The 20th-ranked Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns try to finally get over the hump against Appalachian State when they visit Boone, N.C. on Friday night for a Sun Belt showdown. The Ragin' Cajuns (8-1, 6-1) have lost all eight meetings, including the past two Sun Belt championship games. UL is headed back to that game to represent the West in a rematch with Coastal Carolina, which beat both teams and edged ASU (7-2, 5-1) to win the East. Quarterback Levi Lewis and a powerful backfield carry the Rajin' Cajuns, while Zac Thomas leads an App State offense that can run with the best of them.
Kickoff from Kidd Brewer Stadium is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. The Mountaineers are three-point favorites in the latest Louisiana vs. Appalachian State odds at William Hill Sportsbook, and the over-under for total points scored is 51.5. Before making any Appalachian State vs. Louisiana picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also a sizzling 49-25 on all top-rated picks through 13 weeks of the 2020 college football season, returning almost $1,300 in profit already. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Louisiana vs. Appalachian State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Appalachian State vs. Louisiana:
- Louisiana vs. Appalachian State: Mountaineers -3
- Louisiana vs. Appalachian State over-under: 51.5
- Louisiana vs. Appalachian State money line: Ragin' Cajuns +140, Mountaineers -160
- LA: QB Levi Lewis has thrown for at least 244 yards in three straight games
- APST: RB Camerun Peoples is averaging 136.5 yards over the past two games
Why Louisiana can cover
Louisiana is 8-3 against the spread in its last 11 road games against a team with a winning home record, and Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas have been tough for defenses to handle. They have combined for 1,273 yards and 14 TDs, while sophomore Chris Smith has 317 yards, and all three average at least 5.9 per carry. Lewis has thrown for 2,027 yards and three receivers have topped 300, with Peter LeBlanc and Kyren Lacy tied for the team lead with 23 catches.
The Ragin' Cajuns are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 after totaling more than 450 yards in their previous game, and they outgained Louisiana Monroe 511-247 in a 70-20 win last week. The defense had three takeaways in that game to give it 18 this season. Safety Bralen Trahan has four interceptions, while linebackers Lorenzo McCaskill and Ferrod Gardner have combined for 121 tackles and five sacks. Thomas has been sacked 15 times and has eight interceptions.
Why Appalachian State can cover
Appalachian State is 4-1 against the spread in its last five against a team with a winning road record, and the Cajuns have never beaten the Mountaineers. Last year's 45-38 win in the SBC title game was the closest in the series, and the Mountaineers have outscored UL 269-118 in the eight meetings. They rushed for 267 yards in the 2019 title game, with Daetrich Harrington and Marcus Williams combining for 177 and averaging just under 10 yards per carry.
Harrington and Williams are back and have combined for 971 yards this year, while Peoples is the top rusher with 639. Williams averages 7.0 yards per carry, while Harrington has seven touchdowns as the running game averages 261.4 yards (10th in FBS). QB Zac Thomas also is also back, and he has thrown for 1,775 yards and 17 TDs. The defense allows just 17.6 points per game, led by linebacker D'Marco Jackson with 63 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions.
How to make Louisiana vs. Appalachian State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, with the model suggesting both teams will combine to score 56 points. It also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Appalachian State vs. Louisiana? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Louisiana vs. Appalachian State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $3,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
