Marshall Thundering Herd Future Odds
Thundering Herd Defense Will Carry Team
The Thundering Herd had a solid 8-4 season last year and closed out the season with a victory over UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Marshall beat No. 8 Notre Dame in the second week of the season but lost its first two Sun Belt games and finished 5-3 in conference play. The Marshall Thundering Herd future odds are pretty generous at +800 to win the Sun Belt.
Marshall Thundering Herd At A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| National Championship | +100000 | +100000 |
| Conference | +700 | +800 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 7.0 (o-110, u-120) | 7.0 (o-120, u-110) |
| To Make Playoffs (if applicable) | N/A | N/A |
The Offense Needs to Pick it Up
Marshall’s defense is going to be good once again. Perhaps not as good as last season, but there is enough returning talent, along with some promising newcomers, to be a solid unit. It’s the offense that poses the question marks heading into the season.
Quarterback Cam Fancher returns after throwing for 1,558 yards and 10 touchdowns. He added 466 yards on the ground, but the Thundering Herd needs a little more out of him in the passing game. The running game will be solid. Rasheen Ali missed most of last season with an injury but rushed for over 1,400 yards in 2021.
Leading receiver Corey Gammage moved to UCF, but Marshall has Charles Montgomery and Talik Keaton, who combined for 60 receptions back.
The offensive line is solid and has four returning starters, including center Logan Osburn, who is a good one. The line can open some holes for the running game, which is their primary task.
Defensively, Marshall was No. 6 in the country in points allowed and No. 7 in total yardage. Owen Porter and his 9.5 sacks are back up front, but Marshall has to replace a few starters along the line. The linebacking core should be fine and the secondary is pretty solid. The team will need a few newcomers to come in and play at a high level to finish up top in the conference NCAAF standings.
National Championship Odds: Marshall Has No Shot
Marshall is the same +100000 as a year ago and it really doesn’t matter. The Thundering Herd has no chance of making the playoff field, let alone winning it all.
Conference Odds: Thundering Herd an Intriguing Longshot
Marshall was +450 to win the Sun Belt last year and the Marshall Thundering Herd future odds have shot up to +800 to win it this season. You could make far worse college football bets this season than Marshall. The defense will be excellent. But the offense has to live up to its end of the bargain.
The conference slate isn’t easy, especially with back-to-back road games at Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State. But Marshall does get James Madison at home. The Sun Belt isn’t one of the powerhouse conferences. But it is competitive and that makes winning on the road a bit of a challenge at times.
Regular Season Wins: Schedule Can Pose Problems
The Marshall Thundering Herd future odds have Marshall at seven wins. Marshall’s fate is likely to be determined by the offense. The Thundering Herd have to do a better job inside the red zone, where they scored just 71% of the time. Going 13 of 20 on-field goals didn’t help. But that wasn’t the only reason Marshall struggled when deep in the opponents’ territory.
Marshall scored 13 points or less in three of its four losses, so the team needs a little more consistency on offense. The Thundering Herd has the people in place to do a better job on that side of the ball. Marshall’s NCAAF scores should be a little higher than what they’ve been.
The non-conference schedule has a couple of tough games in N.C. State, Virginia Tech, and East Carolina, while the Thundering Herd shouldn’t have any problems with Albany. The conference slate isn’t a walk in the park, with many of the tougher games on the road this season. Seven wins and another bowl game for Marshall sounds about right.
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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