The Marshall Thundering Herd (Conference USA, 9-4 SU, 7-5-1 ATS, 8-5 OU) and the Maryland Terrapins both enter the Military Bowl on bowl win streaks, but the computer is picking a one-sided final score (46-29 Herd).
Military Bowl 2013: Odds, picks and trends for Maryland vs. Marshall
Marshall and Maryland each boast bowl win streaks, but Marshall is favored on the Military Bowl betting menu and by the OddsShark.com prediction computer. This story was provided to SB Nation by OddsShark.com.
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Maryland (ACC, 7-5 SU, 7-5 ATS, 8-4 OU) looked like it could be on its way to a special season right out of the gate with a 4-0 SU and ATS start, but went just 3-5 SU and ATS over its last eight games. The Terrapins did finish strong however with wins in two of their last three games, including a road win over Virginia Tech as a 16-point underdog.
With a versatile offensive attack that finished in the Top 25 nationally in both running and passing, the Marshall Thundering Herd finished with the seventh best scoring attack in the nation averaging 43 points per game.
After starting the season off slow with a 4-3 SU and 3-3-1 ATS start, Marshall went on a 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS hot streak before eventually losing in its season finale to Rice.
By the numbers, Marshall was the better team this season on both sides of the ball, especially on offense. But the Thundering Herd played a much softer schedule in Conference USA. Maryland managed to hang with some tough teams this season but also struggled with some weak ones, making them a tough team to predict in a matchup like this one.
All signs seem to point to an offensive showdown in this year's Military Bowl as both Marshall and Maryland trended heavily towards the OVER this season. Marshall, favored by three points on the Military Bowl betting odds menu, is on a 7-game streak of hitting the over, while Maryland is on a 3-game streak of its own. This would fall in line with recent history in this bowl game as each of the last five Military Bowls have gone OVER the total. The total is currently set at 61 points.
Favorites have also won all five prior bowl games SU. Both teams have been solid bets at bowl time with Maryland 5-1 ATS in its past six bowl games and Marshall 7-2 ATS in its past nine.
Neither team went bowling last year though, so both should be hungry to continue their respective programs’ bowl game success when they meet at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. Marshall was a slight favorite at -2.5.
Military Bowl Prediction: 46-29 Marshall from Odds Shark computer
