The offshore sportsbooks aren’t expecting Monday’s Myrtle Beach Bowl to be very competitive, setting Marshall as over a dozen point favorites. The Thundering Herd (8-4) did have one of the best defenses in the country this season and their signature win is an upset at Notre Dame, but 6-6 Connecticut was hot down the stretch going 5-2 their last seven games.
Before Betting on the Myrtle Beach Bowl
Washington and UConn actually met in a bowl game in 2015, with the Thundering Herd coming out on top 16-10 in a defensive oriented St. Petersburg Bowl. Marshall’s defense can help Monday’s game have a similar score considering they ranked 9th in the country in total yards (291.8) were 5th vs. the run (88.8) and gave up just 16.2 ppg (7th).
Marshall beat Notre Dame 26-21 in week 2 as +20 point underdogs in South Bend. The got the win be 163 rush yards from Khalan LaBorn who had 1,423 on the season which was 12th best in the nation. Marshall also has experience at QB behind fifth year player Henry Colombi, who played in 13 games at Texas Tech the last two seasons.
Marshall has a signature win over Notre Dame, but UConn topped Fresno State in week 5 and the Bulldogs went on to go 9-1 after that game. The Huskies are a decent running team behind freshman Victor Rosa, but only four teams (New Mexico, Army, Navy, Air Force) have fewer passing yards/game than Connecticut.
Connecticut vs Marshall NCAAF Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | UConn (4.59) | Marshall (1.22) | 40.5 | UConn +12.5 (1.88) | Marshall -12.5 (1.93) |
| Bovada | UConn (4.30) | Marshall (1.23) | 40.5 | UConn +12 (1.91) | Marshall -12 (1.91) |
| BetUS | UConn (4.40) | Marshall (1.22) | 40.5 | UConn +12.5 (1.91) | Marshall -12.5 (1.91) |
| SportsBetting.ag | UConn (4.59) | Marshall (1.22) | 40.5 | UConn +12.5 (1.88) | Marshall -12.5 (1.93) |
| Pinnacle | UConn (4.54) | Marshall (1.21) | 40 | UConn +11.5 (1.95) | Marshall -11.5 (1.90) |
| MyBookie | UConn (4.50) | Marshall (1.22) | 40.5 | UConn +12 (1.91) | Marshall -12 (1.91) |
Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction & Pick
Normally in a bowl game with this big of a point spread you’d just take the +12.5 because anything can happen in the postseason. The Myrtle Beach bowl really looks like it’s going to get out of hand on paper though. LaBorn can run the ball at will through this mediocre Connectictut defense, Colombi quarterbacked in the Big 12 the last two seasons, and Marshall’s defense can tee off against a one-dimensional Huskies offense that cannot throw the ball.
Pick: Marshall -11.5
