Louisiana (5-1) travels to Conway, SC to take on Coastal Carolina (4-2) on Saturday, October 19th.
The game kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET and can be seen live on ESPNU.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are listed as 4.5-point favorites in the contest and the over/under is set at 56.5.
Let's dive into my Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina predictions and college football picks for this NCAAF Week 8 game.
Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Prediction
Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Odds
| Louisiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 56.5 -110 / -110 | -200 |
| Coastal Carolina Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 56.5 -110 / -110 | +165 |
- Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Point Spread: Louisiana -4.5 (-110) · Coastal Carolina +4.5 (-110)
- Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Total: Over/Under 56.5
- Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Moneyline: Louisiana -200 · Coastal Carolina +165
Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Preview
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Betting Preview: Turnovers Led to Last Week's Win
Louisiana has found the win column over the past couple of weeks in a pair of conference games against Southern Mississippi and Appalachian State.
The Ragin' Cajuns' defense benefitted from five Appalachian State turnovers last week in a game in which Louisiana couldn't put away the Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers had a fumble in the redzone, which was returned and set up a seven-yard touchdown drive. Appalachian State also had two turnovers result in Ragin’ Cajun touchdown drives of 32 and 33 yards.
Louisiana was outgained by the Mountaineers and only pulled away in the final minute on a late touchdown run by Ben Wooldridge.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Betting Preview: Run Game Needs to Step Up
Coastal Carolina comes in after being blown out on national television last Thursday against JMU. Coastal Carolina couldn’t get stops against the Dukes and the Chanticleers had very little continuity on offense.
The game turned for good when Coastal quarterback Ethan Vasko threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Coastal Carolina never recovered and the blowout was in full swing.
The key going forward for the Chanticleers will be getting the run game going and opening up opportunities for explosive downfield passing. Running the ball and limiting offensive turnovers will determine how successful the rest of this season becomes.
Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Louisiana and Coastal Carolina match up statistically:
Louisiana Offense vs. Coastal Carolina Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 42 | 107 | |
| Line Yards | 40 | 125 | |
| Pass Success | 7 | 58 | |
| Havoc | 6 | 122 | |
| Finishing Drives | 32 | 114 | |
| Quality Drives | 11 | 107 | |
Coastal Carolina Offense vs. Louisiana Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 90 | 121 | |
| Line Yards | 98 | 76 | |
| Pass Success | 106 | 61 | |
| Havoc | 31 | 125 | |
| Finishing Drives | 17 | 102 | |
| Quality Drives | 93 | 89 |  |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 108 | 129 |
| PFF Coverage | 43 | 101 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 61 | 39 |
| Middle 8 | 79 | 20 |
| Seconds per Play | 30.1 (125) | 27.6 (71) |
| Rush Rate | 54% (52) | 61% (16) |
Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Pick & Prediction
We have an interesting matchup this week and have several key indicators that support a play on Over 56.5.
Louisiana's defense gets no pressure and has been outgained in two of its past three wins. Ranking 133rd in defensive Havoc and 125th in Passing Explosiveness allowed could spell trouble against a Chanticleers offense whose top six pass catchers all average over 15 yards per reception.
Vasko has only been sacked three times this season and Louisiana struggles to get to the quarterback. As a team, the Cajuns only have seven sacks on the season. I would expect Vasko to be comfortable in passing situations as the offensive line should be able to hold up in pass protection.
Offensively, Louisiana relies on the run game and is running the ball on 60% of its snaps. It has been successful on standard downs, which has allowed the offense to stay on the field and move the sticks. The Coastal run defense hasn't shown an ability to hang in there and provide resistance against the run all season.
Coastal is 43rd nationally in EPA per Rush allowed and 67th in Rush Explosiveness allowed, but Louisiana ranks 16th in EPA per Rush and 37th in Rush Explosiveness.
Coastal Carolina has struggled to create negative plays on defense and the run defense is a major concern. The Chanticleers have given up 706 yards on the ground on 5.5 yards per carry over the past three weeks. So, it's hard to assume Louisiana won't have success against a weak defensive front seven.
Zylan Perry and Bill Davis are both averaging over 6.5 yards per carry and should have big performances.
Both of these defenses have been terrible on third and forth downs. Coastal has allowed a 43.3% conversion rate on third down and a 72.7% rate on forth down. Louisiana has allowed a 47% conversion rate on third down and all six forth-down attempts against it have been successful.
Each offense is going up against a defense that is weak against its scheme. Both of these teams have found themselves in shootouts often this season and I fully expect another one here.
Pick: Over 56.5
Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | Brooks Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Oct. 19 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPNU |
Louisiana vs Coastal Carolina will be played at Brooks Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 12 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on ESPNU.
