Marshall vs. North Texas Odds
| Marshall Odds | -11 |
| North Texas Odds | +11 |
| Moneyline | -435 / +330 |
| Over/Under | 66.5 (-105 / -115) |
| Time | Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS Sports Network |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute college football odds here. | |
Marshall and North Texas have been conference foes since 2013, but this will be just the third time they have played and their first meeting since 2016.
Both teams have struggled to start the season, but Marshall had much higher pre-season expectations. They were picked as a favorite to make the Conference USA title game.
Marshall squeaked by Old Dominion last weekend and the win snapped a three-game losing streak. The Thundering Herd are 3-3 and 1-1 in conference play.
They still have their whole season ahead of them with opportunities against Charlotte and Florida Atlantic who are ahead of them in the Conference USA East standings.
North Texas head coach Seth Littrell is in his sixth season and has taken the Mean Green to four bowl games, but since the 2019 season they are 9-18 overall and have a 6-11 record in conference play.
They are on a four-game losing streak and have started conference play with two losses to UAB and Louisiana Tech. Last week, they battled back against Missouri in the second half, but still fell by double digits.
Littrell runs his version of the Air Raid offense, and Marshall head coach Charles Huff runs a high-tempo offense, so expect a ton of plays on Friday night.
Marshall vs. North Texas Betting Preview
Marshall Thundering Herd
Marshall Offense
Marshall has moved the ball well this season averaging 514 yards of total offense and over 34 points per game. It's third in the country in plays per minute and fifth in the country in first downs.
Running back Rasheen Ali is only a freshman and has averaged 115 rushing yards over the past four games, and he is key to Marshall staying on schedule offensively.
The problem has been turnovers, and Grant Wells has already thrown nine interceptions while the offense has turned the ball over 16 times, which ranks dead last in the country.
If the offense can play with a little more discipline the offense could take off in the second half of the season.
Marshall Defense
The Thundering Herd defense has been sturdy overall, but the rushing defense has been a weak link ranking 119th in the country. If Marshall can stop the run Friday night, its elite pass rush and pass defense could take over.
The Thundering Herd are fourth in the country with 24 total sacks and average four per game. Marshall plays an aggressive style of defense, and it's also sixth in the country in tackles for loss with eight per game.
Its pass defense has been dominant, allowing 178 yards per game.
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas Offense
North Texas has played two quarterbacks, and it looks like coach Littrell has settled on Austin Aune. He has rushed for over 50 yards in back-to-back games and had over 350 yards of total offense in the loss at Missouri.
Littrell had explosive offenses in the past, but this season has been a different story. The Mean Green rank 106th in scoring offense and 88th in passing offense with only 212 yards per game. One bright spot has been the rushing attack led by running back DeAndre Torrey, who is a threat whenever he touches the ball.
The lack of explosive plays has been missing, but Aune had four touchdowns of over 20 yards last week, so it’s possible that the offense has finally found some rhythm.
North Texas Defense
The Mean Green have played three of the top 40 scoring offenses in the nation including SMU, Louisiana Tech and Missouri over the past month, and their defensive statistics have suffered in the process. Against FBS opponents, the defense has given up 37 points per game.
North Texas has a fast and athletic defense that flies around the ball, and it's done a good job of creating turnovers. It ranks 40th in the country in causing turnovers while averaging seven tackles for loss a game.
The Mean Green have allowed big plays, but have been strong once their opponents have entered the Red Zone. They are 19th in the country in Red Zone Defensive Efficiency.
Marshall vs. North Texas Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Marshall and North Texas match up statistically:
Marshall Offense vs. North Texas Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 48 | 26 | |
| Line Yards | 46 | 49 |  |
| Pass Success | 38 | 70 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 40 | 12 | |
| Big Play | 10 | 81 | |
| Havoc | 47 | 54 | |
| Finishing Drives | 101 | 9 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
North Texas Offense vs. Marshall Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 83 | 77 | |
| Line Yards | 37 | 89 | |
| Pass Success | 118 | 50 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 120 | 4 | |
| Big Play | 126 | 32 | |
| Havoc | 61 | 83 | |
| Finishing Drives | 128 | 43 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 57 | 115 |
| Coverage | 67 | 115 |
| Middle 8 | 62 | 102 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 88 | 108 |
| Plays per Minute | 3 | 7 |
| Rush Rate | 44.1% (118) | 56.7% (55) |
Marshall vs. North Texas Betting Pick
Marshall has been a double-digit favorite three times this season and failed to cover each — it easily could have lost all three outright. I can’t trust the Herd to cover a high number on the road, especially in conference play, so I’m riding with the home underdog North Texas.
Marshall had trouble stopping the run all season, and North Texas has a veteran offensive line and the top rushing attack in the conference. I like what I saw from Aune last week in defeat, as he provided a spark for the offense.
Expect the Mean Green to keep this game close at home.
