Marshall is the Football Odds Home Favorite

The Marshall Thundering Herd is 0 and 3 straight up on the season, but, sort of surprisingly, -6 point football odds online favorites versus the Ohio Bobcats this Saturday.

Marshall is coming off of a 44 to 28 loss to Bowling Green as 4-point football odds handicapping faves.  The Bowling Green loss came after the Thundering Herd took West Virginia into overtime as 12-point dogs in a 24 to 21 loss.

Is Marshall going to finally show that they are a good team or will they lie down again?

Ohio Bobcats at Marshall Thundering Herd

Where:  Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Huntington, West Virginia
When:  September 25th, 2010 at 7:00 pm EST
TV:  TBD

NCAAF Betting Lines

Ohio Bobcats                                      +6 -110

Marshall Thundering Herd                  -6 -110

Based on the trends the football expert odds make sense.

• The Marshall Thundering Herd are 4 and 1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
• The Ohio Bobcats are 1 and 4 ATS in the last 5 meetings between these two teams at Marshall.
• The Ohio Bobcats are 1 and 5 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
• The Ohio Bobcats are 10 and 27 ATS in their last 37 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game.

I believe that Marshall’s loss to Bowling Green was simply a matter of them being overworked and tired.  The Thundering Herd’s defense chased Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor all over the field in Week 1 in a 45 to 7 loss.  Marshall’s D gave up 529 total yards to Ohio State.

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Then, only a week later, they had to take on another great offensive team in the West Virginia Mountaineers.  Marshall ended up playing a spectacular game.  They held West Virginia to only 24 points but it was obvious that in the 4th quarter the Thundering Herd’s D had gotten tired.  How else to explain West Virginia scoring 15 points in the final quarter?

By the time Marshall traveled to Bowling Green last week, they were just a tired bunch.  It showed on the field.  Marshall turned the ball over 5 times in the Bowling Green loss and allowed Bowling Green to accumulate close to 400 total yards.

This Saturday should be different for Marshall.  The Thundering Herd plays Ohio at home and no doubt will be rested and ready after the embarrassing Bowling Green loss.  Most football odds game bettors agree with me.  74% of football handicappers, so far, believe that Marshall will cover the spread against Ohio on Saturday.

One of the big reasons why is that Ohio just doesn’t appear to have the offense to stick with the Thundering Herd.  Ohio could score only 13 points versus Toledo in a 20 13 home loss.  2 and 1 straight up Toledo gave up 24 points to Western Michigan last week and 41 points to Arizona in Week 1.

Ohio’s offensive issues should be compounded against a desperate for a win Marshall team trying to get off the loser’s wagon this Saturday.  Marshall will be fired up, Ohio is a bad team, and the Thundering Herd deserve a break after fighting so hard against West Virginia a couple of weeks ago.

Marshall is my NCAAF football odds prediction to cover the spread in this game on Sept. 25th.         

NCAAF Betting Pick:  Marshall Thundering Herd -6 -110

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Sources:  espn.com, usatoday.com, covers.com