The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (4-7) are seeking to break a three-game losing streak as they take on the Troy Trojans (3-8). The SBC’s third-leading receiver, Jamal Robinson (807 yards, 5 TDs), will be featured in this game. It starts at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec 5 and will be available on ESP3.
In last week’s matchup, Louisiana-Lafayette struggled mightily against Appalachian State 28-7. Jamal Robinson had a quality performance in the loss, grabbing seven receptions for 66 yards. Gabe Fuselier had 55 receiving yards on five catches. Troy also came up short, losing to Georgia State 31-21. Teddy Ruben had a great game for the Trojans, pulling in four receptions for 91 yards and one TD. Brandon Silvers also had a great game with 284 yards and two TDs through the air.
As a slender one-point underdog, the Trojans look to upend the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 57 points.
Sitting at 4-7 Straight Up (SU) and 5-6 Against The Spread (ATS), the Ragin’ Cajuns will look to improve heading into Week 14. In their five most recent matchups, the Ragin’ Cajuns went 2-3 for both SU and ATS. There aren’t many better in the country at defending the pass than the Ragin’ Cajuns. Louisiana-Lafayette only allows a 50.1% completion percentage to its opponents.
Over on the other sideline, the Trojans head into Week 14 with records of 6-5 ATS and 3-8 SU. Over their last five games, the Trojans have a SU record of 2-3 and a 3-2 record ATS for those betting with them. Troy has made opposing defenses pay lately, averaging 35 points per game over the last five games. This improved stretch brought its season average to 26.7 PPG. Louisiana-Lafayette’s defensive backs will be going up against the unstoppable Trojans passing game, which has averaged 281.6 yards per game over their last five, quite a bit more than their season average of 231. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Ragin’ Cajuns to keep up with Troy’s defense in a few areas. The Ragin’ Cajuns are matching up with Troy’s defense at an inopportune time. Over the last five games, Troy’s opponents have only averaged 212.0 yards through the air. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Trojans, who average 8.8 points in the first 15 minutes.
Predictions: SU Winner – Louisiana-Lafayette, ATS Winner – Louisiana-Lafayette, O/U – Over
Notes
Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Louisiana-Lafayette’s last 21 games at home.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Troy.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Louisiana-Lafayette’s last 5 games when playing at home against Troy.
Troy is 3-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
Remarkably, Louisiana-Lafayette is winless (0-5) SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet 2-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Louisiana-Lafayette is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 57th-ranked rushing attack will face the 100th-ranked run defense of Troy, while its 90th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 117th-ranked rushing game of the Trojans.
