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The Marshall Thundering Herd take on the UConn Huskies. Check out our college football bowl series and our Myrtle Beach Bowl odds for our Marshall UConn prediction and pick.
The Marshall Thundering Herd made a big early-season statement. They went into South Bend and shut down Notre Dame. The final score was 26-21 for the Herd, but one could make the argument the game wasn't that close. Marshall outgained Notre Dame, had more time of possession, and didn't commit a turnover while the Irish coughed up the ball three different times. This was no fluke. This was no accident. Marshall was the better team for 60 minutes that day, outplaying the Irish and owning a 26-15 lead before Notre Dame scored a touchdown with 14 seconds left to make the score appear closer. Marshall built on that win by putting together an 8-4 record in the regular season. There were some stumbles along the way, notably to Bowling Green in a game the Herd would like to have back, but they also beaten Appalachian State, a notable Group of Five program. One of their losses was to Coastal Carolina, which was one of the best Group of Five programs in the country. Marshall had a very good season, the kind its fans would sign up for again if you offered it to them (plus a win over Bowling Green next time).
UConn had an amazing regular season under coach Jim Mora, Jr., who immediately improved what Randy Edsall left behind. Mora, who previously was the head coach at UCLA and had a run in the NFL as well with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks, had a very tall task in front of him. He greatly exceeded expectations at a school which was plainly not expected to make a bowl game in 2022.
UConn scored two big upsets en route to a bowl game this year. The Huskies ambushed Fresno State, taking advantage of an injury to Jake Haener, the Bulldogs' quarterback. They also beat the same Liberty team which upset Arkansas on the road. Those wins and a win over Boston College of the ACC gave UConn a season to remember. It now concludes in South Carolina in this bowl game.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Marshall-UConn Myrtle Beach Bowl odds.
Myrtle Beach Bowl Odds: Marshall-UConn Odds
Marshall Thundering Herd: -11.5 (-105)
UConn Huskies: +11.5 (-115)
Over: 40.5 (-105)
Under: 40.5 (-115)
Why Marshall Could Cover the Spread
The Thundering Herd were physical enough to beat Notre Dame. They are physical enough to control the line of scrimmage and win tough battles in the trenches against UConn. Let's keep in mind that as good as UConn was this season, and as much as the Huskies overachieved, they did beat Fresno State when Jake Haener, a really good college quarterback, was injured and unable to play for the Bulldogs. UConn also beat Liberty when the Hugh Freeze-Auburn rumors were beginning to crank up. Liberty lost by 35 points to New Mexico State late in the regular season. This clearly wasn't the same Liberty team which beat Arkansas. UConn caught Liberty at just the right time. The Huskies deserve to be in a bowl game, let's be clear, but they caught some specific situational bits of good fortune which don't exist for them in this bowl game. Marshall is a tougher, stronger team whose quality will rise to the surface.
Why UConn Could Cover the Spread
After all that UConn has achieved in the regular season, the Huskies are not going to let up now. They're going to treat the Myrtle Beach Bowl as the Super Bowl and will play an electric, high-intensity game. Bowl games often come down to motivation and which team wants to be there more. UConn is going to be the more motivated team in this bowl. The Huskies aren't going to go through the motions. Jim Mora changed the culture quite profoundly at Connecticut this season. That cultural change is going to carry over into the bowl game. It's not something which gets left behind in the regular season. Bowl games involve flat performances from teams when a coaching change occurs, or when a bowl is viewed as a disappointment or consolation prize. None of those warning signs for bowl bettors exist with the Huskies. They check a lot of the intangible boxes here.
Final Marshall-UConn Prediction & Pick
The fact that UConn is so happy to be in this bowl will light a fire under the Huskies, who will keep this game very close.
Final Marshall-UConn Prediction & Pick: UConn +11.5
