Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles Picks, Predictions, Odds

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and Southern Miss Golden Eagles lock horns in Thursday night Sun Belt tussle at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN2.

Updated on 11/23/2024

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LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS vs. SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES BETTING PREDICTION

Both of these Sun Belt teams enter play with a 4-3 SU record, and can move within a game of bowl eligibility. Southern Miss is 2-1 in the Sun Belt West Division standings, and still in the hunt for the championship game, if it can win and keep pace with the likes of South Alabama and Troy. Louisiana, a regular face in the conference title game, already has a pair of conference losses, and can ill-afford a third if it hopes to keep its postseason aspirations alive.

Louisiana had a couple of rough losses to rival UL Monroe and the aforementioned South Alabama, but it is coming off a pair of straight up wins at Marshall and against Arkansas State. The win over Marshall was as a 10.5-point underdogs, and the Cajuns have covered three straight while going 3-1 to the UNDER in the previous four.

Southern Miss, in its first foray in the Sun Belt, eased by Texas State on the road last time out as a 2.5-point favorite, while edging Ark State 20-19 in the most recent home game. After opening 4-0 ATS, the Golden Eagles are 1-2 ATS across the past three, while the UNDER has cashed in each of those outings.

These teams have a lengthy history together, with USM leading the all-time series 39-11-1. The Golden Eagles have won nine in a row in the series, including the R+L Carriers New Orleans bowl in the most recent meeting Dec. 17, 2016 when the Golden Eagles were the Conference USA representative.

Score Prediction: Southern Miss 22, Louisiana 19
Best Bet: Southern Miss -110 ML

LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS vs. SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES BETTING ODDS

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LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS vs. SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022
Matchup: Sun Belt
Venue: M.M. Roberts Stadium
Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Time-TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET
Expert Picks

• Week 9 Odds Movements
• Week 9 Betting Trends
• Week 9 VI Title Rankings

LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Ragin' Cajuns have rolled up three straight wins, and the 38 points scored last time out against Arkansas State was the second-most of the season, and most in a conference games. ULL has struggled in the post-Billy Napier era, but the offense is slowly, but surely, starting to come together. The passing offense ranks 79th in the country, posting 227.7 yards per game. The Cajuns have managed 27.0 PPG to rank 78th, too.

On defense, the Ragin' Cajuns are allowing just 343.3 total yards per game to rank 33rd overall, while locking down the opposition. ULL is allowing just 19.0 PPG, 21st overall. If Louisiana is to be beaten, it is through the air, where the Cajuns allow 219.7 passing yards per game.

Louisiana is 7-2 ATS in the past nine games overall, while going 4-1 ATS in the past five Sun Belt games. The Cajuns are also 8-0 ATS in the past eight games against winning teams. For totals, the UNDER has hit at a 28-12-1 clip in the past 41 games overall, while going 40-16-1 in the past 57 SBC games. The UNDER is also 14-5-1 in the past 20 against teams with a winning overall record.

SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES BETTING ANALYSIS

The Golden Eagles of USM are having a nice bounce back season in their first Sun Belt go-around. Southern Miss has won four of the past five games overall, although the offense has had a bit of a power outage. In fact, USM has scored 27 or less in all six of its games against FBS foes, while averaging just 16.7 PPG in the previous three outings, all UNDER results.

Like Louisiana, it's all about the defense for USM. The Golden Eagles are averaging just 333.0 total yards per game to rank 112th, while averaging 25.0 PPG. It might be even lower if not for a 64-point explosion against Northwestern State of the FCS. Defensively, USM allows just 21.9 PPG to rank 35th, and 349.1 total yards per game to check in 36th. The Golden Eagles also allow just 112.3 yards per game on the ground, 23rd overall.

The star for USM is RB Frank Gore Jr., piling up 568 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but he will have an uphill battle against the Cajuns.

The UNDER is 24-11 in the past 35 games overall for Southern Miss, while the OVER has hit in four of the past five at home. The UNDER is 6-0 in the past six conference games, including three Sun Belt games, and the final three C-USA games last season for USM.

LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS vs. SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES BETTING TRENDS

• Louisiana is 7-2 ATS in the past nine games overall
• Louisiana is 4-1 ATS in the past five Sun Belt games
• Louisiana is 8-0 ATS in the past eight vs. winning teams
• Southern Miss is 8-2 ATS in the past 10 games overall
• Southern Miss is 1-5 ATS in the past six conference games
• Southern Miss is 2-6 ATS in the past eight Thursday games
• UNDER is 28-12-1 in the past 41 games overall for Louisiana
• UNDER is 40-16-1 in the past 57 Sun Belt games for Louisiana
• UNDER is 6-1 in the past seven Thursday games for Louisiana
• UNDER is 14-5-1 in the past 20 vs. winning teams for Louisiana
• UNDER is 24-11 in the past 35 games overall for Southern Miss
• OVER is 4-1 in the past five home games for Southern Miss
• UNDER is 6-0 in the past six conference games for Southern Miss

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish