Louisiana Lafayette vs Arkansas State Expert College Football Picks

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Centennial Bank Stadium

Layne Hatcher and the Arkansas State Red Wolves play the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns at Centennial Bank Stadium on Thursday, October 17, 2019. Arkansas State opens this game as 4.5-point dogs. The Ragin' Cajuns are 5-1-0 ATS and 4-2-0 when betting on the total. The Red Wolves are 4-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns took on the Appalachian State Mountaineers and took the defeat by a score of 17-7. Elijah Mitchell led the team in rushing for the game. He broke a long run for 22 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for a total of 68 yards by way of 13 carries which meant he was running for 5.2 yards per tote. Jarrod Jackson was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 68 yards on 5 catches. He earned an average of 13.6 yards per reception for the game. Leading the way at QB for the Ragin' Cajuns was Levi Lewis who went 13/24 with 131 yards through the air and added 1 touchdown. He ended the game with no interceptions. The Ragin' Cajuns ran the ball 33 times and earned 123 yards earning them an average of 3.7 yards per rush. In all, they totaled 57 plays which gave them a total of 254 yards. In the game, the Ragin' Cajuns got 16 first downs and they had a total of 4 penalties for 30 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When discussing the defense, Louisiana Lafayette gave up 11 catches on 17 tries totaling 147 yards, and a completion percentage of 64.7%. On the ground, the Ragin' Cajuns gave up 196 yards on 53 attempts which means they had an average of 3.7 yards per rushing attempt allowed. In the game, they allowed 343 yards but weren't able to add any takeaways.

The Ragin' Cajuns head into this matchup 4-2 for this season. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 38.2 points per game, which has them at 19th in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 282.2 rushing yards per game which is 1st in the Sun Belt. For total yards, they are currently ranked 1st in the conference and 19th in the nation with 2,954 yards. The Ragin' Cajuns have one of the best defenses in the nation, giving up 20.7 points per contest ranking them 1st in the Sun Belt Conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Ragin' Cajuns have allowed 1,261 yards. Teams are completing 54.8% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.1 yards per attempt. In regard to rushing yards, Louisiana Lafayette is allowing 164.8 yards per game which has them at 5th in the conference and 76th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.3 yards per rush ranking them 5th in the Sun Belt Conference and 78th in Division 1 overall. Overall, they have allowed 989 yards rushing through 6 games.

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In their last contest, the Arkansas State Red Wolves played the Georgia State Panthers and took the loss by a score of 52-38. Leading the way at QB for the Red Wolves was Layne Hatcher who went 21/32 with 299 yards passing and tossed 4 TD's. He tossed 2 interceptions in the game. Marcel Murray paced the team in rushing during the game. He tore off a long run of 28 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown for the game. He scurried for 58 yards by way of 6 carries which means he ran for an average of 9.7 yards per carry. Omar Bayless was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 154 yards on 8 catches. He earned an average of 19.3 yards per reception during the game. The Red Wolves ended up rushing 22 times and racked up 115 yards which gave them an average of 5.2 yards per rushing attempt. In the game, the Red Wolves had a total of 22 1st downs and they totaled 9 penalties for 85 yards which shows us how undisciplined this team can be. Overall, they ran 56 plays which added up to 421 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Arkansas State gave up 29 completions on 41 throws for a total of 382 yards, and a completion percentage of 70.7%. In the game, they conceded a total of 722 yards but didn't get any takeaways. On the ground, the Red Wolves gave up 340 yards on 58 runs which means they had an average of 5.9 yards per attempt allowed.

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The Red Wolves head into this game 3-3. In discussing the offensive production, the Red Wolves have one of the most prolific offenses in D-1. Arkansas State hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 113.7 yards on the ground per game, ranking them 114th in the nation. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 682 yards rushing through 6 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Red Wolves average 430.8 yards per contest overall which has them at 48th in the country and 5th in the Sun Belt Conference. The Red Wolves are giving up 38.7 points per game ranking them 10th in the Sun Belt Conference and 124th in the nation. Their passing defense is one of the most anemic units in the nation. They are conceding 317.7 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Red Wolves currently sit at 11th in the Sun Belt Conference. In discussing points given up, they have given up 232 points in total. In terms of rushing yards, they are allowing 219.7 yards per contest which puts them at 119th in the nation and 9th in the Sun Belt. For this year, they have allowed a total of 1,318 yards on the ground and 16.8 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Ragin' Cajuns/Red Wolves college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Red Wolves +4.5

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