The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (4-3, 2-2 Sun Belt) and Southern Miss Golden Eagles (4-3, 2-1) will battle in a Thursday night affair at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg. Kickoff in the Sun Belt contest is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Louisiana vs. Southern Miss odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
Louisiana was favored by 5.5 points and won by 20 in a 38-18 conquest over Arkansas State Saturday. The Cajuns nearly doubled up the Red Wolves in yardage (522-271) in their 2nd straight win after losing 3 in a row. The 522 yards marked a season-high for a Cajuns squad that ranks 10th in the SBC, averaging 356.3 total yards per game.
The Golden Eagles have also won 2 straight games. They downed Arkansas State on Oct. 15 and beat Texas State 20-14 (as a 2.5-point favorite) on Saturday. The Southern Miss offense ranks 13th (of 14 teams) in total yardage (334.0 average), but it ranks 7th in total defense (349.9 YPG) in a league that has tilted toward that side of the ball this autumn.
UL and USM have not met on the gridiron since 2016.