Central Arkansas vs. Louisiana NCAAF Week 12 Picks and Predictions

Central Arkansas will visit Cajun Country on Saturday afternoon when they suit up against No. 24 Louisiana-Lafayette. Let’s analyze this matchup and determine which side is the right side to back in our college football picks.

Central Arkansas Bears vs. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns

Saturday, November 21, 2020 – 02:00 PM EST at Cajun Field

A Step Up in Class

Hailing from the Southland Conference in the FCS, Central Arkansas doesn’t usually hit the college football odds board. However, twice this season they have danced with the big boys of the FBS and were included in a pair of lined games. On September 3rd, they fell to UAB, 45-35, but covered as 21½-point road dogs. And then on October 10th the Bears lost to Arkansas State and failed to cover as 15½-point underdogs in a 50-27 blowout.

Overall, the Bears are 5-4 on the season and riding a two-game winning streak with victories over D-2 Missouri Western (52-10) and Eastern Kentucky last week when they drew away to a 37-25 win over the Colonels. In that game, junior quarterback Luke Hales got his first start of the season and tossed for 324 yards with a pair of TD’s and two interceptions.

Hales got the starting assignment because first-string quarterback, Breylin Smith, tested positive for COVID-19 as did both of Central Arkansas’ place-kickers, Hayden Ray and his backup Chandler Caughron, defensive end Austin Norris, and safety Nick Nakwaasah.

Ragin’ Cajuns Loaded for Bear

Louisiana-Lafayette is building on their success from a season ago when they went 11-3, culminating in a 27-17 win over Miami-Ohio in the LendingTree Bowl. Now they find themselves sitting pretty with a 7-1 record and ranked as the 24th best team in the nation. This is unchartered territory for a small conference team without any real championship pedigree, unless winning the Sun Belt West division three years running is your definition of title worthy.

Despite their success this season, the Ragin’ Cajuns have not been particularly kind to those who have backed them in their college football picks. In their eight contests thus far, ULL is just 3-5 against the number but got well last week when they thumped South Alabama, 38-10, and easily covered the 14 ½ point impost. In that contest, senior quarterback Levi Lewis passed for 252 yards with three TDs and a pick.

The win sewed up the Sun Belt West for the third consecutive season and head coach, Billy Napier, liked what he saw, particularly because it was a solid effort from start to finish, “We had an edge about us today,” Napier said. “What I’m excited about is not necessarily winning the West, but we kind of rose to the challenge and were ready to play and put it together.”

Wanna Make a Bet?

This is yet another game this season pitting an FBS versus an FCS school and seeing how many points the oddsmakers can hang on the favorite before the public deigns to bet the big road dog. As I peruse the lines over at SBR Odds, all of the best sportsbooks, like Heritage Sports, are dealing the Cajuns as 24½-point home chalk.

Louisiana-Lafayette is a well-balanced team. They will not make many mistakes and can pretty much hang tough with anyone. Although, in fairness, the closest team to a powerhouse we have seen them play occurred in the opening week of the season when they defeated No. 23 Iowa by the score of, 31-14, stunning the oddsmakers who had tagged them as 13 ½ point road underdogs.

There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Central Arkansas, with five of their key players testing positive for the novel coronavirus and questions as to whether they will suit up against their toughest opponent of the season this Saturday. Regardless of who plays for the Bears, I can’t see them matching this explosive Cajuns’ offense under any circumstances.

Central Arkansas does not own a respectable defense and that will be the death knell for any chance they have of covering this number. Conversely, the Cajuns’ defense is stout and should have little problem shutting down the Bears’ aerial assault. Lay the lumber and back Lafayette.

My Pick: Louisiana -24.5 (-110) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)

Louisiana -24.5(-110)

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