The Marshall Thundering Herd will go on the road to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium in Week 2. This game will be broadcasted on the CW Network at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.
A week after suffering a tough loss, Virginia Tech is favored by 20.5 points over Marshall. This game has a total set at 52 points (-108/-112) as there is expected to be a moderate amount of scoring. Let’s dive into my preview and Marshall vs. Virginia Tech prediction.
Marshall vs Virginia Tech Prediction
- Pick: Under 52.5
My Marshall vs. Virginia Tech best bet is on the under, with the best line currently available at BetMGM, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Marshall vs Virginia Tech Odds
| Marshall Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+20.5 -110 | 52 -110 / -110 | +850 |
| Virginia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-20.5 -110 | 52 -110 / -110 | -1450 |
- Marshall vs Virginia Tech Point Spread: Marshall +20.5 (-110) · Virginia Tech -20.5 (-110)
- Marshall vs Virginia Tech Total: Over/Under 52
- Marshall vs Virginia Tech Moneyline: Marshall +850 · Virginia Tech -1450
Marshall vs Virginia Tech Preview
Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Preview: QB1 Still a Mystery
The Marshall Thundering Herd went 6-7 last season and were ranked 99th in SP+. They had the No. 79 offense and the No. 98 defense, according to the model.
This year, the Herd will make the switch to an air raid offense under new offensive coordinator Seth Doege. Doege started his tenure at Marshall with a five-way quarterback battle in which the winner was seemingly not announced until the opening game. After the battle between Mitch Griffis, Cole Pennington and Braylon Braxton, all of whom have FBS starting experience, Marshall instead elected to go with late transfer Stone Earle in Week 1.
Earle left North Texas in June and has experience running a similar offense. He played his first two seasons at Abilene Christian before transferring to North Texas, where he started two games last season. Earle played until the late 3rd quarter and went 10-for-16 for 89 yards and two touchdowns against Stony Brook before Braxton and Pennington both saw work in relief.
It remains to be seen who will take the field against Virginia Tech, but this isn’t typically something you still want to be figuring out on the road against a Power Four opponent.
Marshall is also replacing running back Rasheen Ali, who had been one of the best backs in the G5 for the past number of years, as well as three starting offensive linemen.
This defense only returns five starters and will be replacing both starting cornerbacks and two inside linebackers. Only one of the top-five tacklers from a season ago is back on this unit. This unit looked good last week against an FCS team that was 0-10 last season, but I’m not confident that'll be the case against Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Preview: Can Hokies Rebound?
The Hokies finished last season 7-6 and ranked No. 46 by SP+ (No. 62 on offense and No. 42 on defense). With their massive amount of returning production, they've been a popular dark-horse pick to win the ACC. However, the hype train was derailed last weekend in Nashville as they lost to Vanderbilt in overtime.
In that game, Vanderbilt had an 88th percentile offensive success rate and 83rd percentile EPA per play. Now, that may say more about Vanderbilt’s new-look offense, but it certainly could be construed as a source of worry for Virginia Tech backers.
The Hokies' defense returned 10 starters this season with their only new starter being a defensive tackle coming over from Oklahoma, where he had starting experience. The offense returned all 11 starters, including running back Bhayshul Tuten and their electric quarterback Kyron Drones.
Drones suffered an injury late in last weekend’s loss and wasn’t able to play in overtime. It remains unknown whether he'll be healthy enough to suit up this weekend. If he can't, the team will turn to Collin Schlee, who was 0-for-1 passing in relief of Drones last weekend.
Marshall vs Virginia Tech Pick & Prediction
Last season, Marshall was favored over the Hokies by 6.5 points and won at home by a touchdown. The line has swung 27 points in the other direction, which feels like a staunch overreaction.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding Marshall’s quarterback situation and their new offensive system, I’m not overly confident in this offense. Virginia’s Tech defense should be good enough to pose a tough matchup.
Instead, my favorite bet on this game will be the under, both due to Marshall’s offense and Drones’ potential injury. He may be fine, but Virginia Tech could still choose run him less this weekend in order to preserve his season. I like taking the under in this game at 52.5 points and would play it to 51.5, staying above the key number of 51.
Pick: Under 52.5 (Play to 51.5)
How to Watch Marshall vs Virginia Tech Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 7 |
| Kickoff Time: | 4:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | The CW |
Marshall vs Virginia Tech Betting Trends
- 71% of the bets and 92% of the money are on Virginia Tech to cover the spread against Marshall.
