Missouri State vs Marshall Picks and Prediction for Saturday, September 6, 2025
On Saturday, the Missouri State Bears (0-1) visit Huntington, West Virginia, and Joan C. Edwards Stadium to play the Marshall Thundering Herd (0-1). Missouri State opened its regular season with a disappointing 73-13 loss to the USC Trojans. Marshall lost to #5-ranked Georgia 45-7 in its season opener. Missouri State will play without TE Gary Clinton, while RB Sage White and WR James Blackstrain are questionable. Marshall does not have any players listed on its injury report. Make sure to read this in-depth Missouri State Bears vs Marshall Thundering Herd prediction. Kickoff confidence! Unlock expert insights with our NCAAF picks for the Missouri State Bears vs. Marshall Thundering Herd prediction.
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Missouri State needs help on both sides of the line of scrimmage
The Missouri State Bears opened the regular season and a new era of FBS, scoring 13 points, behind 65 yards rushing and 159 yards passing for 224 yards of total offense. The Missouri State defense gave up 73 points to USC in the season opener. The Bears allowed USC 233 yards rushing and 364 yards passing for 597 yards.
Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark has thrown for 147 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Clark was sacked five times in the loss to USC. Shomari Lawrence leads Missouri State in rushing with 50 yards. Tristan Gardner is the leading receiver with 39 yards and one touchdown reception. Missouri State’s defense is led in tackles by safety Maguire Neal with nine. Missouri State has made one quarterback sack but has no interceptions.
Marshall needs to improve both its offense and defense
The Marshall Thundering Herd scored just seven points in their season opener versus Georgia. Marshall gained 78 yards rushing and 129 yards passing for 207 yards of total offense. The Marshall defense gave up 45 points on 249 yards rushing and 239 yards passing for 488 yards.
Marshall quarterback Zion Turner has 100 yards passing. Backup quarterback JacQai Long threw for 19 yards, and third-string Carlos Del Rio-Wilson threw for 10 yards. Justin Williams-Thomas leads Marshall in rushing with 24 yards. Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw is the leading receiver with 58 yards. Marshall's only touchdown in the season opener was on the ground. On defense, linebacker Kerion Martin, DB Cam Smith, and DB Caleb Clark-Glover each have seven tackles to lead the Thundering Herd. In its season opener, Marshall did not make any quarterback sacks or intercept any passes.
Missouri State vs. Marshall Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 |  David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Spread Pick for Missouri State vs. Marshall
- Marshall Thundering Herd (4 units)
Missouri State and Marshall both performed poorly in their season openers, but each faced much more talented opponents. The advantage in this matchup goes to Marshall first, as the Thundering Herd are playing at home, and secondly, due to Marshall having a slightly better defense. The Herd gave up 488 yards to #5-ranked Georgia, while Missouri State gave up 597 yards to unranked USC. Marshall passed for 129 yards in its loss to Georgia, but the Missouri State defense gave up 364 yards passing to the Trojans, and the Thundering Herd will use that to their advantage by using a passing attack behind Zion Turner to move the ball. The first game of the season for both teams is difficult to evaluate as they both played against far superior opponents, but with Marshall playing at home and having a slightly better defense through one game, look for the Herd to win and cover.
Over/Under Pick for Missouri State vs. Marshall
- Over (4 units)
The defense for both Missouri State and Marshall is below average, as the Bears gave up 73 points to USC and Marshall gave up 45 points to Georgia. Missouri State gave up 597 yards in its opening game loss, and Marshall gave up 488 yards in its opening game loss. The offenses will dominate this matchup from the start.
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