The Missouri State Bears take on the Marshall Thundering Herd in Huntington, West Virginia. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Marshall is favored by -8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -355. The total is set at 54.5 points.
Here’s my Missouri State vs. Marshall predictions and college football picks for Saturday, September 6, 2025.
Missouri State vs Marshall Prediction
- Missouri State vs. Marshall Pick: Over 55.5
My Marshall vs Missouri State best bet is on the over. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Missouri State vs Marshall Odds
| Missouri State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -108 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | +280 |
| Marshall Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -112 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | -355 |
- Missouri State vs Marshall point spread: Marshall -8.5
- Missouri State vs Marshall over/under: 54.5 points
- Missouri State vs Marshall moneyline: Missouri State +280, Marshall -355
Missouri State vs Marshall Preview
Missouri State Bears Betting Preview: Defense Stands as Major Problem
Missouri State comes into this one off a tough road loss at USC, 73-13. USC scored on all but one possession in the contest and racked up 597 yards on just 57 offensive plays.
Defensively, Missouri State struggled to stop the explosive plays in this one, as USC quarterback Jayden Maiava averaged nearly 20 yards per pass completion in his limited action.
Missouri State was overwhelmed offensively by a talented USC defense (only achieving 11 first downs), and the Bears didn't run a play in the red zone.
This game isn't a true barometer on how Missouri State is going to perform this year in its inaugural FBS season, but it does confirm what many suspected before the season started: This defense is going to struggle a ton this year.
Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Preview: Figuring Out Personnel
Marshall comes in off a season-opening loss at Georgia last week. The Thundering Herd never got going offensively in this one, as its first 10 offensive possessions resulted in punts and Marshall registered just seven total first downs.
Situationally, Marshall was just 3-of-15 on third down and scored a touchdown in its only red zone trip, long after the outcome of the game was decided.
The Herd did rotate three quarterbacks (Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Zion Turner and JacQai Long all threw passes) in a clear attempt to determine what they have at the position.
Defensively, Marshall was overmatched against the Georgia offensive line, as the ‘Dawgs ran for 239 yards and three touchdowns with a fairly conservative game plan. Marshall did play hard throughout and forced three UGA punts in the second half.
The Herd played a ton of players on both sides of the ball, as this group is still figuring out its personnel and who should be elevated or dropped in the playing rotation.
Missouri State vs Marshall Pick, Betting Analysis
I'm taking the over in this matchup.
Missouri State is going to throw the ball a ton here and will run tempo on the Thundering Herd. Quarterback Jacob Clark threw a touchdown pass at USC last week, and this road environment won't rattle the Bears' offense after just playing in the Coliseum.
Missouri State has three capable receivers that should beat the Marshall defensive backs in 1:1 situations. I'm not confident that Marshall will get any pressure on Clark, and its pass coverage unit is of concern.
This will be a test for Marshall in a different way than what Georgia presented last week.
Marshall wants to run an Air Raid scheme and it'll also run some high tempo against Missouri State, which just gave up 73 points last week.
A quick review of the tapes from last week showed Missouri State is weak in the trenches and struggled in pursuit of the ball. The Bears' defense is going to struggle here with the tempo, and I suspect it'll be caught out of position frequently.
I can convincingly say we have two weak defenses that are going to struggle to defend the pass here going up against two offenses that want to run tempo and score quickly. We should see plenty of chunk plays and each team having plenty of chances to put points on the board.
I think this total is about a touchdown too low, and I would bet this up to 58.5. Right now we have some rogue 55.5’s out there in the market, so go find one of those and strap in for a fun one.
Pick: Over 55.5
