The 16th-ranked Marshall Thundering Herd will be looking to continue to creep up the AP poll when they take on the Massachusetts Minutemen Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET in Huntington, WV. And they won’t be in trouble this weekend.
Marshall (6-0) is coming off a 20-9 win over FAU Eagles 20-9 a couple of weeks ago. In that game, freshman quarterback Grant Wells completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 251 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. This season, the true freshman is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,100 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Junior running back Brenden Knox notched another 100-yard performance under his belt, recording 101 yards on 25 carries. Despite reaching the century mark, it was the first time all season that Knox did not score a touchdown. But that should change on Saturday as UMass struggled to stop Georgia Southern’s rushing attack, giving up 309 yards on the ground.
As for the Minutemen, this is only their second game of the season as they announced in September that they are only playing a limited number of games. In their season opener against Georgia Southern, they got absolutely hammered 41-0. UMass could not do anything right as their offense only mustered 191 yards and went 2-of-13 on third-down. The Minutemen will look to play better against Marshall but could be staring at another blowout on Saturday.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch UMass vs. Marshall on Saturday, November 7 at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, or you can stream it via ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: UMass vs. Marshall (-43.5)
Point Total: O/U 54.5
Money line: N/A
- UMass is 2-10-1 against the spread in its last 13 games.
- The point total went over in eight of UMass’ last 11 games.
- Marshall is 4-1 against the spread in its last five games.
- The point total went over in five of Marshall’s last seven games.
Betting splits
UMass: (52% of handle, 58% percent of bets)
Marshall: (48% of handle, 42% percent of bets)
The Best Bet
Usually, I try to stay away from games that have a large spread like this one between the Minutemen and Thundering Herd. However, seeing how good Marshall has been this season, along with how UMass performed against Georgia Southern a few weeks ago, it’s a no-brainer. Lay the points and hope the backdoor stays shut.
Pick: Marshall -44.5
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO) or 1-800-BETS OFF (IA). 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/IN/NH/IA/CO/IL only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.