The Marshall Thundering Herd take on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in Lafayette, Louisiana. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Louisiana is favored by one point on the spread with a moneyline of -110. The total is set at 46.5 points.
Here’s my Marshall vs. Louisiana prediction and college football picks for Saturday, September 27, 2025.
Marshall vs Louisiana Prediction
- Marshall vs. Louisiana Pick: Louisiana ML (-120 or Better)
My Louisiana vs. Marshall best bet is on the Cajuns to win outright. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Marshall vs Louisiana Odds
| Marshall Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -115 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | -110 |
| Louisiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -105 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | -110 |
- Marshall vs Louisiana point spread: Louisiana -1
- Marshall vs Louisiana over/under: 46.5 points
- Marshall vs Louisiana moneyline: Marshall -110, Louisiana -110
Marshall vs Louisiana Picks
I think it's time to swoop in with a bargain buy on the Ragin' Cajuns, who have looked downright disgusting to start the season.
They started their 2025 campaign by losing outright as a double-digit favorite against Rice (although I'll give them a slight pass against a brand new offense), then didn't look great against an FCS opponent before getting stomped at Missouri, and most recently lost on the road to a previously winless Eastern Michigan squad.
Not great.
Many of those issues stem from the lack of quarterback play after the original starter, Walker Howard, was injured in the season opener. Daniel Beale has arguably been the worst quarterback in the country, and dual-threat Lunch Winfield hasn't looked much better in his packages.
With that said, I project Louisiana as closer to a field goal favorite against a downright dreadful Marshall team.
From a matchup perspective, Louisiana can't stop the run, but Marshall can't run it, and the Louisiana corners (and edge rushers) can help contain the Thundering Herd's passing attack, which has relied heavily on hitting explosives.
On the other side of the ball, Marshall's secondary remains very vulnerable, but Louisiana can't complete a forward pass — although the aerial attack did show at least some signs of life last week. It will be strength on strength when Louisiana has the ball with its rush offense against the Marshall defense, which is robust in the front seven.
Ultimately, I'm buying low on the Cajuns in a great spot to regroup at home for their conference opener with revenge against the team that embarrassed them in the conference title game last season.
Pick: Louisiana ML (-120 or Better)
