Marshall vs Army Odds & Picks: Army Will Grind Out Another Win In Independence Bowl

What a strange journey it’s been for the Marshall Thundering Herd. They won the Sun Belt, their first conference title in a decade. And then they saw coach Charles Huff, who couldn’t come to an agreement with the school on a contract extension, leave for a far worse job at Southern Miss. Now an interim coach will lead the Herd into the Dec. 28 Independence Bowl, where Army is a 15.5-point favorite.

No wonder, given all the tumult in Huntington. It’s a bizarre end to a season that saw Marshall cover in each of its final five games, and amass an 11-2 ATS mark that’s tied with Arizona State for best in the nation, according to TeamRankings.com. Army won 11 of its first 12 games entering the showdown with Navy, a run that netted the Black Knights the American Athletic Conference title.

Marshall vs Army Odds

Matchup Page: Marshall vs Army, December 28, 9:15 pm ET

Odds as of December 13

Marshall vs Army Picks—Independence Bowl

Army has been one of the biggest stories of this season, plowing through its schedule with the exception of a 49-14 blowout loss to playoff-bound Notre Dame. The Black Knights covered in six straight games to open the year, but since then have beaten the spread just twice—including in a 35-14 rout of 5-point underdog Tulane in the AAC championship.

Marshall also lost to a playoff-bound power-conference opponent, Ohio State, also by a final score of 49-14. The Thundering Herd’s lone loss in Sun Belt play was a one-point defeat at Georgia Southern in a pick-‘em game. The concern is Marshall’s run defense, which lingers in the bottom half of the conference, and now faces an Army ground assault averaging a national-best 314.4 rushing yards per game.

And then there’s this: “Basically the entire Marshall football team is entering the portal,” a TV reporter in Columbus, Ohio, posted to social media. According to reports out of West Virginia, Herd starting running back A.J. Turner and starting quarterback Braylon Braxton are among those heading elsewhere. Army has failed to cover its last two games as a double-digit favorite, but given the uncertainty at Marshall, the Black Knights are the only play here.

Marshall vs Army Independence Bowl Pick: Army -15.5

Army grinds out win after win behind a squad that’s gone UNDER in four of its last seven. While Marshall split its 12 games against FBS opponents this season against the total, we’re not exactly expecting an offensive explosion in Shreveport, La., given the key departures on that side of the ball.

Marshall vs Army Independence Bowl Pick: UNDER 48

Marshall vs Army News

The Black Knights are relatively injury-free with the exception of a knee issue suffered by kickoff specialist Anderson Britton, who was hurt against Notre Dame and hasn’t played since. On the Marshall side, wide receiver Elijah Metcalf has missed the second half of the season with a foot injury—and then like many others on the Thundering Herd, reportedly entered the transfer portal.

Marshall vs Army Prop Bet: Bryson Daily Anytime TD

The Black Knights quarterback entered the Navy game with 29 rushing touchdowns, tied for the national lead with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Daily ran for multiple TDs in 10 of his first 11 games, posting five against East Carolina and four each against UAB and Tulane. While he has plenty of help in tailback Kanya Udoh, it’s Daily who makes that Army option go.

Marshall vs Army Betting Trends