The Marshall Thundering Herd had one of the stingier defenses in college football this season, but that unit will be put to the test when the team takes on the Colorado State Rams. These two foes are meeting in the New México Bowl in mid-December.
They enter with identical 7-5 records, and while this game could be a competitive one, the Rams will enter as the favorites. It would be silly to dismiss Marshall, though, as it has some playmakers on the defensive side of the ball that can turn the momentum of the game in a hurry.
Colorado State is making its third appearance in the New México Bowl. The Rams are 2-0 in this bowl game. Marshall will be playing in it for the first time.
Watch this bowl game live on Saturday, December 16, 2017, at 4:30 p.m. ET at at Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New México.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Marshall +5.5
Colorado State -5.5
Over/Under 58
Odds Analysis
Colorado State is a decent favorite and this line could move higher as the game gets closer. Thus far, the Rams are getting a whopping 94 percent of the action to cover the spread. For those who want to jump on Colorado State, the time is now because the spread could hit a touchdown before the contest begins.
The scoring total is pretty high considering the Marshall defense, but nonetheless the “over” is the much more popular choice.
Matchup To Watch
Colorado State offense vs. Marshall defense -- The Rams are putting up 501 yards of total offense per contest and averaging 33.8 points per game. They have done a lot of damage on the ground, rolling up 211 yards per game rushing, but also account for nearly 300 through the air.
Quarterback Nick Stevens has looked good this year, throwing for 3,479 yards with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Michael Gallup has been his main weapon, as he has caught 94 passes for 1,345 yards with seven touchdowns. Running back Dalyn Dawkins has 216 carries for 1,349 yards and eight touchdowns.
Marshall is only allowing 19.3 points per contest on the year. The Thundering Herd is only giving up 125 rushing yards per game so it will be interesting to see if the group can slow down the Colorado State rushing attack.
If the Rams move the ball with ease, they shouldn’t have much trouble covering the spread. However, Marshall has shown the ability to slow down some pretty good offenses this year.
Player To Watch
Tyler King -- Colorado State is susceptible to giving up big gains on the ground, and the Marshall freshman running back would love to take advantage. He has carried the ball 152 times for 714 yards and six touchdowns on the season.
King has not gotten the ball very often the past two games as he has combined to rush just 16 times for 52 yards. King has surpassed 100 rushing yards in three games this season and Marshall has won each of them.
He would love to have that type of performance in this matchup, and it would certainly bode well for his team’s upset chances.
Free ATS Pick
This game is a clash of styles, and we should know early on whether Marshall’s defense can live up to the task of slowing down the Colorado State offense. The belief here is that the Thundering Herd can make it happen.
The team’s offense isn’t quite good enough to pull the upset, but the choice is for Marshall to cover this spread. The “under” is the choice on the scoring total as these teams won’t accumulate near the number of points that the oddsmakers expect.
College Football Odds: Colorado State 27, Marshall 24
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