Another mid-major battle for divisional supremacy goes off on Friday when the East Carolina Pirates square off against the Marshall Thundering Herd in Huntington, West Virginia. The two Conference USA East rivals, who both own 6-1 league records, are scheduled to take the field at Edwards Stadium at 12:00pm ET; the game will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network. The latest College Football Odds from 5Dimes have the Thundering Herd listed as a -3 against the spread and -150 money line favorite ($150 wins $100). The Over/Under in Friday's meeting between the Pirates and Thundering Herd is set at 57.5 points.
Marshall had big expectations coming into the season, but a 2-2 start raised some concerns in Huntington. However, the fact that both the Thundering Herd's early losses came on the road against good home teams (Ohio, Virginia Tech) allayed most fears.
Marshall has since shown why those fears were unfounded, producing a 6-1 record with double digit home wins over UTSA, Southern Miss, and UAB. The Thundering Herd's only loss since its triple overtime setback at Virginia Tech came on the road against a tough Middle Tennessee squad.
East Carolina enters Friday's game on a similar run as it has bested seven of its last eight opponents en route to a 9-2 record. Like the Thundering Herd, the Pirates have easily bested most of their conference brethren, with the exception of Tulane (33-36 overtime loss), while also downing ACC squads North Carolina and North Carolina State.
The Pirates have gotten the job done on the road as well, producing a 4-1 mark away home with wins over Middle Tennessee and Florida International in addition to the aforementioned triumphs over the Tar Heels and Wolfpack.
East Carolina has controlled this series in recent season, posting a 4-1 record in its last five meetings with its division rival; however, the two teams have split their last four games in Huntington.
Notable Trends: Marshall is 9-0 both straight up and against the spread in its last nine games as a home favorite with a spread between 0 and 3.5 points.
East Carolina vs Marshall College Football Odds:
East Carolina Pirates +3 (-110), Over 57.5 (-110), +130 (Moneyline)
Marshall Thundering Herd -3 (-110), Under 57.5 (-110), -150 (Moneyline)
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