The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns meet in a Sun Belt matchup on Thursday, November 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN.
Southern Mississippi (2-7, 1-5 SBC) broke a four-game losing streak last week with a win over LA-Monroe. In the 24-7 victory, the Golden Eagles grabbed three interceptions and shut down Monroe’s rushing attack. On the offensive side of things, Frank Gore Jr. rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown in the win, and quarterback Billy Wiles added 200 yards, one TD, and one interception. This marked their first and only conference win of the season thus far.
Louisiana (5-4, 2-3 SBC) has been faring slightly better in Sun Belt play. However, they suffered a 37-17 loss to Arkansas State last weekend. They couldn’t quite get anywhere on the ground, and quarterback Zeon Chriss sustained a leg injury that will keep him out this week. Backup Chandler Fields passed for 92 yards and an interception in the loss.
Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the game.
SP+ Rankings
Southern Miss: 111 overall, 99 offense, 116 defense
Louisiana: 76 overall, 54 offense, 98 defense
Injury update
Southern Miss
RB Rodrigues Clark – Out (hand)
Louisiana
QB Zeon Chriss – Out (undisclosed)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
Southern Miss: 3-6 ATS
Louisiana: 3-6 ATS
Total in 2023
Southern Miss: Over 6-3
Louisiana: Over 4-5
Team Pace
Southern Miss: 26.6 seconds per play
Louisiana: 27.1 seconds per play
Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Louisiana -10
Total: 51
Moneyline: Louisiana -410, Southern Miss +320
Weather
73°F, Cloudy, 15% chance of precipitation, 4 MPH winds
Our Best Bet for Southern Miss vs. Louisiana
Southern Mississippi +10
Louisiana will be playing without their starting QB, and after the Golden Eagles’ three-INT performance last week, the Ragin’ Cajuns may be in trouble. While Southern Miss hasn’t had much luck in conference as of late, they just might be able to put together enough of a defensive performance against Fields to cover on the road.