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The UAB Blazers and Marshall Thundering Herd made it out of their respective divisions out of Conference USA, which had major issues throughout the season battling the coronavirus. Marshall took the field just once in the last month, while UAB has only played one game since Halloween. These teams did not play each other during the regular season.
Here are the opening odds from DraftKings Sportsbook for the Conference USA Championship Game:
Opening odds
Point Spread: UAB vs. Marshall (-5.5)
Point Total: 42.5
Moneyline: UAB +180, Marshall -225
How they got here
Marshall got off to a hot start, winning its first seven games and checked in at No. 21 in the first College Football Playoff rankings reveal before a stunning performance led to a 20-0 home loss to Rice. That is the only game the Thundering Herd has played since Nov. 14 as they concluded the regular season with a 7-1 record overall and 4-1 in Conference USA action.
As for UAB, the Blazers went 5-3 overall including 3-1 in the conference. Despite the small sample size in the league, a 21-13 win over UT-San Antonio proved decisive.
Bowl implications
Neither team has a realistic shot at the College Football Playoff or even a New Year’s Six bowl, and the conference does not slot its best teams in a particular order. Instead, bowl games are decided by the best possible matchups and and the geography.
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