UAB Blazers (6-3) vs. Marshall Thundering Herd (6-3)
November 13, 2021 3:30 pm EDT
The Line: Marshall Thundering Herd -5 ; Over/Under: 55.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Marshall Thundering Herd take on the UAB Blazers on Saturday in week 11 Conference USA college football action from Joan C. Edwards Stadium. UAB is fresh off a game versus LA Tech. In that one the Blazers posted a 14-point win. As for Marshall, they played Florida Atlantic in their last outing. The Herd would go on to post a 15-point victory. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
UAB managed a 3-1 run over their first quartet of games this year, losing to Georgia while otherwise beating JSU, North Texas and Tulane. The Blazers would go 2-2 over their next four, losing to Liberty and Rice with wins over Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss.
Back on Saturday versus LA Tech, the Blazers scored in every quarter—with 21 points in the fourth—during a high-flying 52-38 victory. QB Dylan Hopkins had 182 yards with a pick, but the real star was DeWayne McBride with 210 yards and a whopping four scores on 14 carries.
Over on the Marshall side, they’ve been choppy this year as well with a 2-2 run over their first four that included wins versus Navy and NC Central. After a loss to Middle Tennessee to begin October, the Herd took out Old Dominion, North Texas and FIU in their next three.
In the matchup versus Florida Atlantic, Marshall was up 21-13 at halftime on the way to a 28-13 win. QB Grant Wells put up 351 yards with a TD and a pick, and Rasheen Ali had 90 yards and two touchdowns rushing. Willie Johnson added 140 yards and a score off five catches.
UAB is 5-1 ATS in their last six road games and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six conference games. The Blazers are 3-8 ATS versus a team with a winning record as well.
Meanwhile, the Herd are 7-21 ATS in their last 28 at home and the under is 6-1 in their last seven conference games. The under is 4-1 in Marshall’s last five overall.
PICK: I’m going to try UAB. The Blazers had some great offensive stats against LA Tech, with 477 total yards, 295 rush yards, 8.5 yards per play and just three punts. That said, UAB has a few things to clean up, such as their 12 penalties, two turnovers and relatively tepid 3-of-10 rate on third-down tries.
As for Marshall, they gave up a ton of rushing yards against FAU (243) but still pulled out the two-score win thanks to 351 pass yards and 20 first downs. I think the Herd will be a little more well-rounded in a good matchup here, so it should be a fun one to watch.
