College Football Week 10 Picks: Thursday Night Best Bets

College football is hitting its stride as we approach November! We will be keeping a close eye on all the action, sharing our expert analysis and betting insights every week. Stay up to date with the top picks, predictions, and betting advice for all things college football.

Check out what bets we’re targeting with our Week 10 Thursday night selections!

Where to Watch Marshall Thundering Herd vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Stadium: Brooks Stadium
Location: Conway, WC
Where to Watch: ESPN2
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: MRSH -5.5 | Total: 55.5
Moneyline: MRSH -215 | CCU +180

Note: All odds are subject to change after article publication. Get the most up-to-date odds here.

Two Sun Belt heavyweights stand toe-to-toe on Thursday night, as the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers host the Marshall Thundering Herd at Brooks Stadium. Both teams sit with identical 4-3 records; however, only three (2-1) of Marshall’s games have come against conference opponents, giving Coastal Carolina a slightly superior 3-1 Sun Belt record. Still, the betting market is clearly favoring the Thundering Herd in this pivotal SBC showdown.

Coastal Carolina’s metrics are a little unbecoming, but it has shown signs of improvement over its recent stretch. While they rank 125th in total offense and 108th in total defense, both marks have improved during their modest two-game winning streak. The Chanticleers have combined for 778 yards and 68 points over their last two games, while holding opponents to 45 points on 725 yards.

After an offseason of change, Marshall’s offense has found its rhythm as the season progresses. They’ve eclipsed 38 points in five straight, averaging 43.8 points per game across that sample. Predictably, that correlates with four of those five games going north of the total. Like their Week 10 counterparts, the Thundering Herd have struggled to contain opponents, getting burned for 413.6 yards and 30.9 points per game.

Defense will be in short supply when these conference rivals take to the field in Conway. The total is hanging steady at 55.5, but either team is almost single-handedly capable of reaching that mark. We’re planting the SportsGrid flag on the over in this Sun Belt Conference matchup.

Best Bet: MRSH-CCU Over 55.5

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Where to Watch Tulane Green Wave vs UTSA Roadrunners

Stadium: Alamodome
Location: UTSA Roadrunners
Where to Watch: FOX
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Spread: TULN -5.5 | Total: 54.5
Moneyline: TULN -225 | UTSA +190

With the top five conference winners earning an automatic berth to the College Football Playoffs, the Tulane Green Wave still have an avenue to the 12-team field. So far, Tulane has suffered just one loss to Ole Miss, meaning it needs to assert itself over the final month of the season to convince the CFP Committee that it is deserving of the spot. The Green Wave should flaunt its full arsenal against an overmatched UTSA Roadrunners squad.

Tulane excels on offense. They feature a healthy passing attack, but their best work comes on the ground. Dual-threat quarterback Jake Retzlaff has had no problem torching opponents this season, averaging 204.0 passing and 64.3 rushing yards per game. Across his seven starts, the BYU castoff has accumulated 14 touchdowns, throwing for six and running for eight more. Retzlaff will use his complete skill set to expose the Roadrunners’ defensive flaws.

Losers of two of its last three, UTSA has been burned by less effective offenses than Tulane’s. This is a team that gave up 27 points to Temple just a few weeks ago, while also letting Texas State and North Texas go off for 43 and 55, respectively. Those defensive shortcomings are validated by their supporting metrics, with the Roadrunners giving up 234.7 passing and 150.1 rushing yards per game. Not surprisingly, both of those positions drop UTSA to the bottom half of the FBS.

Jake Retzlaff and the Tulane Green Wave will quite literally run away with this one. Inferior offenses have gashed UTSA, and we expect Tulane to keep its foot on the pedal. We’re taking a stance on the Green Wave in this AAC clash.

Best Bet: Tulane -5.5