Taylor Lamb and the Appalachian State Mountaineers battle Brooks Haack and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns in a game that will feature two of the best players in the SBC. This rough season has only gotten worse for Louisiana-Lafayette (4-6), having lost two straight. The game will air Saturday, Nov 28 at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESP3.
In its last game before the bye, Appalachian State easily got past Idaho 47-20. Jalin Moore had a great game running the ball in the victory, rushing 27 times for 244 yards. Louisiana-Lafayette is hoping for a different outcome after losing a game they could have won against New Mexico State 37-34. Jamal Robinson had a huge game for the Ragin’ Cajuns, pulling in 12 receptions for 183 yards and one TD. Elijah McGuire had a great game as well, adding 159 rushing yards and two TDs on 18 carries.
A close score is not projected this week when the Ragin’ Cajuns, a huge 20-point underdog, take on Appalachian State.
Sitting at 8-2 Straight Up (SU) and 6-4 Against The Spread (ATS), the Mountaineers will look to improve heading into Week 13. In their five most recent matchups, the Mountaineers went 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. A focal point of Appalachian State’s offense is the running game, which ranks sixth in the country with 268.8 rushing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Mountaineers look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. Expect the Mountaineers defense to restrict Louisiana-Lafayette’s passing attack. The Mountaineers have the 19th-ranked pass defense in the nation and give up only 185.8 passing yards per game. The Ragin’ Cajuns need to put emphasis on preparing for Appalachian State’s sneaky defense. It currently averages the 16th-most interceptions per game with 1.3. In the first quarter, Appalachian State is tough to stop, putting up 9.3 points in the first 15 minutes.
As for their opponent, the Ragin’ Cajuns head into Week 13 with records of 4-6 for both ATS and SU. Over their last five games, the Ragin’ Cajuns have a SU record of 2-3 and a 1-4 record ATS for those betting with them. Louisiana-Lafayette’s passing defense, only allowing 49.0% of passes to be completed, has a good chance of shutting down its competitor’s aerial attack.
Predictions: SU Winner – Appalachian State, ATS Winner – Appalachian State
Notes
Appalachian State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Appalachian State’s last 5 games.
Appalachian State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Appalachian State is 8-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Remarkably, Appalachian State is winless (0-2 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (6-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
