Marshall Thundering Herd vs Old Dominion Monarchs Predictions

Marshall’s offense faces the better defense

Marshall visits Old Dominion at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday as a 3-point favorite. SportsPicksForum lists the Herd at -142 on the moneyline, the Monarchs at +120 and the total at 46.5.

CFB/LAB, a college football analytics site, reports that Marshall averaged 0.11 raw points per play added with a 44.9% success rate through Week 8. Old Dominion averaged -0.18 per play with a 30.2% success rate. Those figures aren’t adjusted for opponent strength, but the gap makes Marshall the likelier winner.

Old Dominion’s defense is the reason to avoid laying the field goal. The Monarchs allowed 0.02 raw points per play added and a 37.9% success rate, compared with 0.25 and 43.9% for Marshall. That defensive advantage gives Old Dominion a plausible path to stay within three points.

Prediction and betting lean

Marshall quarterback Zion Turner produced a 44.0% success rate over 75 observed plays in the Herd’s past three completed games, while running back Judah Price recorded a 54.8% success rate on 31 carries. Those workloads don’t confirm either player’s availability for Saturday, and there’s no verified starter, injury or weather information.

Marshall’s offensive edge supports a low-confidence moneyline lean at -142, but the uncertainty and Old Dominion’s defensive advantage rule out a stronger wager. The default 50-50 betting split isn’t a measured public-betting signal and shouldn’t affect the pick.