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Miami Redhawks vs. Marshall Thundering Herd Week 1 Betting Predictions & Preview

Marshall vs Miami (OH) College Football Handicapping

Head coach Doc Holliday has done a great job of bringing in talent at Marshall, but this is the year the squad needs to turn all that talent into wins.

Marshall Thundering Herd (5-7) vs. Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (4-8)
Date: Saturday August 31, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Joan C. Edwards Stadium
City: Huntington, West Virginia
O/U Odds: 67
Spread: Marshall -20
Money Line: Marshall -1100, Miami (Ohio) +800
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Holliday would certainly point to his work as a recruiter as a positive for the program, but the wins just haven’t followed the talent. Marshall last won the MAC in 2002. The offense rolled last season, but the defense struggled mightily, allowing more than 50 points five times en route to a 5-7 season.

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Junior quarterback Rakeem Cato returns to run a passing game that led the nation with an average of 534 yards per game. The loss of Aaron Dobson hurts, but wide receiver Tommy Shuler and tight end Gator Hoskins appear ready to take on bigger loads.

The backfield doesn’t get much respect because of the team’s prolific aerial attack, but the backs get pick up big chunks of yardage at a time. With Kevin Grooms playing the lead role, he, Steward Butler, and Remi Watson combined for 1,617 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

Defensively, the team can’t be much worse than they were a year ago. New defensive coordinator Chuck Heater will rely heavily on some rookie linebackers to turn things around. Stefan Houston, Kent Turene, and Jeremy Benjamin represent a strong haul on the recruiting trail, and have the team’s future looking bright, at least at the linebacker spot. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Miami will return 17 starters from a squad that disappointed last season. The running game was virtually non-existent a year ago, and all signs point to the team relying heavily on quarterback Austin Boucher again this season. He doesn’t have a big arm, but he can make all the short and intermediate throws, which is how the team will have to pick up first downs.

Keeping the chains moving will be key for the team this season as it tries to keep its defense on the sidelines, but that’s tough to do without a running game.

Defensively, the team has some athletic cornerbacks, and that will help them quite a bit against a team like Marshall, but they have no pass rush to speak of. The team racked up only 15 sacks last season, and six of those game in a single game, and the poor defensive line play they received is a big part of why the team ranked second-last in the country in rush defense.

The passing games for both teams are poised to dictate the play against a pair of poor defenses. Expect to see points, and plenty of them.

The over is 8-1 in Marshall’s last nine games overall, and 4-0 in their last four home games.

The play: Over 67

By Gino Bottero

Gino is new to CappersPicks.com but NOT new to the online gambling industry.He's got an AMAZING knack for discovering hidden gems when it comes to betting on sports. Stick with him as he predicts when a team will have a letdown! Check Gino out for NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB betting articles all season long!