSA-Marshall prediction made 12/15/2023 at 4:01 p.m. ET.
Check out our best college football betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUS1000 | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)
Read Full Article