Skip to main content

UTSA vs. Marshall Prediction, Pick & Odds: Who Will Win the Frisco Bowl?

Mike Spector

Last Updated: December 19, 2023 4:34 PM EST • 3 min 46 sec read.

Head coach Jeff Traylor of the UTSA Roadrunners reacts as we share our best UTSA vs. Marshall prediction.
Head coach Jeff Traylor of the UTSA Roadrunners reacts against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images via AFP.

The upcoming Frisco Bowl showdown exclusively features the Marshall Thundering Herd and the UTSA Roadrunners. We're providing our top prediction for the UTSA vs. Marshall clash, factoring in the best college football odds.

This Tuesday's game marks only the fourth encounter between UTSA and Marshall, with the last match dating back to 2018 when both schools were briefly C-USA rivals.

UTSA, standing at 8-4, missed out on contending for a third consecutive C-USA title due to a setback in its final regular-season game against Tulane, halting a seven-game winning streak with a 29-16 defeat. This loss marked UTSA's sole stumble (7-1) in conference play this season.

Marshall, despite starting strong at 4-0, unexpectedly found themselves in a position where winning the last regular-season game was crucial for bowl eligibility. Following their blazing start, they stumbled with six losses in their next eight games. Seeking a back-to-back bowl victory after triumphing over UConn 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl last year, the Thundering Herd are striving to finish strong.

As part of our look at all college bowl game odds, here is our best UTSA vs. Marshall prediction and our college football picks for Tuesday's Frisco Bowl (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

UTSA vs. Marshall prediction: Frisco Bowl

UTSA team total Over 33.5 (-111 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Editor's note: This team total has dropped to 28.5 with rumors circulating about the status of UTSA quarterback Frank Harris on Tuesday.

When it comes to placing wagers on bowl games, which team is the more motivated team is always a key piece of analysis, as three weeks between a team’s final regular-season game and a bowl game is a long time to keep players sharp and focused.

That edge should decidedly belong with the Roadrunners, who are 0-4 in their bowl history and should be motivated for their first bowl win in a semi-home environment in Frisco, TX. And with the point spread ballooning to a number too high to back, we are wagering on the Over on UTSA’s team total instead.

UTSA’s offense sputtered in last year’s 18-12 loss to Troy in the Cure Bowl, getting shut out in the second half. However, the team was put in a precarious spot as star wide receiver Joshua Cephus, who had 985 receiving yards, was charged with DWI and was suspended from the team just a week before the game.

Now Cephus is back and coming off a regular season where he totaled 1,049 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He's a big reason why quarterback Frank Harris broke the school record for total offense this season.

UTSA has a huge edge over Marshall in the trenches, as it ranks fifth in rushing explosiveness, while the Thundering Herd defense is 129th. Thus, UTSA’s running back tandem of Kevorian Barnes and Robert Henry, who each averaged at least 4.9 yards per carry, should run wild, especially with the Thundering Herd having to respect Harris’ 5.5 yards per carry average and top 32 EPA ranking.

We were tempted to back the Over in this game, but have instead limited our play to just wagering on UTSA’s team total due to AAC Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Trey Moore, entering the transfer portal, along with cornerbacks Xavier Spencer and Syrus Dumas’ availability in question given their intent to transfer. 

This is a four-star play, as we do not expect many sustained drives from a Marshall offense that ranks 110th in Rushing Success Rate, facing a UTSA front that is top 45 in Line Yards and Stuff Rate.

Not intended for use in MA
Affiliate Disclosure: Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook

Visit our Google News page and click "Follow" (⭐) for the latest odds, picks and news!

UTSA vs. Marshall best odds

FanDuel (-111)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
N/A33.5N/AN/A34
N/A-111N/AN/A-105

At the time of this writing, only two of our best sportsbooks were offering team totals, and we didn't mind paying up slightly at FanDuel to get a team total a half-point lower than the one offered at bet365.

Editor's note: As of now, UTSA's team total is hovering just above four full touchdowns.

Editor's note: Get ready for the launch of Vermont sports betting with our best Vermont sportsbook promos, and be sure to download the best Vermont sports betting apps! 21+ and present in VT. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

UTSA vs. Marshall odds

UTSA vs. Marshall odds analysis

FanDuel is the only shop offering a point spread of UTSA -12.5, as all of our other best sports betting apps are at -13. The spread has moved decidedly in UTSA’s favor, as all our top sportsbooks opened as low as -8.5.

Editor's note: The spread has moved to UTSA -7.5 as of Tuesday afternoon due to the rumors about Harris.

UTSA is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games against non-conference opponents. 

All of our best sports betting sites offer a total of either 52.5 or 53, with BetRivers the only shop differing from those with an O/U of 53.5. Almost all opened much higher at 56.5, while DraftKings was the only shop with a slightly lower opening total (56).

Editor's note: The total has dropped to 47.5.

UTSA is a profitable Under team this year, cashing it in seven of 11 games, while the Over is 7-0 in Marshall’s previous seven games against AAC opponents.

Frisco Bowl game info

  • When: Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. ET
  • Where: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
  • How to watch: ESPN/ESPN+
  • Weather: 61 degrees, 6% chance of precipitation, wind 10 mph SSE

UTSA-Marshall prediction made 12/15/2023 at 4:01 p.m. ET.

Check out our best college football betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

Best Sports Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)

Written By:
Mike Spector
I have been in the sports writing industry for over three years, working for sites like BettingPros/FantasyPros, Oddschecker, and Sportsbook Review. In my first year writing for BettingPros, I finished with the #2 overall record in their annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an over/under and moneyline perspective. I am an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, and all college sports. In my opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and I am especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. I am a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." Follow me on Twitter for my best bets and commentary to go along with the wagers.