UTSA-Marshall: Spread, Total, Breakdown and Best Bet for Frisco Bowl

Just north of Dallas sits the city of Frisco, Texas, where football is a way of life. Beloved by its residents, the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl has dawned on the town annually since 2017.

Embarking on Toyota Stadium (home of MLS' FC Dallas), the UTSA Roadrunners and Marshall Thundering Herd will have the honors of competing in this year's Frisco Bowl. Considering the abbreviated NBA slate on Tuesday, UTSA-Marshall will likely serve as the fiercest sporting competition of the evening.

The Roadrunners have appeared in this game once prior, while Marshall is making their inaugural trip to the Frisco Bowl. From there, the Thundering Herd will also be working through roster movement at key spots. Can they conquer adversity by upsetting a physical UTSA team?

Prior to Tuesday's kickoff, let us dive into the odds and line, placing emphasis on the most valuable of the traditional betting markets.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Frisco Bowl Betting Odds: Spread, Moneyline and Total

Kickoff: Tuesday (Dec. 19), 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+

Location: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX

Spread: UTSA -11.5 (-115)

Moneyline:

• UTSA: -430
• Marshall: +330

Total: 52.5

UTSA vs. Marshall Analysis

After completing their first football regular season since moving from CUSA to the American, Texas-San Antonio very nearly won the conference. Still, the Roadrunners played proficiently enough in 2023 to earn an 8-4 overall record, including a 7-1 figure in AAC play. Head coach Jeff Traylor has propelled UTSA into a bowl game in all four seasons at the helm, but the 'Runners have suffered postseason losses in three years running.

After winning the Myrtle Beach Bowl in 2022, the Thundering Herd are 6-6 this campaign despite a poor 3-5 record within the Sun Belt. Marshall is wrapping up its third season under head coach Charles Huff. If the Herd wind up losing this Tuesday in Frisco, it will be Huff's first season in Huntington finishing under .500.

As alluded to in the introduction, UT San Antonio has played once before in the Frisco Bowl. Just two seasons ago, the Roadrunners lost a high-scoring affair at Toyota Stadium to the San Diego State Aztecs. With some roster carryover from 2021, such as starting quarterback Frank Harris, UTSA should be especially hungry for a victory in North Texas.

Transparently, Marshall would have presented a more formidable matchup for the Roadrunners if not for Herd quarterback Cam Fancher recently entering the transfer portal. With that, freshman signal-caller Cole Pennington (0:6 TD-to-INT ratio) will take the snaps for Marshall. In his first collegiate start, can Pennington shock the college football world versus UTSA?

According to the power rankings at numberFire, the Roadrunners (-2.04 nERD) show up middle of the FBS pack at 70th overall. Comparatively, the Thundering Herd (-8.12 nERD) are rated significantly lower, landing 95th on nF's rankings.

From the QB spot, Harris has accounted for 22 total scores in 2023, keeping UTSA's offense at a lofty 31.7 points per game (PPG). Truthfully, even if Marshall had Fancher playing, I'm not so sure the Herd can keep pace with San Antonio -- UM is averaging just 23.2 PPG prior to the freshman Pennington taking over.

On Monday, UTSA reflects as an inflated two-score favorite for Tuesday's Frisco Bowl. Still, this bid does have the looks of a game that could result in a blowout. Of course, that is always easier said than done.

UTSA vs. Marshall Best Bet

UTSA -11.5 (-115)

The Roadrunners -- in the midst of another conference transition -- have been building as a football team for quite some time. Interestingly enough, 2023 was UTSA's 12th season at the FBS level but already as a member of their third conference (WAC, CUSA, AAC). Regardless, Coach Traylor has squeezed 31 combined wins out of this program over the past three years, and San Antonio is still hungry for the school's first-ever bowl victory. That likely happens at the Frisco Bowl.

Given that Marshall will be going forward with an inexperienced signal-caller like Pennington, I would like to personally challenge the freshman quarterback to beat me in this bid. Even with a large set spread of 11.5 here, I will lay the points on the Roadrunners.

Back at numberFire, the bowl game projections yield an estimated score of 35.11-22.72 in favor of UTSA. For you non-math majors, that provides a winning differential of 12.39 points, resulting in almost an entire point of cushion against -11.5. Simply, the Roadrunners against the spread should be a fun and valuable market to cheer on.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.