Sun Belt: Southern Miss vs Louisiana-Lafayette 10/27/22 College Football Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns clash Thursday in Sun Belt week 9 college football action at M. M. Roberts Stadium. The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns look for a win after splitting their last 6 games. The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles look for a win after winning 4 of their last 5 games.

The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns have won 6 of their last 8 road games. Ben Wooldridge is completing 62.8 percent of his passes for 986 yards, 10 touchdowns and 1 interception. Michael Jefferson and Neal Johnson have combined for 568 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, while Jacob Bernard has 9 receptions. The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns ground game is averaging 115.5 yards per contest, and Chris Smith leads the way with 264 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, Louisiana-Lafayette is allowing 19.2 points and 355.3 yards per game. Jourdan Quibodeaux leads the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns with 54 tackles, Andre Jones has 4.5 sacks and Bralen Trahan has 3 interceptions.

The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles have lost 5 of their last 8 home games. Zach Wilcke is completing 60 percent of his passes for 979 yards, 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Jason Brownlee and Jakarius Caston have combined for 661 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns, while Tiaquelin Mims has 12 receptions. The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles ground game is averaging 123.2 yards per contest, and Frank Gore Jr. leads the way with 568 yards and 4 touchdowns. Defensively, Southern Mississippi is allowing 23.2 points and 366.8 yards per game. Malik Shorts leads the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles with 53 tackles, Dominic Quewon has 7 sacks and Eric Scott Jr. has 2 interceptions.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games in October and 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall. The Golden Eagles are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 conference games and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The under is 28-12-1 in Ragin’ Cajuns last 41 games overall. The under is 24-11 in Golden Eagles last 35 games overall. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns are the better team on paper, and they have a clear edge on the defensive side. The issue is the Ragin’ Cajuns have issues finishing drives offensively, and this is a night weekday game where weird things happen and home dogs thrive. The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles are playing their best ball of the season and their defense keeps them in games. Give me Southern Miss and the points.