The Texas State Bobcats (+11) are traveling east to face their SBC rival Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at JPS Field at James L. Malone Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET and you can tune in to the action on ESPN 3.
Texas State Bobcats at Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Betting Preview
In this Saturday Sun Belt game, Louisiana-Monroe is labeled as the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 11 points. The Bobcats are also receiving +325 moneyline odds while the Warhawks are -450. There should be some decent live betting opportunities for this game, and oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 59.5 points.
This matchup’s betting odds have shifted a hair from when they were initially posted. The line opened at -12 and the game’s O/U was placed originally at 59.
The hapless Bobcats are down 5.0 units so far and 2-3-1 against the spread (ATS). The team has recorded an O/U mark of 3-3. The Warhawks are up 0.7 units this season. The team is 2-5 ATS and has an O/U record of 2-4.
The Bobcats have gone 1-5 straight up (SU), including 0-3 SU against conference opponents. The Warhawks are 3-4 SU overall and 1-2 SU in conference play.
The Bobcats will try to bounce back after a narrow 15-13 defeat to Georgia Southern last week where the Bobcats completed 14-of-27 passes for 135 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Tyler Vitt went 13-for-21 for 132 yards, one touchdown and one interception while Willie Jones III completed one-of-six for three yards. Willie Jones III (30 rushing yards on 10 attempts) led the ground attack. Hutch White (four receptions, 41 yards) and Keenen Brown (three catches, 24 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
Louisiana-Monroe enters this one following a 45-20 win over Coastal Carolina. Caleb Evans completed 16-of-22 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown. Derrick Gore (147 yards on 16 rush attempts, two TDs) mounted the running game while Marcus Green (five receptions, 111 yards, one TD) and Markis McCray (four catches, 56 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Texas State has run the ball on 54.5 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Louisiana-Monroe has a rush percentage of 47.8 percent. The Bobcats have rushed for 132 yards per game (including 130 per game against Sun Belt opponents) and have five scores on the ground this year. The Warhawks are putting up 167 rush yards per game (189 in conference) and have 12 total rushing TDs.
It seems like the Warhawks could have an advantage along both the offensive and defensive fronts. Their offensive line has allowed just 12 sacks while their D-line has registered 20 sacks. The Bobcats offensive line has allowed 18 sacks and their defense has recorded only five sacks.
The Bobcats offense has averaged 202 yards in the air overall (217 per game versus conference opposition) and has 10 passing TDs so far. The Warhawks have produced 245 pass yards per contest (217.0 against SBC competition) and have nine total pass scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, Texas State should have the upper hand in both phases. The team has allowed 168 rush yards and 199 pass yards per game. The Louisiana-Monroe defense has given up 312.0 yards per game to opposing passers and 205.7 yards per game to opposing runners. The Bobcats are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 6.51 to opposing QBs, while the Warhawks have given up a whopping 9.05 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Vitt has amassed 354 yards on the year. The signal-caller has completed 64 percent of his 50 attempts with three passing scores and four interceptions. Vitt’s got a 3.40 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 6.60 over the past two games.
Caleb Evans has connected on 129-of-211 passes for 1,416 yards, eight TDs and six INTs for Louisiana-Monroe. His ANY/A sits at 5.80 for the season and 7.81 over his past two outings.
These two teams met last year with the final result being a 45-27 victory for Louisiana-Monroe.
RELATED: Week 8 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
NCAA Pick: Texas State Bobcats vs. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks
SU Winner – Texas State, ATS Winner – Texas State, O/U – Over
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Team Betting Trends
The Louisiana-Monroe defense has recorded 20 sacks on the year while Texas State has just five.
The Louisiana-Monroe offense has lost seven fumbles in 2018 while Texas State has let six get away.
Both teams have produced four pass plays of 40 yards or more. The Bobcats have have made six pass plays of 30+ yards while the Warhawks have accounted for 13 such plays.
The Texas State defense has allowed five pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Louisiana-Monroe has given up six such plays.
The Texas State offense has created seven rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Louisiana-Monroe has created 10 such runs.
The Bobcats defense has allowed four rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while the Warhawks have given up 16 such runs.
The O/U for Louisiana-Monroe’s last outing was set at 66.5. The under cashed in the 45-20 victory over Coastal Carolina.
Over its last three games, Louisiana-Monroe is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
Over its last three contests, Texas State is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The O/U for Texas State’s last game was set at 51.5. The under cashed in the team’s 15-13 loss to Georgia Southern.
Texas State has averaged 3.0 yards per rush attempt over its past three contests and 3.9 over its last two.
Louisiana-Monroe has averaged 5.4 yards per carry over its last three games and 5.2 over its past two.
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