The Appalachian State Mountaineers didn’t face much resistance this season, but they had all they could handle the last time they faced Louisiana. They’ll look to duplicate their standout defensive effort from that previous meeting as they host the rival Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday in the Sun Belt championship game.
- Date/Time: December 7, 12 noon ET
- Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Appalachian State -7 | O/U 57.5
- Louisiana vs Appalachian State Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Mountaineers opened as one-touchdown favorites, marking the seventh time in the last eight games that they’ve given points. They’re 3-3 ATS and 2-4 O/U in their last six contests as favorites.
Louisiana News & Notes
Louisiana couldn’t do much offensively in a 17-7 loss to Appalachian State back on October 9, but things have turned considerably since then. The Ragin’ Cajuns are averaging 39.5 points in six games since that defeat, scoring 30 or more points in every game over that span. They come into the conference championship with the No. 12 scoring offense in the nation at 38.8 points per game.
And for all the struggles they had with the football vs the Mountaineers – managing just 131 passing yards on 24 attempts – the Cajuns’ defensive showing was superb. They held App State to 147 yards through the air and 3.7 yards per carry en route to their best-ever defensive showing against a team that has won all seven of their head-to-head meetings entering the weekend.
Appalachian State News & Notes
The Mountaineers are absolutely rolling heading into the Sun Belt championship game, having won four straight overall – and the last three by an average of 28.7 points. Their scoring average is one-tenth of a point higher than Louisiana’s for the season, and they also boast the No. 18 scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 18.8 points per game.
App State is blessed with a handful of difference-makers on offense, but standout rusher Darrynton Evans will almost certainly be the guy the Ragin’ Cajuns focus on the most. Evans has been one of the top running back options in the country, racking up 1,250 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground – and he’s been red-hot of late, with six rushing scores in his past three games.
Betting Pick: Appalachian State ATS
Even as they struggled in their first meeting with Louisiana, the Mountaineers still won by double digits. Armed with home-field advantage and the most talented player on either side in Evans, App State should roll to the cover in this one.
- Louisiana is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games.
- Appalachian State is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games vs its conference.
- The UNDER in 6-1 in Louisiana’s last 7 games vs its conference.
