The Marshall Thundering Herd will be looking to avoid the upset when they take on the South Florida Bulls in the 2018 Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday, December 20, live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Now, let’s find out which one of these teams will get the season-ending bowl game win.
Marshall vs USF 2018 Gasparilla Bowl Lines & Preview
Aye lassies, there’s only 4 more days until we’re #RaidingRayJay! Get yer tickets before it’s too late 👉https://t.co/E6z7KvXwgu 🏈☠️⚔#GasparillaBowl pic.twitter.com/ekuRJzZKw2
— Gasparilla Bowl (@GasparillaBowl) December 17, 2018
- When: Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: Marshall / USF
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- 2018 Gasparilla Bowl Odds: Marshall -2 / Total: 55
Weather Forecast
- Chance of Rain: 19°C/66°F
- Humidity: 95%
- Precipitation: 54%
- Wind: 9 mph SW
- Cloud Cover: 62%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why Bet on South Florida at +2?
Why should you consider betting on South Florida as a slight underdog in this contest? Outside of the fact that the Bulls have the slightly better offense statistically speaking, there is no good reason. The Bulls have lost five straight to close out the regular season including their pitiful 38-10 smackdown loss against Central Florida on Nov. 23 as a 16.5-point underdog. The Bulls average 29.2 points per game (64th) while allowing 31.5 points per contest defensively (92nd). Quarterback Blake Barnett may not be able to go for the Bulls in this contest after suffering a lower leg injuries in South Florida’s season-ending loss.
“It’s still a process for them each and every day,” head coach Charlie Strong said. “We’ve still got what, three or four days before we play the (bowl) game, so we’ll see if they’re gonna be ready to go.”
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 27.42
- Total Yards: 384.50
- Pass Yards: 228.67
- Rush Yards: 155.83
- Average Score Against: 22
- Total Yards: 335.59
- Pass Yards: 231.67
- Rush Yards: 103.92
Why Bet On Marshall at -2?
Why should you consider betting on Marshall in this season-ending bowl game? The best reason is because the Thundering Herd have an
elite defense. Another great reason is because Marshall had their three-game winning streak snapped in their 41-20 beatdown loss against Virginia Tech as a 3.5-point road dog on Dec. 1. The Thundering Herd average 27.4 points per game (76th) while allowing just 22.0 points per contest defensively (31st).
“Everybody just has to do their job,” Marshall cornerback Kereon Merrell said. “I feel like if we do what we did in previous weeks, we’ll be fine.”
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 29.17
- Total Yards: 444.34
- Pass Yards: 241.17
- Rush Yards: 203.17
- Average Score Against: 31.50
- Total Yards: 442.33
- Pass Yards: 197.25
- Rush Yards: 245.08
Marshall vs SFU 2018 Gasparilla Bowl Betting Trends
- Marshall is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Marshall is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Marshall’s last 5 games
- SFU is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
- SFU is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Expert Analysis and Prediction for Marshall vs SFU
I have no idea why 53 percent of public bettors are backing South Florida to cover the chalk in this contest, but I’m not and neither should you. Mashall is a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last 6 bowl games and a consistent 21-8-1 ATS in their last 30 non-conference games. Conversely, South Florida has gone 2-5 ATS in their last seven games, 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams from Conference USA and a winless 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games. I’m going with the Thundering Herd to get the win and ATS cover and you should too!
2018 Gasparilla Bowl Pick: Marshall 35 South Florida 31
