We’ve got a Sun Belt showdown for your Thursday night college football fix, as the 2-7 Southern Miss Golden Eagles travel to Lafayette to face a Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns team that will secure bowl eligibility for a sixth successive season with a win.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Louisiana vs. Southern Miss prediction.
Louisiana vs. Southern Miss Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Louisiana vs. Southern Miss odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Louisiana -10.5 - Moneyline
Louisiana -440, Southern Mississippi +340 - Over/Under
52.5 points - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA - Predicted Weather at Kick
69 degrees, 5 mph, partly cloudy - How to Watch
ESPNU, FuboTV
Looking to splash some cash on Southern Miss? Can you cash in on the Ragin’ Cajuns? If you’re going to take advantage of the Louisiana vs. Southern Miss odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
While they’re a big underdog in this game, Southern Miss is on a 10-game winning streak against Louisiana as part of a 40-11-1 overall head-to-head record. Yet, this Golden Eagles team hasn’t been up to the standard of their first year in the Sun Belt, or even their successful CUSA stretch, and Louisiana is a firm favorite to break a drought dating back to 1993.
The Ragin’ Cajuns have fluctuated between red hot and mild this season, making placing any bet devoid of full confidence. However, they’ve bounced back from every defeat this season with a win, scoring 30+ in each of those victories. Given Southern Miss’ offensive difficulties, Louisiana should be able to secure the win while covering the double-digit spread.
Although Louisiana hasn’t covered the total points line for the past four games, this is the smallest line that they’ve faced since the loss to Minnesota at the end of September. Meanwhile, games involving Southern Miss have cleared the line in six of their nine games. Our Louisiana vs. Southern Miss prediction suggest that the two teams could sneak over — just.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Louisiana Depth Chart | Southern Miss Depth Chart
- QB Chandler Fields, Louisiana ($9,600)
- QB Billy Wiles, Southern Miss ($9,000)
- RB Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss ($8,800)
- RB Jacob Kibodi, Louisiana ($8,200)
- RB Dre’lyn Washington, Louisiana ($6,200)
- RB Zylan Perry, Louisiana ($5,300)
- RB Terrence Williams, Louisiana ($5,200)
- RB Kenyon Clay, Southern Miss ($4,800)
- WR Peter LeBlanc, Louisiana ($7,800)
- WR Lateral Jones, Southern Miss ($7,600)
- WR Jakarius Gaston, Southern Miss ($7,000)
- WR Tiaquelin Mims, Southern Miss ($6,800)
- WR Robert Williams, Louisiana ($6,600)
- WR Jacob Bernard, Louisiana ($6,200)
- WR Charles Robertson, Louisiana ($5,600)
- WR Harvey Broussard, Louisiana ($5,400)
- TE Neal Johnson, Louisiana ($5,400)
- TE Terrance Carter, Louisiana ($5,200)
There are two college football games on Thursday to compile your DFS team from in Week 10. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
The loss of Zion Chriss, with a suspected leg fracture sustained in the defeat to Arkansas State, is a huge blow for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Whenever a player suffers an injury of that magnitude, it’s bigger than fantasy football or betting. However, his absence undeniably informs how you make your Louisiana vs. Southern Miss picks. Avoid the quarterback position altogether here.
It feels like Frank Gore Jr. has had a quiet season for the Golden Eagles. Perhaps he’s a victim of Southern Miss’ overall record or even his own success last year. It might feel like he’s not lived up to expectations, but the do-it-all offensive weapon is still the RB4 in the Sun Belt West with 141.3 points. He should add to his eight touchdowns and 933 yards as the offensive focal point.
With limited QB options and many high-scoring fantasy running backs on this Thursday slate, there’s a solid chance your superflex might come from the position. Louisiana’s Jacob Kibodi has established himself as the lead back for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and minus the dual-threat capability of QB Chriss, he should shoulder the load against a porous Southern Miss defense.
Prediction for Louisiana vs. Southern Miss
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Louisiana vs. Southern Miss odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
After beating ULM last Saturday, is Southern Miss set up for successive Sun Belt wins? Or will Louisiana book bowl eligibility in a game where they’re a comfortable favorite to win despite losing last weekend?
With quarterback Chriss out, Southern Miss has a slightly more significant glimmer of hope than if Louisiana was at full strength. While their defense ranks 127th in the nation for points allowed, they’ve actually been able to pressure the quarterback at times this season. Led by Jalil Clemons, their 24 total sacks — 2.67 per game — ranks fifth in the Sun Belt.
That could prove pivotal against backup Fields, who doesn’t possess the same level of athleticism to escape pressure in the pocket. In his limited action so far this season, the Louisiana starter this Thursday has completed just 60% of his passes with two interceptions to zero touchdowns. Limiting the Louisiana offense and riding Gore when they have the ball is the blueprint.
Except for one thing. Louisiana has historically been better when running the ball, which they’ll look to do with Kibodi and Dre’lyn Washington. The Ragin’ Cajuns lead the Sun Belt in yards per carry, while scoring 18 rushing touchdowns this year. Southern Miss’ defense has allowed the most rushing scores in the Sun Belt this year, with the second most yards per carry.
Right there lies your game. Louisiana dials up the ground game at a high clip, and runs all the way to bowl eligibility for the second season in succession under head coach Michael Desormeaux. Our latest projections see them facing the Bowling Green Falcons in the Camellia Bowl.
Prediction: Louisiana 33, Southern Miss 20