Two teams that were money losers for bettors meet on Thursday night in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, as the Marshall Thundering Herd take on the South Florida Bulls. The Thundering Herd went 8-4 SU this season, but they were just 4-8 ATS, while the Bulls finished 7-5 SU, and 4-8 ATS. South Florida is hoping that quarterback Blake Barnett will be available, but he is questionable after suffering a leg injury late in the season. Let’s look at this game and live betting at BookMaker.eu.
This contest will take place on Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
NCAA Football Betting at BookMaker.eu
Marshall -3 (even), O/U 54.5
Odds Analysis
The Thundering Herd are listed as slight favorites in this contest. Marshall averaged 27 points per game and gave up just 22 per contest. The Bulls come into this game having lost five straight and they were blown out in each game. South Florida averages about 29 points per game and gives up 31 per contest. Head coach Charlie Strong said that tight ends coach Justin Burke will serve as the interim offensive coordinator on Thursday night, as offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert left for McNeese State. This will be a home game for USF, but they were a pathetic 1-5 ATS at home this season.
Marshall has been excellent under head coach Doc Holliday in bowl games, as they are 5-0 SU and ATS. Marshall has a stout defense that gave up just 22 points per game. They should be able to keep the South Florida offense in check. South Florida didn’t score 24 points in any of their last four games.
Coaching Matchup
Holliday is 69-46 at Marshal, while Strong is 70-44 with stops in Louisville, Texas and South Florida. Holliday and Strong have faced each other once previously, as Marshall beat Louisville in 2011.
Key Stats
The Thundering Herd are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games on grass. The Thundering Herd are 21-8-1 ATS in their last 30 non-conference games. The Thundering Herd are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Bulls are 9-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. The Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Conference USA. The Bulls are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
Looking at the total, the Over is 4-0 in Marshall’s last 4 road games. The Over is 10-3 in Marshall’s last 13 games on grass. The Over is 16-5 in Marshall’s last 21 non-conference games. The Under is 5-1 in the Bulls last 6 games on grass. The Under is 8-3 in the Bulls last 11 home games.
Live Betting Preview
It is hard to make any case for taking South Florida in this game. They come into this game having lost five straight, their quarterback is questionable and the South Florida defense simply isn’t any good. Marshall looks to be better on both sides of the ball and is the play. One thing of note is that live betting has been the way to go in these bowl games. It is usually obvious very early on in these bowl games which teams want to play and which teams are on vacation. In the first five bowl games on the season, four of the five were decided by double-digits. Perhaps as the bowl season progresses and the games get more meaningful we will see closer games, but for now the best choice in bowl betting is live betting where you can bet the team that really wants to be there. I’ll look to Marshall in this one, but I will also be aware of which team starts fast and back them in live betting.
NCAA Football Odds: Marshall 27, South Florida 13
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