Old Dominion at Marshall Prediction - College Football Picks 9/30/23

Marshall Thundering Herd (3-0) vs Old Dominion Monarchs (2-2)

Game Info: Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 3:30 pm (Joan C. Edwards Stadium)

Betting Odds: Marshall Thundering Herd -13.5 -- Over/Under: 46.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Old Dominion Monarchs will make the trip to Huntington to meet the Marshall Thundering Herd in Sun Belt play this Saturday from Joan C. Edwards Stadium on ESPN+. Marshall holds a sizable 7-1 head-to-head series lead, after winning five straight meetings.

Old Dominion Monarchs Preview

Old Dominion comes in at 2-2 after defeating Texas A&M-Commerce by a slim margin, 10-9. The Monarchs avoided disaster in a nasty, low-scoring contest with a fourth quarter touchdown, and they’ll look to move to 2-0 in conference play this weekend. The ODU offense is scoring 22.3 ppg, while passing for 225.5 ypg, rushing for 107.0 ypg, and converting 41.2% of their third downs.

ODU Player Notes

• Grant Wilson struggled immensely through the terrible weather conditions last week with three first half interceptions, and he was replaced by Jack Shields, who came in and went 14/20 for 258 passing yards and a touchdown. The sophomore quarterback managed to come thru despite taking six sacks, and if his OLine struggled with Texas A&M-Commerce, there’s a chance they may find trouble in the mountains with Marshall.

• Freshman back Devin Roche has been thrust into the lead role over the last two weeks, and he’s managed to gain 158 yards on 21 touches.

• Sophomore wideout Kelby Williams went off for 197 yards in last week’s win, and he leads ODU with 260 receiving yards.

• The ODU defense has allowed 25.7 points per game.

Marshall Thundering Herd Preview

Marshall improved to 3-0 after defeating Virginia Tech at home by a touchdown, 24-17. The Thundering Herd tacked on a notable non-conference win by holding off the Hokies in the fourth, and they’ll look to open conference play on a strong note this weekend. The Marshall offense is scoring 25.3 ppg, while passing for 231.7 ypg, rushing for 163.3 ypg, and converting 30.8% of their third downs.

Marshall Player Notes

• Cam Fancher struggled a bit last week with Virginia Tech, going 16/27 for 166 yards, with a touchdown and a pair of picks. The sophomore QB comes into a spot to bounce back here against ODU, as he hasn’t been able to get much going through his two matchups in FBS action. Fancher has passed for 612 yards, with two touchdowns to three interceptions for the season.

• Rasheen Ali played a huge role in the win over Tech, going for a personal-best 174 yards and two scores. The junior back is one of the best in the conference, and he’ll look to double down here in Virginia this weekend with another strong effort. Ali leads the team with 396 rushing yards and seven touchdowns thru three games.

• CMU transfer Cade Conley led the team in catches again last week, and he’s now posting team-leads in receptions (14) and receiving yards (149).

• The Marshall defense is allowing 15.6 points per game.

Old Dominion vs Marshall Trends

• ODU is 2-2 against the spread, with a 2-2 O/U record.

• Marshall is 2-1 ATS, with a 1-2 over/under record.

Corey’s Free Pick

This feels like a very manageable spot for Marshall, as ODU comes in when uncertainty at the quarterback spot. The Thundering Herd should be able to lean on their physical prowess again here at home, just as they did versus Virginia Tech, and it should prove to be too much for an inconsistent Monarch defense. Marshall could make things dark here with a blowout, but let’s back their effective ground game and ability to control the clock, and take the Under for this Sun Belt matchup.