Conference USA Championship: UAB vs Marshall Picks

Nobody likes “the Man,” always holding us good folk down and keeping us from enjoying ourselves when we’ve done nothing but play a little football like everyone else. 

That’s right, I’m talking about those Power Five conferences, always scoffing at the heart of college football betting—the smaller leagues where you can often find value. So you can have your battles in the Big Ten or SEC or whatever. It’s time to give some love to Conference USA!

Now that we’ve stood up for the little guy, here are our best college football free picks and predictions for UAB at Marshall, with kickoff scheduled for Friday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET in Huntington.

UAB Blazers at Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Preview

Weather

No surprise here, but it’s going to be chilly at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Look for a temperature of 32 degrees with wind out of the east-southeast at 4 mph. No rain is expected.
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.

Key Injuries

UAB: Will Boler S (Questionable), Jaylen Key S (Questionable), Mac McWilliams CB (Questionable), Alex Wright LB (Questionable), Kelle Sanders LB (Questionable), Fish McWilliams DL (Questionable), Dy’Jonn Turner S (Questionable), Colby Ragland OL (Questionable), Spencer Brown RB (Questionable), DeWayne McBride RB (Questionable)
Marshall: Eli Sammons QB (Questionable), Sam Burton DL (Questionable), Elijah Alston DL (Questionable), Josh Ball OL (Questionable), Sheldon Evans RB (Questionable), Broc Thompson WR (Out)
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.

Betting Trend to Know

Blazers are 1-6 ATS vs. teams with a winning record. Find more NCAA betting trends for UAB vs. Marshall.

Against the Spread (ATS) Pick

The Blazers are back in the conference title game for the third consecutive year after squeezing past Rice 21-16 last Saturday and ending their two-game losing skid. UAB isn’t flashy on offense but does average 29.3 points per game. Tyler Johnston III tossed for two scores against the Owls and has five total touchdowns on the season. On the ground, expect Spencer Brown to get plenty of touches. The senior running back has gained 740 yards and punched the ball into the end zone ten times.

Marshall will take its home turf after getting shutout 20-0 two weeks ago by a Rice team that was playing without its starting quarterback. It was the Thundering Herd’s only loss of the season, and now we’ll see how they respond to that letdown. Grant Wells is the signal-caller for Marshall, and he’s delivered with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Brenden Knox has added a team-leading 820 yards rushing.

While Marshall scores 32.2 points per game, its defense is a force. The Thundering Herd have the top unit in the conference and one of the best in the country. They’ll rely on that group to continue a trend where the home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings. 

PREDICTION: Marshall -5.5 (-110)

Over/Under Pick

Marshall’s defense is ranked fourth in the country, but UAB fields a strong unit as well, ranked 35th overall. The Under is 5-2 in the last seven games in this series, so give me the Under on a cold night in Huntington where each defense will stand tall and then wait for the other side to make a mistake.

PREDICTION: Under 42 (-110)

Team Total Prop Pick

Marshall is 7-1 this season, but the Herd don’t appear to be getting enough credit based on that awful loss to the Owls. Before that defeat, the Herd were on track for a perfect season. Their D should shut down the Blazers and give Marshall its first C-USA Championship since 2014. Time to stick it to “the Man.”

PREDICTION: UAB team total Under 17.5 (-108)

UAB vs Marshall Betting Card

• Marshall -5.5 (-110)
• Under 42 (-110)
• UAB team total Under 17.5 (-108)

Where Can I Bet on College Football?

You can bet on college football odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NCAA football point spreads, Over/Under totals, derivative bets and even prop plays as well. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.

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