Free Week 8 Prediction: Thundering Herd vs. Owls Odds
Looking for Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Florida Atlantic Owls free picks? Week 8 betting sees the Thundering Herd taking on the Owls Friday, October 18th at FAU Stadium, Boca Rotan, Florida. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football predictions like this Marshall Florida Atlantic Week 8 free pick.
College Football Handicapping: Week 8
(3-3) Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Florida Atlantic Owls (4-2)
Date: Friday, October 18th
Time: 6:30 pm EST
Venue: FAU Stadium, Boca Rotan Florida
NCAA Football Spread: Florida Atlantic -5.5
NCAA Betting Total: 57.5
Click here to view… CFB ATS Stats & NCAAF Betting Insight for this game!
[dfads params=’groups=66655&orderby=random&return_javascript=1′]
This week eight matchup will see the Marshall Thundering Herd take on the Florida Atlantic Owls.
Both of these teams play in the Conference USA East division. The Thundering Herd are 1-1 in conference play and the Owls are 2-0. They are both chasing Western Kentucky, so this game needs to be considered a must win by both sides.
Marshall Thundering Herd
The Thundering Herd are coming off a 31-17 win over Old Dominion to notch their first conference win of the season.
[dfads params=’groups=220&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]
Marshall put up 444 yards against the Monarchs. Most of these yards came on the ground, as they ran the ball 46 times for 236 yards. This is an average of 5.1 yards per carry, so clearly running the football is what Marshall will try to do.
On the season, the Thundering Herd are averaging 210.7 rushing yards per game. This ranks 32nd in the league. However, in two Conference USA games, they are averaging 219 rush yards, so there has been a slight increase in productivity over the past few weeks.
Since the start of conference play, Marshall has also played some solid defense. They are allowing an average of 20.5 points over the last two weeks.
Rush defense has been their strong point, allowing 111.5 rushing through two conference games. As for their pass defense, they are allowing 192 yards on average in their Conference USA games.
The Owls have a balanced offense, so the only way Marshall is going to pull an upset is by limiting them in both the pass and the run. This may sound like an easy task, but the Owls have plenty of play-makers, who can take over a game.
Florida Atlantic Owls
The Owls have now won four games in a row after they beat Middle Tennessee State 28-13. They are 2-0 in Conference USA and will have a showdown with Western Kentucky in a few weeks. If they can win this game and the Hilltoppers continue to win, that game may be crucial to determine the winner of the East Division.
The Owls were somewhat held in check offensively as they managed only 364 yards of total offense. Considering they normally average 400+ yards, this was a game where they were forced to grind.
The good news is their rushing offense has shown up recently. They had 203 yards rushing against Middle Tennessee State. The week before against Charlotte, another Conference USA opponent, they ran the ball for 238 yards. Therefore, they are averaging 221 yards rushing in two Conference USA games compared to an average of 105 yards rushing per game in their first four games played.
Check out the free College football picks from Cappers Picks experts today!
The Owls defense has been shaky at times this season and I am not even talking about the games against Ohio State and UCF. Last week against Middle Tennessee State, they allowed 459 yards. This was 95 yards more than they had.
The more impressive part was their ability to hold the Blue Raiders to just 13 points despite the yardage difference.
Stopping the run will be the key to keeping Marshall from scoring in this game. If they can force them to throw the ball more often, the Owls should move to 3-0 in the conference.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- MRSH are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games on grass.
- FAU are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games on grass.
Free Week 8 NCAA Football Pick
I like Florida Atlantic to win this game because they have a much more balanced offensive attack.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick: Marshall +5.5
We are in the thick of conference play now and I think these two teams are pretty evenly matched. I like Marshall to stay within the number and cover the spread.
Week 8 Free Score Prediction: Marshall 24 – Florida Atlantic 28
If you’re looking for more picks like this Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Florida Atlantic Owls matchup we’ll be providing 4* free College football game predictions on the blog all bowl season long, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free CFB Football picks!
Check out our Updated College Football Betting Odds.
[dfads params=’groups=219&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]