How and what to watch for Louisiana vs. UAB

The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns are coming off a heartbreaking first loss of the season to Coastal Carolina last week, but before that they were on of the best stories in college football. They’ll head to Birmingham to take on a 4-1 UAB Blazers squad Friday.

UAB has been dominating teams so far this season, with the lone exception being a loss to the Miami Hurricanes. The Dragons are averaging nearly 32 points per game while only allowing 20, and since the team’s loss to Miami in Week 2, they haven’t allowed any opponent to score than 14 points.

They’re built on their rushing attack, with Spencer Brown averaging 4.8 yards per carry and six touchdowns. They also have DeWayne McBride, who has an outstanding 10.7 yards per carry after his best game last week against Western Kentucky. Brown alone has nearly as many rush attempts as QB Bryson Lucero has passing attempts. The Blazer defense has forced 11 turnovers through five games, but has been iffy against the run giving up 172 yards per outing on the ground.

That plays into Louisiana’s game plan, as they love to pound the rushing attack with nearly six yards per carry heading into this matchup. They don’t have one back who gets it done for them, as the Ragin’ Cajun’s have four guys who have over 100 rushing yards this season and two with over 200. Though they haven’t been able to eclipse 30 points since an overtime matchup in Week 2, their defense has created six turnovers, forcing one fumble and one interception each game until last week.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Louisiana vs. UAB Friday, October 23rd at 8:00 ET on CBS Sports Network, or you can stream it via the CBS Sports app with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Louisiana (-3) vs. UAB
Point Total: 50.5
Money line: Louisiana (-143), UAB (+118)

• Louisiana is 1-6 ATS in their last seven
• Total has gone under in four of Louisiana’s last five games.
• The total has gone over in five of UAB’s last seven

The Best Bet

The play here is to pick the money line. The spread seems too close when one team has a clear advantage. It might not be a blowout, but UAB should win outright and bring some value.

Pick: UAB (+118)

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