Two of the more successful Group of Five college football programs take center stage on Tuesday night when the Marshall Thundering Herd take on the UTSA Roadrunners in the 2023 Frisco Bowl. UTSA is making its fifth straight bowl game appearance, and has its sights set on capturing the first postseason win in program history. The Roadrunners finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record. Marshall opened the season with four straight wins, but needed a 35-21 win over Arkansas State in its season finale to reach bowl eligibility for the seventh straight season. Cole Pennington, the son of Marshall legend Chad Pennington, will start at quarterback for the Thunder Herd with Cam Fancher in the transfer portal. UTSA could be without quarterback Frank Harris (various injuries), per a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The Roadrunners are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Marshall vs. UTSA odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is down to 46.5 after opening at 56.5. Before making any UTSA vs. Marshall picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years.
Kaylor has been red-hot all season, going 78-32-2 overall on his college football best bets for SportsLine this season so far. He is up over 46.65 units, returning a profit of $4,665 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed his picks this season is way up.
Now Kaylor has dialed in on Marshall vs. UTSA and just revealed his coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds for the 2023 Frisco Bowl:
- UTSA vs. Marshall spread: UTSA -7.5
- UTSA vs. Marshall over/under: 46.5 points
- UTSA vs. Marshall money line: UTSA -296, Marshall +239
- UTSA vs. Marshall picks: See picks here
- UTSA vs. Marshall live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why UTSA can cover
The Roadrunners lost their best overall player to the Transfer Portal in AAC Defensive Player of the Year Trey Moore, but they were able to retain head coach Jeff Traylor. While UTSA will undoubtedly miss Moore's defensive presence off the edge, they still weren't hit as hard as Marshall was by outgoing transfers. The Herd will be breaking in three new offensive starters, including a new quarterback, and a new offensive coordinator in this matchup.
UTSA now has questions at quarterbacks, but the top target remains senior wide receiver Joshua Cephus, who has 82 catches for 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. See picks at SportsLine.
Why Marshall can cover
The Thundering Herd bounced back nicely from a five-game losing streak that spanned October and early November. They beat a pair of bowl-bound teams, Georgia Southern and Arkansas State, in November to get to 6-6 and extend their season. They won both those games outright as the underdog. Pennington's numbers weren't great overall as he saw some action late in the season, but his 15-for-20 day for 201 yards against Georgia Southern on Nov. 11 should inspire some confidence.
Marshall's biggest threat on offense, however, is running back Rasheen Ali. He was an opt-out candidate but appears set to play on Tuesday. He put together a strong 203-1043-14 rushing line this season. He's been one of the more prolific scoring backs in the nation over the past three years, finding the end zone 42 total times as a rusher, receiver and returner. See picks at SportsLine.
How to make Marshall vs. UTSA picks
Kaylor has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he's leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Marshall vs. UTSA in the 2023 Frisco Bowl, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert on a 78-32 roll on college football best bets, and find out.
